The World Health Organization (WHO) formulated a definition of health in
1970 that has influenced the medical model of health care. Health was
defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, not
merely the absence of disease of infirmity” (Shillingford J. Shillingford A. 1991).
This definition has paved the way for wellness or for a more holistic approach
to health care. Philosophically, the wellness movement could have had its
roots in the Greek civilization because the concept includes wholeness of
mind and body and in the Greek culture, programs of physical education
became a systematic part of overall education.Our lives today are very complex thus making it more difficult to achieve an
overall feeling of wellness. The definition for wellness includes many dimensions
of our lives.
To maintain health, all dimensions of our lives need to be addressed. If we
invest too much time in one or two of these dimensions, the others will suffer,
resulting in a decrease of our overall wellness. All dimensions relate to and
affect each other. For example, what happens at home often affects what
happens at work and vice versa.
