The holistic eight
- The eight domains of wellness
- How to incorporate holistic self-care into your routine (Freemium members)
- Staff wellbeing survey (Premium)
- Staffroom Poster: Eight domains of wellness
Educator Wellness is the holistic wellness of individuals who work within the field of education. It is linked to healthy eating, good sleep strategies, self-care, professional development, financial empowerment and other aspects which make up the eight accepted domains of wellness. Unfortunately, wellbeing has not been systematically explored in the field of education in South Africa. Thus, educators are either unaware of outlets and resources that exist to explore their personal and emotional needs, such as counseling services, social support groups and the variety of physical wellness options and memberships which may be available, or these outlets do not exist.
So, what are the eight accepted domains of wellness?
1. Physical wellness
Physical wellness is exactly what it says – taking care of your physical self by maintaining an active lifestyle or signing up for a membership at your local gym or meditation studio.
Incorporating physical wellness into your daily routine – 2 minutes a day
Here’s an odd question to ask: How often do you brush your teeth? We all know that we are supposed to brush twice a day, yet how many of us are satisfied with doing so just once a day?
If you are one of the majority who brush only once a day, try incorporating a second brush before bed time. It takes just two minutes (use a timer), but you’ll go to bed carrying a sense of accomplishment and awake with a spring in your step.
You see, it isn’t just the brushing that’s important. It’s a self-care task that emits feel-good serotonin.
2. Emotional wellness
This entails being in tune with your feelings so that you become more aware of your bodily sensations. Understanding what makes your tick, what triggers you and what you can do to self-calm are some of the factors that you can work on to improve your emotional wellness.
Incorporating emotional wellness in your weekly routine – 5 minutes a day
Have you tried journaling? Take 5 minutes each day to reflect on what you are grateful for. Keep a journal beside your bed, or on your desk at break time. No matter how bad things seem, focus on the positives. Find three things you are truly grateful for and take a few minutes to embrace the gratitude.
3. Spiritual wellness
A healthy spiritual routine provides us with and reaffirms our core values, ethics and beliefs. It allows us to embrace forgiveness, gratitude and compassion and, in some cases, provides a group structure that we can be a part of and have a belonging to.
Incorporating spiritual wellness in your weekly routine: 5 minutes a day
Practise meditation in a way that resonates with you. You could set aside a time of day to do this, or incorporate it into your routine by being purposely aware and more meticulous in your usual prayers.
4. Occupational wellness
This refers to your work-life relationship. How to improve your level of occupational wellbeing:
- Find a balance between work and leisure in order to promote a healthy lifestyle
- address workplace stress
- focus on building relationships with colleagues
- develop transferable skills, soft skills
- find ways to make everyday tasks more enjoyable
Incorporating occupational wellness in your daily routine: 15 minutes a week
Take a few moments out of your day to connect with your co-workers. Share a plate of treats, discuss recipes and life hacks, share ideas, get to know your colleagues and develop good rapport in the staffroom.
5. Intellectual wellness
This refers to your active participation in scholastic, cultural and community activities in order to live a stimulating life. To some, this may entail reading more or studying further, and to others it may mean actively pursuing activities that promote intellectual stimulation.
Incorporating intellectual wellness in your weekly routine: 15 minutes a week
Read up on a subject of interest for a few minutes each day. Don’t limit yourself to work-related reading. Explore other interests and find valuable articles on the net or borrow a book from the library.
6. Social wellness
This entails nurturing your own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health so that you can participate in the social puzzle that you are a part of.
Incorporating social wellness in your routine: No limit!
- Dedicate 3 minutes each afternoon for a quick phone-call or text message to check in on someone dear to you
- And/or schedule a monthly check-in with family and friends
7. Financial wellness
Empowering yourself to understand and maintain good financial habits by budgeting, saving and planning.
Incorporating financial wellness in your routine: 10 minutes each month
- Set aside a fixed amount each month for the things you value, be it a hobby, eating out or going on holiday.
- Put aside your savings first, then budget the remaining amount for the month ahead.
8. Environmental wellness
This is about creating and being a part of a safe, supportive and inclusive community that supports and recognises the impact of personal and social decisions. This entails being respectful, inclusive and supportive to others, being aware of your surroundings, playing an active part in creating a good work environment for yourself and your co-workers and taking personal responsibility for your actions.
Incorporating environmental wellness in your daily routine
Pay attention to your carbon footprint by:
- Considering joining a lift club to work
- Paying more attention to what you are throwing away as opposed to recycling
Staff wellbeing survey
The staffroom is generally the most under-utilised wellness resource in a school. When it comes to staff wellbeing, the staffroom plays a crucial part. The staffroom should be a physical space to get together, and a mental space to be yourself.
The first step when making a change is finding out what works and what doesn’t. Use our Staffroom survey to ascertain the level of wellbeing in your staffroom. The survey is available free of charge here.
