Categories: General

The 7 Essential Elements of Health & Wellness

When you think of the terms ‘Health & Wellness’, what comes to your mind? Is it about a healthy and fit body or the absence of any disease or sickness or does it remind you of that person from your social circle who is always happy and joyous for no obvious reason. Well, it’s not just any single element but all of these elements combined together and also a lot more beyond.

We have got one life, one body, one mind, and one soul and when we take care of these singletons, that yields into holistic health and well-being.

Here are 7 essential elements that one must understand in order to achieve holistic wellness :

Physical Wellness : Healthy Habits & Active Lifestyle

The first and foremost, Yes! Most people immediately think of exercise when they hear “physical wellness.” Regular physical activity is undoubtedly an important part of the equation. But it’s not the only aspect deserving of attention. Your body needs more than movement alone. Physical wellness also includes :

Appropriate sleep
Cleanliness & hygiene
Healthy eating habits
Drinking plenty of water
Avoiding toxins (smoking, alcohol etc)
Right ergonomics (maintaining correct postures)
Limited screentime

Nutritional Wellness : Eat Healthy Food

There comes the second element on the chart, healthy food which constructs our Nutritional well-being. Though nutrition is intimately tied to physical health, it’s so important and must be represented by its own pillar. This is especially true because healthy food requirements must be personalized based on age, gender, profession, demography, and body chemistry.

Consume a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Diversify the items on your plate. It will ensure that you get all the micronutrients that your body needs.
Replace refined grains with their whole counterparts to ensure you get enough fiber.
Do not be entirely dependent on supplements, try to get the micronutrients from your plate.
Demography matters! We shall not give supremacy to imported food over locally available food. If mother nature has decided which demography shall have an abundance of which food items, it is for a reason. Believe that!
Season change has a very important role to play. What not to eat is as important as what to eat in a given season.
Pay attention to portion sizes to help with weight maintenance. Eating multiple small meals is better than eating the scrumptious portion size a few times.

Intellectual Wellness : Have an optimistic approach

A positive mind has the capability to navigate our thoughts in a direction that will lead us to positive thinking. It is not about ignoring the obstacles that life throws at us and smiling no matter what, but it is about self-awareness, it is about having stronger resilience to navigate through challenges despite setbacks.

A positive mindset is about viewing life from an optimistic perspective and making the best of every circumstance that comes along in your life. There are two types of mindsets: Fixed and Growth.

People with a fixed mindset think that if they’re not good at something, they will never be. As a result, they tend to give up even before trying and hold themselves back from pursuing their dreams. Whereas, People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that through hard work & consistency, they can become better at any given task and can achieve anything. A growth mindset also means looking at challenges as learning experiences, rather than a dead-end.

Here is a detailed insight into ‘How to develop a growth mindset’.

Spiritual Wellness : Listen to your Spiritual Guides

Spirituality is such a personal aspect so it will seem different for everyone. For some, spirituality means finding greater meaning outside of yourself and establishing a relationship with a power greater than yourself. For others, spirituality can be seen as a sense of purpose, direction, or meaning.

To various people, spirituality can imply different things. Everyone’s definition of spiritual wellness will differ. It has nothing to do with any specific religion or belief system. Here is what to keep in mind for spiritual wellness.

There is a profound connection between spirituality and wellness. This is because spirituality aids in overcoming adversity in life.
Spirituality aids in forgiveness and letting go of unpleasant emotions. It might even help you live a longer life!
Spiritual health is about personalizing your journey. Some people use mindfulness to check in with their aims, guide their behaviors, and maintain a values-based approach to life.
Many people develop their spirituality through meditation, prayer, or other activities that connect them to nature or greater power.

Social wellness is directly related to emotional wellness too. People require someone they can turn to, they can lean on to feel loved and cared for. True relationships work like therapy in today’s modern world.

We need relationships to strengthen the sense of supportiveness.
A relationship cannot survive without intention. Be willing.
Both parties need to put in consistent effort and time to create healthy relationships.
Open & kind communication is key for nurturing relationships.
We must be willing to listen and have an open mind when differences arise to work things out.

Environmental Wellness : Embrace Mother Nature

Nature has unimaginable healing powers, and attributing to the same fact it has got many names such as Nature Therapy, ‘Eco Therapy‘ and ‘Green Therapy’.

Fresh air, soothing breeze. Chirping words, splashing waves, blue skies and starry nights. Spending time in the lap of Mother Nature not just improves your mood, but it also benefits your physical health by lowering your blood pressure, heart rate, muscular tension, and stress hormone production. It has calming and rejuvenating effect on our mind

sometimes You may also hear the term ‘Blue Therapy‘ being used to describe the nature therapy. This is owing to the fact that an aspect of nature therapy involves spending time close to tranquil blue lakes, rivers, and oceans.

Being close to water surroundings has a healing effect on the mind. It elevates our mood instantly and makes us feel joyous inside out. Blue represents peace and tranquillity and you can sense it totally while being around the water bodies or gazing at the blue sky.

Here is how nature helps in maintaining our wellness:

Reduced Anxiety, Stress, and Depression – Studies have shown that spending at least 10 minutes in Nature, whether walking or sitting, has a significant and positive effect on our mental well-being and lowers levels of anxiety, stress, and depression.
Increased Happiness – Being in touch with nature is linked to a number of advantages, such as higher levels of happiness, a sense of wellness, positive social connections, and a sense of purpose in life.
Sharpened cognitive skills– when we spend time in nature, we become more focused. Our brains benefit from exposure to natural environments. Our retention of information, cognitive agility, and attentional control skills all improve as a result.
Spending Time Outdoors Helps Us Age Gracefully: People age 70 or older who spend time outdoors every day report fewer sleep problems and aches and pains than those who stay indoors, according to a study published in the Journal of Aging Health. Read here how to improve the quality of your sleep.
Living Near Trees Makes Us Healthier: better air quality (trees help filter out pollution) viewing the color green–found abundantly in nature–results in fewer mood disturbances and less exertion when exercising (e.g. it makes exercise seem easier).
Natural Surroundings Improve Concentration: Australian researchers found that taking 40-second “micro-breaks” during the day to look at a green, natural environment can improve concentration–and performance–while working.
Nature Helps Recovery and Reduces Pain: Researcher Roger S. Ulrich, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University, conducted a study on patients who underwent surgery. He found that patients who had a view of trees healed faster, had less pain, and had shorter hospital stays than those who had a view of a wall.

Financial Wellness : Take care of your Financial Health

Financial wellness refers to the ability to fully satisfy one’s present and future financial obligations, to feel confident about one’s financial future, and to make decisions that allow one to enjoy life.

Financial health is a measure of how well a person handles their money. increasing financial health entails developing better money habits, setting goals, and working towards them, all with the purpose of increasing your entire quality of life.

financial well-being is crucial because it can have a substantial impact on your general well-being. You are less prone to experience stress, worry, and sadness when you are financially secure. You are also more likely to be able to save money for the future and pay for essential needs like food and housing.

You can take a variety of actions to strengthen the state of your finances. Here are some pointers:

Commence your retirement and other financial goals savings as early as possible
Set up a monthly budget and keep tabs on your expenditures.
Pay off debt as soon as you can.
Discover personal finances and learn the art of wise spending.
Although it takes time to show results and requires work, but it will be all worth it, so have patience and keep practicing healthy positive financial habits.

Everybody’s definition of wellness is unique but what’s common is, staying healthy enables us to accomplish our individual objectives. After all, when our body, mind, and spirit are taken care of holistically, we find it easier to pursue and achieve our objectives.

Now that you’ve given a wholesome read to the seven pillars of holistic health and wellness, it is time to introspect which ones need your attention the most. And keep in mind that strengthening each one will provide you a solid foundation for leading the healthiest, best life possible.

Priya