SPONGE

1. Wellness, Day 1 SPONGE Besides being active, what is another way of being physically healthy? Can you think of a different way to be healthy besides being physically healthy?

2. Wellness Section1 The Wellness Wheel and Addiction

3. Total Health • Many people think of being physically fit when they hear the term “health” but there are many dimensions to health. • Total Health means being healthy in all 6 areas of health: • Mental Health • Environmental Health • Social Health • Spiritual Health • Physical Health • Emotional Health

4. Mental Health • Mental Health means cooperating in creative, interesting intellectual activities to better your mind. • Mentally healthy people: • Keep an open mind • Are curious • Are active thinkers • Can think critically • Ask questions • Find solutions

5. Environmental Health • Environmental Health means being aware of your surroundings and making them better to improve your health. • Your environment isn’t just nature and the earth; it is everything around you, from your room to your house, to your town, etc. • Environmentally healthy people: • Protect themselves from hazardous surroundings • Clean their spaces • Explore their surroundings • Avoid extreme noise • Don’t litter

6. Social Health • Social Health means developing good relationships and expressing yourself appropriately to others. • Socially healthy people: • Are able to express themselves without hurting people’s feelings • Don’t lash out at people • Make lasting friendships • Try to enjoy their family • Contribute to the community • Feel like they belong • Join clubs or sports • Speak openly and honestly

7. Spiritual Health • Spiritual Health means finding meaning and purpose in life beyond yourself. • A spiritually healthy person is not necessarily religious. • Spiritually healthy people: • Develop faith in something beyond themselves • Foster compassion for humanity • Are inspired to do great things • Want to give to others • Have a lower rate of depression • Recover more quickly than others • Have a longer life expectancy

8. Physical Health • Physical Health means keeping a healthy body by eating well and exercising. • Most physically healthy people do not look like professional athletes or models. • Physically healthy people: • Are aware of the symptoms of illness • Avoid unhealthy habits • Have regular check-ups • Prevent injuries • Make exercise a habit • Typically live longer • Usually are more content with life

9. Emotional Health • Emotionally healthy people deal with their emotions and feel positive about who they are. • This does not mean always being happy, but being able to express yourself in positive ways. • Emotionally healthy people: • Have a positive self-image • Deal with feelings constructively • Develop optimism • Work to behave well • Don’t bottle feelings up

10. Wellness • Wellness means actively making choices and decisions that promote good health. • What choices could be made about your… • Mental health? • Environmental health? • Social health? • Spiritual health? • Physical health? • Emotional health?

11. Factors that Affect Your Wellness • There are many factors in your life that affect your health. The most important are: • Behavior (choices and attitudes) • Heredity • Environment • Available health care

12. Heredity • Heredity is the passing on of traits from parents to their children. • Heredity can be a huge factor in your physical features such as weight, height, hair color, skin color, etc. • You can also be given traits that influence your health. Can you think of an example? • For example lets count who… • Can roll their tongue • Has a widow’s peak • Has double jointed fingers • Has attached ear lobes • Has dimples

13. Environment • Environment is the sum total of your surroundings. • Your environment includes your school, friend and other stuff around you. • How does your environment affect your health if… • Your friends are in sports and clubs • Your parents buy a lot of junk food • Your brother or sister gets into drugs • The heat doesn’t work in your house • The air in your town is smoggy

14. Health Care • Where you live and how you are able to find help determines the type of health care you can get. • If you don’t live near a large city: • It may be harder to find a good doctor • You may not have the right facilities to help you • Where do people around here go when they are severely hurt? • If you don’t have enough money or insurance • Hospitals are supposed to help in emergencies even you even if you can’t afford their services. • You may not get the best treatment without these resources.

15. http://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/questions/lc_short_1.htmlhttp://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/questions/lc_short_1.html Behavior • We often form habits that play a huge part in our health. Can you think of one? • We have control over our behavior, so this is one area where you can improve your health: • Notice which of your habits are unhealthy • Realize that you face dozens of decisions everyday that could improve your health • Notice how your attitude affects your health • Develop an Internal Locus of Control (the belief that your actions decide your experiences.)

16. The Wellness Wheel • This is a tool used to determine your total health. • Answer the questions on the questionnaire – Be honest with yourself! • Once done, average your score and fill out each “pie” to see which areas of health you are good in and which you need to work on. • After you have finished the wheel answer the questions below.

17. Example • 4 = Yes, always or usually • 3 = Often • 2 = Sometimes, maybe • 1 = Occasionally, rarely • 0 = No, never or hardly ever

18. 4 3 2 1 0 Question

19. Do the Math ____ = Total points ÷ 0100(number of statements answered) = ____ Average score Then fill out the pie piece!