A regular gym routine, proper food supplements, and cycling on weekends, and you think you’re leading a healthy life. Well, sorry to disappoint, but you’re not. Many people don’t know what a proper healthcare routine should include. That’s because they are unable to identify the essential elements of health. Food is just a factor involved in health, and it is not the only one. It requires extensive care and scrupulous attention to maintain health.
People tend to ignore some crucial aspects involved in maintaining proper health. One can never achieve a holistic healthcare routine unless one considers both the material and non-material aspects. Holistic health works on the human body as a whole instead of dividing it into systems. It encompasses the body as a balanced system. If the equilibrium of the body gets disturbed, our health deteriorates. Therefore, holistic health covers mind and spirit as well.
A holistic healthcare routine is the only way to achieve intrinsic health and acquire mental peace. Otherwise, the body might be in proper working condition but not the mind. Mind is the non-material infestation of the brain; therefore, it requires spiritual considerations. In case you have been trying to attain holistic health, this article is beneficial for you. It mentions the five pillars of holistic health and tells how to maintain them.
1. Physical
A healthy body houses a healthy and active mind. The physical aspect of health is an essential part of overall healthcare. This pillar of holistic health concerns the body’s physical care, including diet, hygiene, and rest. Likewise, even medical professionals identify the importance of these health aspects and take special care of them. Nurses are formally learning about providing holistic care treatments to ensure optimal patient outcomes through eLearning. For instance, online MSN programs train nurses to cater to physical health as pillars of the larger holistic health domain.
You can take care of the physical pillar through fundamental routine adjustments. It can start from as basic as taking a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a day. It involves every possible health factor related to diet too. What to eat? When to eat? It covers all the aspects. An adequately balanced diet with all the nutrients is critical to achieving physical health. The increasing use of digital devices is also hurting our physical health in contemporary times. It is always good to prevent screen-time at least 30 minutes before going to bed. All these things collectively strengthen the physical pillars of your holistic health.
Also read: What are the component of physical fitness
2. Mental
It refers to the cognitive abilities of a person. It doesn’t deal with emotional responses but reactions to external situations. Therefore, mental health is all about coping up with external challenges and adapting to different conditions. It covers your problem-solving capabilities. It has a direct impact on the physical health of a person. Sometimes, when people cannot identify the reason behind physical problems, they mainly have disturbed mental health causing it.
According to WHO, mental health disorders make up 10% of the global fatal disease burden and 30% non-fatal. Therefore, people must address it on priority. An effective way to ensure good mental health is to keep yourself engaged in healthy activities. An empty mind is the breeding ground for negativity. You can start reading books, playing cognitive games, and taking higher levels of anti-oxidants. Avoiding smoking and alcohol also enhances mental health.
3. Emotional
Emotional health deals with how you behave in a society. Behavior has a lot to do with managing emotions. You experience a wide variety of emotions every day. Emotional health is about how you absorb those emotions and generate an outcome for them. Emotional intelligence helps people understand and manage emotions in an effective manner.
People with a lack of emotional intelligence suffer emotional problems like depression. The best way to maintain good emotional health is to assimilate emotions calmly. Immediately reacting to external factors derives a negative emotional response. Therefore, one must not act impulsively. Moreover, communicating and sharing problems with friends and family is always a great source of attaining emotional stability.
4. Social
Since we are social animals, certain social constructs always bound us. We live in a society, and there are several stakeholders involved in it. The absolute key to a healthy social life is to maintain good relations with all those social stakeholders. Healthy communication with these stakeholders develops a better understanding and emotional connectivity. Therefore, global communication is increasing with every passing day.
According to a report by Brandwatch, there are about 4.54 billion internet users, and a whopping 3.8 billion are active social media users. It shows the importance of social connectivity in contemporary society. You can also participate in the local community or become a part of social groups or local religious circles. It is all about your preferences, but the result is enhanced social life.
5. Spiritual
Spiritual health doesn’t necessarily have to do with becoming religious. Most people confuse the concept of spiritual wellness and connect it to religious roots more than needed. Religious influence is a part of spiritual wellbeing but not the only aspect. Spiritual health is about connecting internally with the surroundings and synchronizing your inner self with the external ongoings. Only then can you respond to stimuli comprehensively.
One of the best routes to spiritual wellbeing goes through religious practice. However, there are always other effective methods too. You can spend time in the natural environment to revitalize your spirit. You can opt for yoga and meditation. Both of them are an efficient way of relieving spiritual exhaustion and maintaining holistic health.
Final Thoughts
Modern ways of lifesaving healthcare services are undoubtedly valuable. However, they lack a holistic outlook toward health. They are more inclined towards a materialistic approach to healthcare. However, health constitutes of different elements, as discussed above. Ignoring even one of them will not let you achieve holistic health.