Know Thy Self: 8 Dimensions of Wellness

Written by Horace Spence

Aim to raise your awareness around the 8 dimensions of wellness, the elements of mindfulness and the aspects of self-care in all areas of your life. Redefining success through social innovation businesses and management. 

The eight categories are Anti-black Racism, Restorative Justice, Pre-Employment, Interpersonal Intervention, Wellness, Social Justice, Arts and Culture, and Entrepreneurship.

Anti-black racism

Anti-black racism is prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping, or discrimination directed at people of African descent.   There are different definitions of racism; depending on the situation, it may include one or more types. Cultural Competence, Black Identity, Institutionalized Racism, Systemic Racism, Intersectionality and Allyship. It is important to understand the different types to focus on the cultural competence surrounding black identity.

Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice responds to criminal behaviour that focusing on lawbreaker restitution and resolving the issues arising from a crime in which victims, offenders, and the community are brought together to restore harmony between the parties. This may seem an impossible and overwhelming endeavour, but by focusing on your surroundings in your community or family reintegration can be achieved.   Here are some tools and concepts that I use to restore this harmony.  Community healing table, peacemaking circles, relearning ownership and accountability, understanding self-identity and the criminal mindset, looking into reintegration (family first), learning about ‘The invisible bullet’, expanding your transferrable skills – “Jedi mindset”, and utilizing a case manager.

Interpersonal Intervention 

Interpersonal Intervention is to look at oneself to enhance individual skills, knowledge and effectiveness toward self-development.  Learning about your self-identity and mannerism, creating a self-empathy map, understanding the “Theory of Change” and learning how to implement them, learning the difference between intervention and interruption, and mastering the skills of “The Art of Respect” and “Art of Communication”.  Focusing on yourself will bring balance to a positive mind, boy and soul and strengthen your emotional intelligence. 

Wellness

Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Learning the techniques of mindfulness, self-care, knowing the “grand rise”, stress management, nutrition, goal setting, and prioritizing the food and water first concept.  Overall anything you do to benefit yourself will bring more wellness to your life.

Social Justice

Social Justice is a process, not an outcome, which seeks fair redistribution of resources, opportunities and responsibilities, and challenges the roots of oppression and injustice.  Empowering all people to exercise self-determination and realize their full potential and build social solidarity and community capacity for collaborative action. Focusing on practices like food justice, environmental justice, social identity and self-awareness intersectionality, community needs, oppression and injustice, financial literacy, human rights, diversity and inclusion, will bring social justice and anti-oppressive to your surroundings. 

Arts and Culture

The arts influence society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time.  Culture set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that define a group of people.  If this topic is intimidating because of your artistic skills don’t worry there are different ways to educate and focus on the wonders of arts and culture in your environment. 

There are the culinary arts, cuisines history, worlds power and sound, portfolios, music creation, design and creating.  Everyone has a story use it to your advantage.

Pre-Employment

Pre-employment is a set of activities done to get you work-ready with knowledge and skills in a workplace culture.  Here the focus is on your soft and hard skills in how to maintain a positive working career.  Training and developing a digital resume, selling yourself with stories, soft skills and hard skills, looking at your online self, networking and job search, and understanding workplace culture will lower your anxiety and be prepared you for any opportunity. 

Entrepreneurship  

An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and operates a business or a multi-business.  If there is not a perfect company that fits your views perhaps shift focus and start your own business or grassroots organization.  Educate yourself about different business structures, having a business mind, creating a business model canvas, having business plans, making a Google business, knowing the acronyms SEO, CRA GST, and making sure to know the CRA payroll. Are some tips for creating your own unique business for a purposeful self.

Check out Horace’s book here! Know Thy Self: 8 Dimensions of Wellness

PsyMood is a digital tool designed to help you find the support you need in the language that you are most comfortable with. PsyMood considers cultural background, geographical location, interests, and personal needs, amongst other factors, to pair you with service providers for either online or in-person therapy sessions.

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