Understanding What Counts as Health and Wellbeing?

September 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease. This holistic definition is key to understanding what counts as health and wellbeing, which today encompasses multiple interconnected dimensions that influence every aspect of a person's life.

Quick Summary

Health and wellbeing represent a holistic, multi-dimensional state of flourishing that includes physical vitality, mental clarity, emotional resilience, social connection, and a sense of purpose. It encompasses everything from managing finances to finding satisfaction in daily activities.

Key Points

Holistic Perspective: True health and wellbeing is more than just the absence of disease, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions.
Interconnected Dimensions: Neglecting one aspect of your wellness, such as financial or social health, can negatively impact other areas, like your mental or physical health.
Active Process: Wellbeing is not a fixed state but an ongoing, dynamic process of making conscious choices that lead to a more successful and resilient life.
Actionable Steps: Cultivating holistic wellness involves taking small, consistent steps in various dimensions, such as improving nutrition, managing stress, and nurturing social connections.
Resilience and Purpose: Core components include the ability to cope with stress effectively and finding a sense of purpose that provides meaning and direction in your life.
Beyond the Body: Factors like financial security, a stimulating intellectual life, and a healthy environment are all critical to achieving comprehensive wellbeing.

Defining Health and Wellbeing: Beyond the Obvious

For decades, health was often viewed simply as the absence of illness. However, a more comprehensive, or holistic, understanding has emerged, recognizing that human existence is complex and that all parts of our lives influence our overall state of wellness. Wellbeing is therefore not a static destination but an active, dynamic process of making choices toward a successful and fulfilling life. It’s about building resilience, cultivating healthy relationships, and finding meaning that goes beyond physical symptoms. A truly healthy individual is balanced, adaptable, and engaged with their environment and community.

The Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing

A holistic view breaks down health and wellbeing into several key, interdependent dimensions. Neglecting one area can create imbalances that impact your overall wellness.

Physical Wellbeing

This dimension covers the health of your body and the choices you make to maintain it. It's the most recognized component of health.

Cardiovascular Endurance: The ability of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your muscles during sustained physical activity.
Muscular Strength and Endurance: The force your muscles can produce and their ability to perform continuous contractions without fatigue.
Flexibility: The range of motion available at your joints, which is important for mobility and injury prevention.
Body Composition: The proportion of fat, muscle, bone, and water in the body.
Sleep and Nutrition: Ensuring adequate rest and a balanced diet are foundational to physical health.

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Often discussed together, mental and emotional wellbeing are distinct but related aspects of psychological health.

Mental Wellbeing: Encompasses your cognitive function, ability to cope with daily stress, and overall psychological state. It's about learning, adapting, and solving problems.
Emotional Wellbeing: Your capacity to be aware of, understand, and effectively manage your feelings. It involves building resilience and bouncing back from adversity.
Stress Management: Developing healthy coping strategies like meditation or journaling is crucial for regulating emotions and responding to challenges.

Social Wellbeing

Social health is derived from the strength of your relationships and sense of community. Humans are social creatures, and connection is vital to both mental and physical health.

Interpersonal Relationships: Developing and maintaining rewarding connections with friends, family, and colleagues.
Community Engagement: Actively participating in your community, whether through volunteering, group activities, or local events.
Boundaries: The ability to create healthy boundaries is key to ensuring relationships remain supportive and respectful.

Spiritual Wellbeing

This dimension involves exploring your sense of purpose, meaning, and values. It doesn't have to be tied to a specific religion.

Sense of Purpose: Feeling that your life has meaning and direction.
Values and Morals: Defining the beliefs and ethics that guide your life's decisions.
Mindfulness and Reflection: Engaging in practices like meditation, prayer, or simply quiet reflection to connect with your inner self.

Financial Wellbeing

Financial stability and security have a profound impact on overall wellness, reducing stress and providing a sense of freedom.

Control Over Finances: Having a handle on day-to-day and month-to-month finances.
Ability to Absorb Shocks: The capacity to handle an unexpected expense without significant distress.
Planning for the Future: Being on track to meet your financial goals, like saving for retirement.

Comparison of Wellbeing Dimensions


Dimension	Focus Area	Impact
Physical	Body, movement, nutrition, rest	Energy levels, illness prevention, longevity
Mental/Emotional	Thoughts, feelings, stress coping	Psychological health, resilience, mood regulation
Social	Relationships, community, connection	Support networks, sense of belonging, reduced loneliness
Spiritual	Purpose, values, meaning, beliefs	Life direction, perspective, inner peace
Financial	Income, expenses, savings, planning	Security, reduced stress, freedom of choice

How to Cultivate Holistic Wellbeing

Adopting a holistic approach requires intentional effort across all dimensions. Here are some actionable steps:

Start Small with Physical Health: Don't overhaul your entire diet and exercise routine at once. Introduce one healthy meal and a short walk each day. Gradually increase intensity and duration over time. Regular physical activity has proven benefits for both body and mind.
Practice Emotional Awareness: Regularly check in with your feelings through journaling or meditation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers resources for understanding and improving mental health. Acknowledging your emotions is the first step toward effective regulation. Learn more about mental health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Build Your Social Circle: Focus on the quality of your relationships over quantity. Nurture existing friendships and find new connections by joining groups centered around your hobbies. Even virtual connection can help reduce loneliness.
Define Your Purpose: Take time to reflect on your core values. Engage in activities that bring you a sense of purpose and fulfillment, such as volunteering or pursuing a passion project.
Develop Financial Literacy: Create a budget and a savings plan to feel more in control of your finances. This can dramatically reduce stress and provide peace of mind about your future.
Maintain Intellectual Curiosity: Keep your mind engaged by learning new skills, reading different perspectives, or listening to thought-provoking podcasts. This contributes to cognitive health and personal growth.
Address Your Environment: Recognize how your surroundings affect you. This can be as simple as decluttering your living space or as large-scale as supporting environmental causes.

The Path to Comprehensive Wellness

True health and wellbeing is a journey that involves nurturing every aspect of your life. It’s a delicate balance, where progress in one area can positively influence another. While this approach may seem overwhelming, remember that it's a process of small, consistent steps. By understanding that your body, mind, and spirit are interconnected, you can make more informed decisions and create a truly flourishing life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Health is often viewed as a state, historically the absence of illness. Wellbeing, however, is a more active, multi-dimensional process that includes your overall physical, mental, and social experience, encompassing how you feel, function, and engage with life.

Physical and mental health are closely linked and influence each other significantly. For example, regular exercise can reduce feelings of depression and stress, while chronic stress can negatively impact physical health by raising blood pressure and disturbing sleep.

Social connection is a vital pillar of health and wellbeing. Healthy relationships can act as a buffer against stress and loneliness, which have been shown to have negative health impacts. A strong social network contributes to both mental and physical health.

You can improve your emotional health by practicing self-awareness, developing effective coping strategies, and engaging in stress-reducing activities. This includes journaling to monitor your emotions, finding healthy outlets like exercise, and seeking help when needed.

Financial wellbeing is included because stress over money is a major contributor to poor mental and physical health. Having financial security and the freedom to make choices reduces anxiety and provides a solid foundation for addressing other areas of your life.

No, spiritual wellbeing does not have to be religious. It is about exploring your personal values, finding purpose, and connecting to a sense of meaning that is greater than yourself. This can be achieved through meditation, spending time in nature, or personal reflection, regardless of religious belief.

Start with small, manageable changes in one or two dimensions, rather than trying to fix everything at once. Focus on foundational areas like physical activity, healthy nutrition, and stress management. As you see positive results, you can gradually expand your focus to other areas of wellbeing.