🏆CC🪷🔵 | Wellbeing | Six Boxes That Are Not Six Boxes

I was reading an article about wellbeing. It said there are six types. Physical. Emotional. Mental. Social. Spiritual. Environmental. And then, near the end, it said: “It is important to note that these types are interconnected and influence one another.”

And I stopped. Because if they are all connected, why are they in six boxes?

Here’s what I noticed when I went through them.

Physical. The article defines it as “the state of one’s physical health and fitness.” Nutrition, exercise, sleep, bodily functioning. And I thought: that is just the body. The body that is in the kitchen. The body that is carrying the thing from the counter to the table. The body that is tired at 5:40 because it was already up. The body does not know it is “physical wellbeing.” The body just is.

Emotional. “Recognizing and managing one’s emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.” And I thought: that is the jaw. That is the shoulders. That is the 3 a.m. waking that does not need a reason. The body knows the emotion before the mind names it. The emotion is not a “dimension.” The emotion is the jaw going up when the email comes in. And then the jaw going down when you set the phone face-down.

Mental. “Having a positive mindset, feeling a sense of purpose, and being able to handle challenges effectively.” And I thought: that is the list in the head. The “what if” loop. The “I should be further along.” The mind doing the thing the mind does. Pacing. Building. Pre-running. And the body paying for it. And the “positive mindset” is not a technique. The “positive mindset” is the hand that sets the phone down and says: I am not doing this right now.

Social. “The quality of an individual’s relationships and their sense of belonging in a community.” And I thought: that is the person who puts the food on the table and sits down and does not check the phone. That is the “you are still here.” That is the kitchen with more than one person in it. And it is not a “dimension.” It is the chair across from you. And the fact that someone is sitting in it.

Spiritual. “Finding meaning and purpose in life and connecting with something greater than oneself.” And I thought: that is the thing I do not have a name for. The thing that was in the body before the mind caught up. The thing that does not need a “practice” or a “meditation” or a “mindfulness technique.” The thing that is the kitchen table. The thing that is the quiet. The thing that is the “I do not know what it is and I do not need to.”

Environmental. “The relationship between individuals and their physical surroundings.” And I thought: that is the window. That is the light coming in. That is the wind in the branches. That is the specific, quiet, unremarkable fact that the room has a window and the window is open and the air is moving and you can feel it on your face. And it is not “sustainability.” And it is not “conserving energy.” It is the window. And the air. And the fact that you are in the room and the room is not sealed.

And the article says they are all connected. And it is. The jaw (emotional) is the jaw (physical). The list in the head (mental) is the hand that sets the phone down (physical). The person in the chair (social) is the “you are still here” (spiritual). The window (environmental) is the air on your face (physical). They are not six boxes. They are one room. And the room is the body. And the body is in the room. And the room is the kitchen. And the kitchen is the kitchen.

I do not know what I am going to do with this. I am not going to “address each dimension of wellbeing.” I am not going to “strive for a balance.” I am going to keep reading. And keep noticing. And keep putting the things I find in my pocket. And the boxes will stay in the article. And the room will stay the room.

🎧 If you would rather listen to this one, the audio is here. Take it if it is for you. 

This is part of Coach Clear. The slow, honest work of finding your way. coachclear.net