Spheres of Wellness: Going Beyond Personal Wellness

The graphic representation of the three spheres of wellness is based on the following two premises:

1. We cannot attain or maintain optimal wellness without taking care of ourselves.

2. We cannot attain or maintain optimal wellness without reaching out to others and investing in meaningful causes beyond ourselves.

The concept of wellness extends beyond personal wellness. It includes, but is not limited to, taking care of ourselves. Personal well-being requires investment in people and causes beyond oneself. To achieve balance in our lives, we need to go beyond self-absorption and ask ourselves, “What am I going to do with my wellness? What’s the purpose of all this self-care?” These questions lead us beyond caring only for ourselves to caring for other people and causes in the local and global spheres of wellness.

Resolve to be involved because giving to others is the best impact we can have in the world.

– Silken Laumann

In the first part of Wellness 10, the emphasis is on respect, responsibility, and caring for one’s own wellness. Students operate primarily in the personal sphere of wellness. They acquire knowledge, develop understanding, and practise attaining and sustaining personal well-being through the five strands of wellness: Physical Activity and Fitness, Stress Management, Leisure, Healthy Eating, and Relationships.

During the latter part of Wellness 10, the emphasis shifts to the local and global spheres of wellness. In the unit entitled Supports for Local and Global Wellness, students are provided with opportunities to nurture a more profound sense of wellness by investing in people and causes beyond themselves. They begin by investing locally through service in their neighbourhood and community. This lays the foundation for them to invest globally through service and work for causes that benefit the planet.

A sense of responsibility for the planet is born from a sense of responsibility for one’s own neighbourhood.

– Neil Postman

In spite of fax machines, e-mail, and cell phones, many people feel more isolated than ever. Most people want to feel a sense of community (e.g., the comfort, safety, and fulfillment that community provides). Community is an essential part of being human that answers our desire for connection. It is more than just a physical place. A community exists when people care for each other’s well-being and share their lives, and when everyone feels a sense of belonging and responsibility toward the common good. Local communities, then, become good models for caring about people around the world whom students may never meet. This builds a global community. Community does not just happen. It must be created and then nurtured. The creation of community starts at home – in one’s own neighbourhood.

In Wellness 10, students are provided with opportunities to engage in the care of others and to engage in the care of their own homes, schools, neighbourhoods, communities, and towns. The purpose of these opportunities is to introduce youth to their responsibilities for the planet, beginning with the buildings, streets, parks, and farms that are their portion of the planet. Through these activities and projects, students develop and demonstrate respect, responsibility, and caring for their local and global communities.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

– Margaret Mead