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8 simple tips for total wellness

Making a few changes to the social, emotional, and physical aspects of your life can yield big results.


LearnFitness8 simple tips for total wellness
Take on a new project a work
Find a sweat session you enjoy
Try a new-to-you fruit
Surround yourself with positive people, let go of toxic relationships
Find your spiritual center
Write down one thing you’re grateful for each day
Skip plastic utensils and paper plates
Learn something new each day

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You probably hear the term “wellness” all the time—in the news, at the doctor’s office, at work, and across social media. But what does it really mean to be well?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health and wellness as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Wellness encompasses several components. According to the Global Wellness Institute, six important aspects are your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states, along with your social and environmental connections—that’s how you connect with your community and positively interact with the planet.

This sense of well-being can lead to fulfillment in your relationships, career, and your overall sense of purpose in life. Read on for examples of how you can improve your well-being and overall wellness in eight key areas of your life.

Sources: Global Wellness Institute. What is Welln... + 12
  1. Global Wellness Institute. What is Wellness? Accessed May 27, 2022.
  2. Aazami S, Shamsuddin K, Akmal S, Azami G. The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Psychological/Physical Health among Malaysian Working Women. Malays J Med Sci. 2015;22(4):40-46.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benefits of Physical Activity. Reviewed April 27, 2022.
  4. Lienert, Jeffrey, Marcum, Christopher Steven, Finney, John, Reed-Tsochas, Felix, Koehly, Laura.  Social influence on 5-year survival in a longitudinal chemotherapy ward co-presence network. Network Science. 2017;5(3):308-327.
  5. Salsman JM, Pustejovsky JE, Jim HS, et al. A meta-analytic approach to examining the correlation between religion/spirituality and mental health in cancer. Cancer. 2015;121(21):3769-3778.
  6. Hughes M. Helm, Judith C. Hays, Elizabeth P. Flint, Harold G. Koenig, Dan G. Blazer, Does Private Religious Activity Prolong Survival? A Six-Year Follow-up Study of 3,851 Older Adults, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 55, Issue 7, 1 July 2000, Pages M400–M405.
  7. Sansone RA, Sansone LA. Gratitude and well being: the benefits of appreciation. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2010;7(11):18-22.
  8. Williams LA, Bartlett MY. Warm thanks: gratitude expression facilitates social affiliation in new relationships via perceived warmth. Emotion. 2015;15(1):1-5.
  9. Algoe SB, Haidt J, Gable SL. Beyond reciprocity: gratitude and relationships in everyday life. Emotion. 2008;8(3):425-429.
  10. Wood AM, Joseph S, Lloyd J, Atkins S. Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. J Psychosom Res. 2009;66(1):43-48.
  11. Mills PJ, Redwine L, Wilson K, et al. The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Well-being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients. Spiritual Clin Pract (Wash D C ). 2015;2(1):5-17.
  12. Fuller, Richard, Landrigan, Philip, Balakrishnan, Kalpana, et al. Pollution and health: a progress update. The Lancet. Published online May 17. 2022.
  13. American Heart Association. How do I follow a healthy diet pattern? September 2024.
Written by Olivia DeLong.
Medically reviewed by Joanne Perron, MD, MPH.December, 2023
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Olivia DeLong.
Medically reviewed by Joanne Perron, MD, MPH.December, 2023
Updated onAugust, 2026
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