The comprehensive wellness theory says that everything we do has effects on everything else.
By learning about the causes, consequences and remedies of stress before they become a problem, you can maintain and improve upon your overall health and well being thereby preventing distress/depression/anxiety/illness.
People only have a certain amount of energy. That energy is allocated to meet the demands people have in all six areas of their life: emotional, mental, physical, social, spiritual and vocational within their given environment. The key to wellness is to ensure that the energy demand does not exceed the energy supply.
When you need more energy than you have available, you must divert it from necessary areas such as your immune system. Think about the last time you felt exceptionally “stressed.” In order to get the “must dos” accomplished what things did you sacrifice? Probably things like relaxation, eating good meals and recreation with family and friends.
This is an example of how energy is “diverted” from one area to another. What were the consequences of having to divert energy? Sickness? Lethargy? Hostility? Poor Sleep?
All people are the expert on themselves. Therefore, I encourage you to find a way to gain insight into where your energy is currently being used and what areas could have some energy diverted from.
You will also discover the negative impact of eliminating beneficial activities such as sufficient sleep, nutrition and relaxation. To ensure you maximize your efforts, make sure you use methods that are compatible with your learning style (auditory, kinesthetic or visual) and your personality (kiersey.com Temperament Sorter II).
Not all strategies work for all people. In this column I provide basic information about techniques and their strategies. For examples of how this theory works, please email me at wellness@policeone.com
