Well-being is much more than simply our physical and mental well-being. Holistic Well-being seeks both awareness of and the full integration of everything that impacts our existence. Level 1 * Environmental Well-being Level 2 * Physical Well-being Level 3 * Emotional Well-being Level 4 * Financial Well-being Level 5 * Intellectual Well-being Level 6 * Social Well-being Level 7 * Spiritual Well-being Level 8 * Occupational Well-being

1. A Model for Achieving Balance in Your Life
By Don West, Jr., JD
Founder, Knock Out The Stigma, Inc.

2. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
8 Dimensions of Holistic Well-Being
We recognize that our purpose here on
earth is greater than doing things or
collecting things. Here at the Knock Out
The Stigma, Inc., (“KOTS”), we seek to
provide our peers and participating
practitioners a holistic set of tools and
information to empower them in
increasing their clients' happiness and
satisfaction with their life's journeys. The
search for balance in life leads one to
examine their holistic well-being. Holistic
well-being is the pursuit of continued
growth and balance in the eight
dimensions of well-being. A lot of people
think about "well-being" in terms of
physical health only.
The word Well-Being invokes thoughts of nutrition, exercise, weight management, blood
pressure, etc. Well-being, however, is much more than physical health. Holistc well-being is
a full integration of all six dimensions of our physical reality, as well as our mental and
spiritual well-being. It is a complex set of interactions that when balanced together leads to
quality of life.

3. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Exploring The Eight Dimensions of
Holistic Well-Being
Holistic Well-Being is commonly viewed as having eight
dimensions. Each dimension contributes to our own sense of
well-being or quality of life, and each affects and overlaps the
others. At times one may be more prominent than others, but
the neglect of any one dimension for any extended length of
time may have adverse effects on overall health and often is the
cause of "dis-ease.“
•Dimension 1 – Environmental Well-Being
•Dimension 2 – Physical Well-Being
•Dimension 3 – Emotional Well-Being
•Dimension 4 – Financial Well-Being
•Dimension 5 – Intellectual Well-Being
•Dimension 6 – Social Well-Being
•Dimension 7 – Spiritual Well-Being
•Dimension 8 – Occupational Well-Being

4. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 1 – Environmental Well-Being
Many people focus on the grander scale of the
environment when discussing this particular dimension
focusing on cleaner air, oceans and conservation efforts.
We like to think of it in a much more personal sense. We
define our environment as the places where we spend
our time. This does include the oceans and the great
outdoors, but more directly we see it as our bedrooms,
homes, offices, cars, etc. These are our personal
environments. Environmental well-being is an
awareness of the unstable state of balance in our homes
and communities as well as across the entire earth and
the effects of our daily habits on the physical
environment. It consists of maintaining a way of life that
maximizes harmony within our homes and throughout the
earth and minimizes harm to the environment. It includes
being involved in socially responsible activities to protect
the environment. It starts with cleaning and organizing
our personal quarters.
Tips and suggestions for optimal
environmental well-being:
•Explore the Chinese principles of
Fung Shui for your home and/or
office
•Deep clean and organize the
place you spend most of your time
•Stop your junk mail
•Conserve water and other
resources
•Minimize chemical use
•Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
•Renew your relationship with the
earth

5. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 2 – Physical Well-Being
Tips for optimal physical well-
being:
•Exercise daily, walk, run, swim,
bike, stretch and utilize weights,
also consider trying something new
like Yoga, Tai Chi, or Pilates if you
have not already
•Get adequate rest
•Use seat belts, helmets, and other
protective equipment
•Learn to recognize early signs of
illness
•Eat a variety of healthy foods
•Control your meal portions
•Stop smoking and protect yourself
against second-hand smoke
•Use alcohol in moderation, if at all
Physical well-being encompasses a variety of
healthy behaviors including adequate exercise,
proper nutrition and abstaining from harmful habits
such as drug use and alcohol abuse. It means
learning about and identifying symptoms of disease,
getting regular medical checkups, and protecting
yourself from injuries and harm. Developing such
healthy habits today will not only add years to your
life but will enhance the enjoyment and quality of
those years.

6. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 3 – Emotional Well-Being
Emotional well-being is a dynamic state that
fluctuates frequently with your other six dimensions
of well-being. Being emotionally well is typically
defined as possessing the ability to feel and express
human emotions such as happiness, sadness, and
anger. Our clients have found wellness in this
dimension more attainable when once they
recognize they are the Observer of their own
thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Having an
awareness that you are not these things and
separate seems to promote wellness. It means
having the ability to love and be loved and achieving
a sense of fulfillment in life. Emotional wellness
encompasses optimism, self-esteem, self-
acceptance and the ability to share feelings.
Tips for optimal emotional well-
being:
•Tune-in to your thoughts and
feelings
•Cultivate an optimistic attitude
•Seek and provide support
•Learn time management skills
•Practice stress management
techniques
•Accept and forgive yourself

7. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 4 – Financial Well-Being
Tips and suggestions for optimal
financial well-being include:
•Develop and stick-to a balanced
and written budget
•Learn to understand and apply the
Rich Dad Poor Dad Cash Flow
Quadrants
•Make and execute a plan to
eliminate your debt
•Consult a financial professional for
advice and guidance
•Continue your financial education
through live seminars, webinars,
YouTube videos, books,
magazines, etc.
The financial well-being dimension challenges us
to master our economic landscape. In this
dimension we seek to develop satisfaction with both
our current and our future financial situations.
Financial well-being includes our relationship with
money, skills to manage resources to live within our
means, making informed financial decisions and
investments, setting realistic goals, and learning to
prepare for short-term and long-term needs or
emergencies. Part of this dimension includes an
awareness that everyone’s financial values, needs,
and circumstances are unique. Most express a need
to expand their knowledge of financial matters and
understanding of the tools available to find mastery
in this dimension.

8. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 5 – Intellectual Well-Being
The intellectual well-being dimension encourages
creative, stimulating mental activities. Our minds
need to be continually inspired and exercised just as
our bodies do. People who possess a high level of
intellectual wellness have an active mind and
continue to learn. An intellectually well person uses
the resources available to expand one's knowledge
and improve skills. Keeping up-to-date on current
events and participating in activities that arouse our
minds are also important.
Tips and suggestions for optimal
intellectual well-being include:
•Take a continuing education
course or workshop
•Learn (or perfect) a foreign
language
•Seek out people who challenge
you intellectually
•Read, Read, Read
•Learn to appreciate art in all its
forms

9. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 6 – Social Well-Being
Tips and suggestions for optimal
social well-being include:
•Cultivate healthy relationships
•Get involved
•Contribute to your community
•Share your talents and skills
•Communicate your thoughts,
feelings and ideas
Social well-being refers to our ability to interact
successfully with our global community and to live
up to the expectations and demands of our personal
roles. This means learning good communication
skills, developing intimacy with others, and creating
a support network of friends and family members.
Social well-being includes showing respect for
others and yourself. When we see those, we interact
with as mirrors of ourselves, we have opportunities
to grow and develop a deeper understanding
through what we see. Contributing to your
community and to the world builds a sense of
belonging.

10. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 7 – Spiritual Well-Being
Spiritual well-being involves possessing a set of
guiding beliefs, principles, or values that help give
direction to one's life. It encompasses a high level of
faith, hope and commitment to your individual
beliefs that provide a sense of meaning and
purpose. It is willingness to seek meaning and
purpose in human existence, to question everything
and to appreciate the things which cannot be readily
explained or understood.
A spiritually well person seeks harmony between
what lies within as well as the forces outside.
Tips and suggestions for optimal
spiritual well-being:
•Explore your spiritual core
•Spend time alone/meditate
regularly
•Be inquisitive and curious
•Be fully present in everything you
do
•Listen with your heart and live by
your principles
•Allow yourself and those around
you the freedom to be who they are
•See opportunities for growth in the
challenges life brings you

11. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Dimension 8 – Occupational Well-Being
Tips and suggestions for optimal
occupational well-being include:
• Ask yourself if you would do
anything at all with no
limitations
• Consider what your life's
journey has prepared you for
that is unique
• Create a vision for your future
• Choose a career that aligns
with your personality, interests,
and talents
• Be open to change and learn
new skills
Occupational/Vocational well-being involves preparing
and making use of your gifts, skills, and talents in order to
gain purpose, happiness, and enrichment in your life.
Oprah instructs us to seek to find our bliss, the thing that
brings us joy, and then seek to find a way to make money
or monetize whatever it is that brings you such joy. The
development of occupational satisfaction and wellness is
related to your attitude about your work. Achieving optimal
occupational wellness allows you to maintain a positive
attitude and experience satisfaction/pleasure in your
employment. Occupational wellness means successfully
integrating a commitment to your occupation into a total
lifestyle that is
satisfying and rewarding.

12. KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC.
www.KnockOutTheStigma.org
Holistic Well-Being in Review
Now that you have reviewed all eight dimensions of holistic
well-being what are the first things that come to mind? What
are you going to do differently in your life to achieve more
balance and well-being? Do you have a better
understanding of how everything in our entire world impacts
our holistic well-being?