The National Wellness Institute defines "wellness" as “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” Wellness is intentional—it is a choice people make when they decide to be well. Therefore, workplace wellness programs exist to encourage and assist employees in taking steps to be well.
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Download Now The concept of wellness encompasses every aspect of our lives. In 1979, Dr. Bill Hettler, cofounder of the National Wellness Institute (
http://www.nationalwellness.org), developed a model called
The Six Dimensions of Wellness, which is generally accepted by the wellness community. The six dimensions are:
• Physical bodily health through exercise, nutrition, and abstaining from harmful activities, such as smoking
• Emotional emotional health through learning to recognize, express, and control feelings and moods
• Intellectual mental health through developing creativity, learning ability, and problem-solving skills
• Occupational job satisfaction through learning individual aptitudes and skills and finding meaning in work
• Social community connections through learning the part we play in our interconnected world
• Spiritual larger life questions through learning to choose and live by a set of values that give meaning to our lives
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provides a grant program to assist small businesses that provide comprehensive workplace wellness programs. Grants will be awarded to eligible employers to provide their employees with access to new workplace wellness initiatives. The grants will be awarded beginning in 2011 with $200 million appropriated ...