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Article by Christine Zellers, MPP and Anneliese Kuemmerle, MS, RDN, published on 8/20/25
As children head to the bus stop this fall, it is a great time for adults to think about expanding our own knowledge and skills. Learning something new, expressing yourself creatively, or sharing knowledge with others adds to your overall wellness.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) promotes a holistic framework for wellness called the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. Wellness under this framework means more than just having a healthy body. The framework supports having a positive purpose in life, being satisfied with work and play, having joyous relationships, and living in a satisfying environment. The eight dimensions are: emotional, spiritual, physical, intellectual, environmental, financial, occupational, and social wellness. Each dimension plays an equal part in supporting our overall wellness.
This back to school season, we encourage you to enhance your intellectual wellness. While taking a formal class is one way to do this, there are many ways to support intellectual wellness without school bells or report cards. Education is just one of four areas that SAMHSA includes as intellectual wellness. Personal interests, brain exercises, and conversations with others also count! Reading, listening to an educational podcast, or heading to a museum or your local library adds to intellectual wellness. Brain and memory games help keep our minds sharp. Activities like cross word puzzles, Sudoku, or online games are just a few options. Consider playing games with friends and family to boost intellectual, social, and emotional wellness.
Take some time to reflect on the four areas SAMHSA includes within intellectual wellness. How do you express your creativity? What skills or hobbies would you like to learn? Which of your friends and family members would engage in a positive and stimulating conversation with you? Think about one small area within that area, skill, or conversation topic. Focusing on one specific area reduces the likelihood of being overwhelmed by too many tasks and makes learning something new more achievable.
If you would like to learn more about cooking, focus on one meal or recipe. Want to learn sewing, knitting, or crochet? Start with learning one kind of stitch in a small project like a scarf or pillow cover. Interested in gardening? Embark on a journey of learning plant care by starting with a houseplant or pot of herbs on a sunny windowsill. Wish to discuss current events? Do so with positive, open-minded people. The eight dimensions of wellness are all about balance, and they work together. Achieving a small learning goal can boost emotional wellness. Taking a class with like-minded people or joining a book club supports social wellness. Displaying an artistic project can enhance your environmental wellness.
Even though the wellness industry is a $4 trillion business, improving your wellness does not have to be expensive. A library card is a free pass to the world of reading, classes, and game nights. You can also borrow e-books and audiobooks that conveniently return themselves at the end of the library loan. We offer virtual and in-person classes at Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Check out our calendar at https://events.rutgers.edu/njaes/ or by typing “Rutgers Cooperative Extension calendar” into your search bar. As the children in our lives get back into learning mode, we hope you take the time to support your own intellectual wellness.