Do you like your job? Or if you’re retired or not working outside the home, do you like what you’re doing? Do you feel stimulated or challenged in a healthy way at what you do? Since we’ve been talking about all the dimensions in wellness, have you ever thought of how your occupation, volunteering, or even managing your household influences your wellness? Or how about continuing to learn and how does that affect your health and wellness?
Why do occupational and intellectual wellness matter in overall health? Here are three reasons:
- Purpose and fulfillment
- Stress management and mental health
- Lifelong learning
Purpose and fulfillment: Occupational wellness is about finding a purpose and satisfaction in your work – whether it’s a career, volunteering, or managing a household. When you feel fulfilled, it positively affects your overall wellbeing. It carries over into mental and emotional wellness which affects your physical wellness. Intellectual wellness is key here, too, because it encourages us to continue learning and growing and to remain motivated in occupational goals.
I believe God gives everyone certain gifts and personalities and wants us to have a job (whether outside of the home or inside) so we can experience joy while helping others (and yes, getting paid for it because the Lord knows we need money for living.)
Stress management and mental health: Having a healthy balance between work and intellectual stimulation can significantly reduce stress. When stress is lower, research shows we are less depressed and anxious, happier, and more productive at work and at home. Plus, less stress helps decrease cortisol. Experts say too much cortisol contributes to high blood sugar levels, pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2, obesity, and digestive problems. When your work or volunteering aligns with your values and allows for personal growth, it fosters mental clarity and emotional stability. We are simply more joyful.
Intellectual wellness supports occupational wellness by providing the mental capability needed to handle the challenges and changes that occur in the workplace or even the dynamics in your home. If we enjoy what we are doing most of the time, we will be motivated to persevere.
Lifelong Learning: When we continuously develop our skills and knowledge through intellectual wellness, this contributes to career longevity, advancement, and the pursuit of other avenues we may want.
For women over 40, staying intellectually and occupationally active can lead to greater career satisfaction and personal fulfillment. We all go through different seasons in life – when young and maybe newly married, then having babies, then teens, then as they leave the house and we are empty nesters, and later as grandparents. So we may also shift in what we desire from a career or volunteer opportunities. And I believe God gives us all a calling at different seasons.
Personally, I worked as a speech-language pathologist before marrying, then began homeschooling our children so worked only part-time briefly, and then just focused on homeschooling and tutoring some other children. Later I began researching holistic strategies for myself and family due to health issues we had and decided to return to school to become a health and wellness coach. And later received my national board certification. And now I continue to take courses to learn more to help more people in my field. And I recently began incorporating a healthy skincare and beauty product line as another business avenue because it integrates with my health and wellness business. Click here for information.
Since I love to learn, one thing we instilled in our children was lifelong learning. No school will teach you everything you need to know for life, but hopefully will teach you how to learn. And in today’s society we are blessed because we have so many different ways to continue learning – books, internet, online classes or courses, YouTube, podcasts, and more.
What are practical steps to increase your occupational and intellectual wellness? Here are 3 steps.
- Integrate learning into your work, volunteering, or whatever task you’re interested in.
- Set boundaries and prioritize balance.
- Network and collaborate with others.
Integrate learning into your work or volunteering: Find opportunities in your job or daily routine to learn something new – a new project, attending a workshop, reading relevant materials Ex. Learn new leadership techniques if you’re in management or wanting to advance in that way or emerging trends in your field. Or Learn a new hobby online or on a podcast or take a class that interests you. Even the local libraries offer those. I’ve been listening to podcasts lately on running a business and ways to market.
Set boundaries and prioritize balance: Occupational wellness requires a balance between work and your personal life. Set clear boundaries to ensure you have time for intellectual pursuits that bring you joy and relaxation. Remember to be a success in life, the balance should be God first, family second, then your career or volunteering third.
For example, schedule time this week for activities that stimulate your mind – reading, taking a class, or a creative hobby. We are all so busy and if you let it go, it will go. You’ll look up and realize a year has gone by and you haven’t done anything for stimulating your mind. Mindlessly scrolling on FB or the internet does not count. I love to set a timer when I’m watching a work related video or podcast and then when the timer goes off, I move on to something else. Or another idea is to walk and listen to podcasts that stimulate your mind then. I love doing that in the morning, too.
Network and Collaborate: Connect with others in your field or community who share your interests and values. Networking can lead to new learning opportunities for both occupational and intellectual wellness. For example, join professional groups, networking organizations, charity groups, online communities, or local clubs you can exchange ideas and continue to receive inspiration and motivation. Plus, you can do the same for them.
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So I hope that was helpful in showing you how important balancing occupational and intellectual wellness is and how they contribute to your overall health. Remember to integrate learning into work, set boundaries, and network with others.
Take small and consistent steps to nurture these areas of wellness. What’s one small step you can do this week?
I am a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and help women over 40 who have fatigue, digestive issues (like bloating and constipation), brain fog, weight management problems, as well as thyroid and autoimmune conditions. I work with you and as a team, we focus on nutrition and lifestyle factors to help you have more energy, think clearer, and fit into those favorite jeans again. You can do this! You just might need some help from someone who’s been there herself and worked with clients – helping guide, support, and encourage you each step of the way. Contact me here to set up a free strategy session to see how we can work together. — Leah Cheshire, NBC-HWC
