What is wellness?

Tuesday, December 11, 2012
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Written by Danijela Rašić

Wellness wheel 2
In 1948., the WHO (World Health Organization) defined Wellness wheel as the concept of health and as „a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely as the absence of disease or infirmity that is weakness, and not merely as the absence of disease or infirmity that is weakness."

Inspired by this definition, in 1959.Dr. Halbert Dunn created from words well-being and fitness created a new word – “wellness”.Dr. Dunn says that wellness is "special state of health, which includes the overall feeling of the individual which defines man as composed of body , soul and mind, and that is dependent on its environment ", while as " high level wellness" is defined as an integrated method of functioning which is oriented towards maximizing the results of an individual.

According to the current definition, wellness is defined as “state of health, which refers to the harmony of body, mind and soul, and whose key elements are: self-responsibility, physical activity, beauty care, healthy nutrition, relaxation as need to eliminate stress, meditation, mental activity, education and environmental awareness and social contacts "(Müller, Lanz Kaufmann, 2001).

Wellness is the opposite of the sickness and it can be described as a positive component of health. Many equate it with quality of life.


Wellness has seven dimensions required for the harmonious functioning of the body:

  1. 1. Physical – emphasizes the importance of physical activity, movement and exercise.
  2. 2. Social – emphasizes the importance of communication and interaction with family, friends and relationships.
  3. 3. Professional – highlights the importance of satisfaction in the profession.
  4. 4. Ecological – emphasizes the importance of a healthy environment on human health.
  5. 5. Intellectual – emphasizes the importance of learning and getting to know new.
  6. 6. Emotional – emphasizes the importance of emotional health.
  7. 7. Spiritual dimension – emphasizes the importance of spiritual strength and inner peace.


Following mentioned above, we can say that wellness is a holistic approach to health, and the lifestyle. Wellness is a process of continuous improvement of mental, physical, spiritual and mental health. Overall health is achieved by conscious action in the areas of physical activity, healthy diet, spiritual activities, relaxation, beauty and quality in harmony with nature and other people. Wellness concept is primarily intended for healthy people who want to stay healthy or to improve the quality of their lives, and they do so with the help of qualified and professional personnel employed in the wellness industry. It should be mentioned that the wellness center is just a place where one spends part of the wellness philosophy that is the wellness concept. Due to the fact it recognized the individual needs of the modern individual - it is no wonder that the wellness has grown into a worldwide movement.

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