Welcome to Malay Mental Health & Wellness Blog
Who we are
Malay Health & Wellness is a passion project dedicated to promoting holistic wellness and connecting people with appropriate resources that support growth and healing.
Have you ever felt curious or faced a wall in a certain aspect of your life, and unsure how to go about it? Do not worry, you are not alone. Other people experience this as well, sometimes due to stigma, lack of resources, or wariness. We aim to bridge that barrier to assist people in becoming a better version of themselves.
Good thing mental health and wellness are becoming more mainstream, and there are several outlets and providers that people can utilize, whether in-person, via phone, or online. We aim to contribute to that cause by providing helpful tools, information, and resources.
Holistic Wellness
It is helpful to understand that wellness is multidimensional and an interconnected whole.
Wellness encompasses 8 mutually interdependent dimensions: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, Vocational (Occupational), Financial, and Environmental (1). Each are equally important and can affect one’s wellbeing and quality of life. Although some people tend to focus on one or a few aspects of wellness, it is beneficial to find balance and harmony for each wellness dimension. The following is a simple breakdown of each individual domain and what it encompasses:
Physical Wellness: Proper food and diet, functional movement, sleep hygiene.
Intellectual Wellness: Lifelong learning, maintaining curiosity.
Emotional Wellness: Managing emotions, empathy
Spiritual Wellness: Finding purpose and meaning in life
Social Wellness: Nurturing healthy relationships.
Occupational Wellness: Finding purpose and satisfaction at work,
Environmental Wellness: Appreciating and understanding how to utilize space and the
environment in nurturing health.
Financial Wellness: Managing and maximizing resources.
Each of these dimensions can be developed through daily activities. For instance, engaging in regular 10-minute walks and choosing water over sugary drinks can nurture Physical Wellness. Picking up a new hobby, researching informative and meaningful topics, are some activities within the Intellectual Wellness domain.
Emotional Wellness can start by identifying emotions and being in the present. For Spiritual Wellness, one may begin with prayers, meditation, or reading religious texts. Social Wellness can involve joining groups and participating in community activities. Occupational Wellness may include practicing work-life balance and finding purpose at work. Environmental Wellness may start by decluttering spaces and practicing sustainability. And lastly, Financial Wellness can begin by setting a budget and living within one's means.
Integrating into Lifestyle
More than just a concept, wellness is a way of life. It invites us to reflect on our habits, daily routines, and behavior, and assess how they affect our overall well-being. However, taking action may be challenging, especially if one is used to a different lifestyle or hindered by limiting personal or external factors in life.
Working towards a wellness area can be reached through self-awareness, or our ability to understand & reflect on our thoughts, emotions & behaviors, enhancing personal growth & decision-making (2). We can use this to leverage our strengths as we work step-by-step towards our well-being goals.
Tools and strategies such as scheduling activities, journaling progress, and SMART goal setting can assist in achieving well-being targets and are a good way to start a new habit. Software tools and apps can also help in tracking schedules and suggest activities for consistency and a structured routine. Seeking the help of a licensed professional is also recommended if one would like to know more strategies about the goal they want to achieve, and to have a monitor and guide.
Benefits of a Balanced Well-Being
A holistic approach to well-being can be a vehicle for an optimum quality of life as it reinforces stability across each area of wellness, from understanding oneself, co-existing with others, and the environment, and finding meaning in life.
Identifying strategies in balancing wellness can help us deal with stress, anxiety and negative emotions. It also promotes self-care and resilience that can lead to an enhanced quality of life. More importantly, with the right tools and strategies, it can help in preventing various issues from arising or evolving, from health to dealing with concerns in the world around us (3).
Reminders
Change takes time to happen; don’t feel discouraged if you don’t see results immediately once you start working on a wellness goal. Appreciating the journey and finding joy in the process can go a long way, which would lead you to your destination. You are not alone in your journey, and there are people with similar goals whom you can share your experience with and learn from as well. You may also get in touch with professionals in the goal(s) you are working on, so you can add or refine the existing strategies you utilize, and could serve as a compass of what lies ahead.
Future Posts
As the literature on mental health and wellness is rich and continuously evolving, we will strive to update the page with relevant information about holistic wellness-related topics, such as relaxation techniques, self-help, and psychological findings.
Sources
Stoewen, D. (2017, August). Dimensions of Wellness: Change your habits, change your life. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5508938/
Ackerman, C. MA. (2020, April 1) What Is Self-Awareness? (+5 Ways to Be More Self-Aware). Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/self-awareness-matters-how-you-can-be-more-self-aware/
Understanding the Long-term Benefits of Holistic Care. (2014, January 14). Family Seasons. https://www.family-seasons.com/understanding-the-long-term-benefits-of-holistic-care
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