For the last few years, there is a lot of information out there on holistic medicine, holistic nutrition, holistic psychology, holistic philosophy, holistic beauty and many more holistic concerns …!
The common trait of all applied holistic approaches is to see the Human Being as a Whole “Mind-Soul-Body” wise and, that this Whole is also interconnected with Nature.
Holistic Wellness is not just the absence of disease but a deep, authentic, active and personal research and creation towards a better life, which depends on factors that have to do with our physical and mental life choices aligned with our personal values. Holistic Wellness is when we are in an ongoing and active mindset looking at ourselves as a Whole self while continuously evolving and improving, in order to adopt healthy personal lifestyle choices that lead us to a better life and a longer lifespan, reaching at the same time Happiness and wellbeing.
One of the central ideas of Holistic Wellness is that the activation of the auto-therapeutic capacity through lifestyle changes and connection with Nature is the foundation of the balance between the physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of ourselves.
Moreover, according to the Global Wellness Institute, Wellness is directly linked with its Holistic approach since it applies to physical health but also to all sectors of life of the Human being which are meant to cooperate in a dynamic way having as a purpose the optimization of Wellness.
- Therefore, the first dimension of Holistic Wellness is Physical Health which depends directly on healthy nutrition, good sleep, avoidance of toxic substances and regular versatile physical activity-based always on the bio-individuality of each Human being. Each person has a unique lifestyle and biological needs. According to the principles of Holistic Wellness, the human being is invited to discover them and, adopt suitable lifestyle habits in order to create its healthy self.
- Emotional Wellness plays an equal (if not bigger) role for the simple reason that by not giving it the required attention, there will be a negative impact on Physical Wellness. The recognition, acceptance, expression and auto-regulation of our emotions support our Emotional Wellness and that, starting even during our years of childhood (Leah Kuyper, «The Zones of Regulation»). Practising mindfulness, therapy and simple techniques such as keeping diary support positively our emotional health.
- The Spiritual dimension of Wellness consists of our personal quest to find meaning and a purpose in life. It doesn’t only relate to a religious practice but to a deeper connection with ourselves and the universe. Simple things like a walk in nature, meditation or a pray support our Spiritual Wellness.
- With the term Social Wellness, we refer to those relations that we develop and give us a sense of security, love, acceptance, support, warmth, joy and relaxation. The deeper and essential connection with friends, family and social surroundings makes us happy and when there is a mutually positive and growth mindset our self-improvement is greatly supported. It has even been proved that this connection increases our lifespan and significantly improves our health. More specifically, loneliness and social disconnection increase fundamentally the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2020. «Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System». Washington, DC: The National Academies Press). Aiming to spend quality time with the people that generate positive emotions, as well as active participation in charitable initiatives, are ways -among others- to increase our levels of Social Wellness.
- Mental Wellness relates with all the above since an unbalance to one of those sectors will have an immediate negative impact on our mental state. But here we also refer to our cognitive skills and functions as impacted by our lifestyle choices in a positive or negative way. Getting involved with activities that trigger our curiosity and develop our knowledge, consuming foods that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and, also, protecting our gut health by taking the right probiotics and prebiotics will significantly improve our brain health.
Holistic Wellness is the amalgam of all the above; we can also add Financial Wellness, Environmental Wellness and Career Wellness. Each particular sector plays a major role in the Whole of the self and our complete state of Wellness and satisfaction we feel from our lives. The Holistic mindset is the one that will bring us the so wanted Balance, Health and, after all, Happiness.
This article was originally written in Greek by Isabelle Razis and published in https://positivelife.gr/evexia/proswpikh-anaptyksh/olistikh-euexia-tropoi-yposthrixhs-ths/
