The Star Wellness Model
Southeast Community College’s Star Wellness Program is based on five dimensions of Wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual. These interact together to form the basic foundation necessary to facilitate a collaborative approach to personal health and enrichment.
Throughout the program, participants will have access to educational and information on each dimension of Wellness. Each dimension corresponds to a specific colored star that signifies that area of wellness. Program enrollees may receive material keyed with a colored star to depict a particular Wellness area of interest.
Physical
Wellness:
Includes
cardiovascular,
muscular strength, and flexibility.
Good physical fitness is commonly associated with being healthy which
can lead to fewer health problems. For this reason, activity leading
to increased levels of exercise and nutritional knowledge are encouraged
and recommended. On the other hand, activities that are harmful such as
drugs, smoking, and excessive alcohol are discouraged due the impact
they may have on one’s well-being. It is widely believed that there is
an analogous relationship between the physical dimension and a person’s
health and well-being.
Emotional
Wellness:
Centers on
accepting emotions and feelings while realistically evaluating
limitations. Although it is normal to have occasional disappointments
and frustrations, it is how a person deals with these situations that
results in emotional wellness. An emotionally well-adjusted individual
can express emotions appropriately and adjust to changes or setbacks.
The result is healthy and rewarding relationships with others and
enjoyment of life overall. Often times stress interferes with a
person’s well-being and can lead to emotional sabotage. Trying to
balance obligations and commitments to both employer and family can
prove to be challenging for anyone. Thus, taking time for oneself and
using strategies to cope with stress is advocated.
Social
Wellness:
Focuses
on the person and the community around him/her. A socially adjusted
individual has a positive self-image and uses communication, beauty, and
balance to promote a healthy living environment. He/she strives to live
in harmony over conflict and seeks to impart a positive relationship
with others.
Intellectual
Wellness:
Concentrates
on stimulating and creative mental activities to arouse an individual’s
intellectual abilities. Problem-solving, innovative thinking, and
learning are encouraged to challenge the mind. Activities designed to
expand a person’s knowledge or skill level are recommended.
Intellectual wellness results in respect and curiosity for others and
the surrounding environment without the feeling of having to conform.
Spiritual
Wellness: Involves an
appreciation of the meaning of life, the forces of nature, and the
individual’s role. Guided by personal beliefs and values, spiritual
well-being allows for the enjoyment of beauty and the value of what is
around us. Drawing upon personal ethics, values, and morals as a guide,
coping techniques can be developed that enables one to deal with
everyday and traumatic situations. Thus, spiritual wellness promotes
the harmony of emotions and the avoidance of emotional highs and lows.
As humans, it is within us to grow and develop in all five dimensions of wellness. Program participants are asked to set goals in some or all five areas keeping in mind that the purpose of the goal is to challenge and stimulate an individual’s personal well-being. It is only by daring to try can one hope to succeed.
Growth
“By helping yourself, you are helping
mankind.
By helping mankind, you are helping yourself.”
Christopher Isherwood
(1904-1986 Anglo-American Writer)
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