It’s a new year and you want to live well, stay happy and be healthy. You will probably encounter many distractions and challenges along the way, challenges that at times cause you emotional and financial distress, as result affecting your general wellness.

Wellness is much more than the absence of sickness – it is a holistic concept that encompasses thriving in many aspects of our lives. All these aspects are interconnected, making it all the more important to attain balance and to pay attention to each dimension of wellness.

The seven tips below are critical in helping you succeed in your quest for wellness in the new year.

Physical Wellness

Eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and olive oil. Indulgences will be occasional and savored.

Get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, combining aerobic, strength, and stretching exercises.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Get regular health screenings and physical examinations as recommended by your doctor.

Environmental Wellness

Be a steward to the environment to keep our planet healthy.

Take measures to create a safe living environment in which you truly feel at home.

Intellectual Wellness

Commit to lifelong learning by participating in activities that challenge your thinking and broaden your experiences.

Use your wisdom and experience for the greater good.

Social Wellness

Nurture relationships with your spouse/partner, family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances with common interests such as community or religious activities.

Emotional Wellness

Focus on emotional balance rather than a perpetually happy emotional state.

Be authentic with yourself and others.

Reach out to personal and professional sources of support when mental health issues begin to feel overwhelming.

Use stress management techniques that you have found helpful in the past and learn new ones to continue to enhance your ability to manage stressful life events.

Vocational Wellness

Find a match between your skills, abilities, knowledge, and interests that results in meaningful work, whether the work is paid employment, volunteer work, or a creative hobby.

Spiritual Wellness

Reflect on your values and beliefs and organize your choices and understandings around these realizations.

Connect with others who share these values and beliefs as a way of enhancing social wellness through spiritual wellness.

Understand that spiritual wellness will mean different things to different people and that our lives can be enriched by learning about other perspectives and spiritual views.