This dimension of wellness requires some concentration — literally! We always hear that it is equally important to keep our mental muscles as fit as our skeletal muscles, and this dimension aims at just that. More and more research is focusing on the benefits of intellectual wellness and the positive effects it can have on our overall well-being. The intellectual dimension of wellness asks us to recognize our creative abilities and find ways to expand our knowledge and skills, while discovering the potential for sharing those gifts with others. It embraces lifelong learning, application of knowledge learned and sharing knowledge.

Ready to get your intellectual workout on?  Try any or all of the following suggestions:

• Take a class to get you started in a new hobby -- then make time for that hobby in your life.
• See if your company or employer offers any tuition reimbursements for outside classwork, or enroll in a company-sponsored educational learning opportunity.
• Attend a lecture, play or musical performance. Go to a museum, gallery and/or library.
• Engage in brain exercise games/activities. You can find a plethora of these as apps on your smart phone or tablet device.
• Challenge yourself to see more than one side of an issue. Write out the pros and cons to each side.
• Learn a new language and practice speaking that language fluently.
• Read a book that isn't required reading.
• Work on your memory. Connecting important information, such as names, to visual cues can help you remember.

Would you like more suggestions for intellectual well-being or other areas of the eight dimensions of wellness? The wellness professionals at BarnesCare are here to help! Contact BarnesCare for more information.