A Complete Picture of Health
Complete health is a symbiotic relationship from the maintenance of physical, mental, spiritual and social health, in equal balance. These four essential components of health can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle, where all parts must come together to bring the whole picture together.
But while the concept of a balanced life sounds good in theory, it may be harder to achieve in the real world. With the constant demands from work, family, friends and other commitments, there’s not a lot of time left to stop and focus on the direction your life is taking. Are you neglecting your physical health by concentrating solely on your social life, or do work and family occupy time you need for prayer or meditation?
These basic aspects of your health are often segregated and thought of as individual concepts, yet their interconnection and synergy is the very foundation of your wellbeing. Instead of trying to take things apart and deal with the pieces in isolation, consider the concept of complete health.
All aspects of your body—including your internal organs and systems, your thoughts and emotions, energy and spirituality—interconnect. Your thoughts and beliefs affect your behaviour, and ultimately your health. Living in harmony with your values and beliefs can generate energy and wellness, while repressed emotions can trigger illness.
Separating your spiritual life into a specific time for worship or prayer, instead of integrating your spirituality into everyday life, could ultimately lead to health problems.
Do you ever stop to think about what is important in your life, and how close you are to achieving your true potential? You may be wondering exactly how to achieve more balance in your life and reap the benefits that come with it. Following are a list of four key strategies that work together to offer a balance between your physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing:
1 set personal goals
To get the most out of your life, you need direction, so goals are valuable, acting like signposts. Goal setting has application far beyond just your career, and can help you know where you want to end up in all aspects of your life.
A proven goal-setting strategy is to write down two or three important and specific things you would like to do, achieve or possess for each of your physical, mental, spiritual and social health in the next 12 months, that is, short term. You might like to lose five kilograms, learn three new stress management techniques, spend more time in prayer, or go on a camping holiday with your family.
When you have completed your goal list, write down an action list, outlining several steps you will need to take to achieve your goals.
This could include tasks like joining a gym, visiting your library for books on stress management, reducing your television viewing time, or contacting a travel agent. By reviewing these two lists every day, you’ll be reminded of what’s important to you, what you want, and what you could do that day to help you get there.
Finally, make sure you also make a concerted effort to enjoy the stepping stones as you travel toward your final objective.
2 get exercise regularly
A critical component of achieving balance is making exercise a top priority—then staying committed to it. Many common ailments and illnesses can be traced back to inactivity, which is considered as damaging to your health as cigarette smoking, heightened cholesterol and high blood pressure. Regular physical activity is about as close as you can get to the “fountain of youth.”
Generally, exercise will increase your mental sharpness and physical endurance, and improve the quality of your life. An energised body helps give you a positive outlook on life, plus you look and feel better, and it reduces your risk of disease. Some of the specific health benefits of regular physical activity include a reduced risk of:
- developing coronary heart disease
- risk of suffering from a stroke
- developing diabetes
- developing cancers
- developing osteoporosis
- injury (falls)
- suffering from depression
It also delivers improved:
- control of cholesterol
- weight management
- sleep and stress management.
A well-rounded fitness routine includes strength training, aerobic conditioning and flexibility exercise.
3 nourish your body
A healthy diet can significantly boost your energy levels, improve your overall wellbeing, and prevent illness and disease. Following are some of the most important dietary strategies:
Lower your fat intake. Trim fat from meat and skin from poultry, use low-fat dairy products, reduce your oil in cooking and with salads, and reduce or eliminate the amount of margarine you have on bread.
referably, you can choose low-fat alternatives to meats, such as beans, peas, lentils, tofu, nuts and eggs.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables are rich in nutrients and fibre, and are virtually fat free (except for avocadoes and olives). Eat two or three servings of fresh fruit daily—on your breakfast cereal, as a snack or as dessert later. You should also try to eat three or four servings of vegetables each day—in sauces, soups, sandwiches and main meals
Choose healthier snack foods. While avoiding eating between meals at all, if snacking choose low-fat, low-sugar, high-fibre snacks instead of fatty ones. Fruit, bread, English muffins, breakfast cereal, yoghurt and low-fat soy milk smoothies are just a few ways.
Limit “treats.” Avoid eating foods like chocolate, crisps and chips, or takeaway foods daily. One such treat a week is OK, but not every day. Also, enjoy treats in smaller portions.
Have a healthy breakfast. Make sure you have a good, healthy breakfast every day. This reduces your chances of eating junk food later in the day, and will improve mental performance and physical stamina over the whole day.
Minimise or avoid alcohol. The calories consumed from alcohol are a priority fuel source for your body, which means that the high-fat foods commonly consumed with alcohol are not being used but stored as fat. Although no alcohol is best, if you drink, minimise your alcohol intake and have alcohol-free days weekly.
Drink plenty of water. Water helps transport vital nutrients, regulates body temperature, eases digestion, keeps joints supple, cleans out your body and keeps skin healthy and young.
4 build your spiritual side
It’s an acknowledged truth that humankind has a need to worship. Something. At its heart is the need to worship, to give thanks and pay homage to God. The more you live without spirituality, the more material things you’ll require to keep the sense of emptiness and futility at bay.
But the lack of a faith is also linked to poor health. Studies have shown that religious people experience a wide range of health benefits that prevent illness and promote wellbeing. There is power in prayer and actively living your beliefs.
Religion gives you a value system to live by, which you can constantly practise and improve. It also provides a social network by which you can spend time with people who live by the same values and beliefs as yourself.
When you live in harmony with what you believe in, you have peace and happiness flowing into your life. Give generously to those who have less, pray and care for those in need, and share the joys or sorrow of the people who matter most in your life.
Find time for those who matter. Seek out people who enrich your life and contribute to your sense of fulfilment and wellbeing. Find people whom you can discuss important life experiences and interests, and spend as much time as you can with them.
Avoid negative people, especially those who live by society’s generally low standards. Never put people down, or make fun of others, and place equal emphasis on your personal accomplishments and possessions with those of others.
Aspire to helping others do well and try to boost the self-esteem of people you care about. Learn from others, and at least try to understand why people do things differently if you don’t agree with their ideas. Seek to understand before you criticise.
and what, then?
It’s all too easy to become overwhelmed by negative thoughts, people and circumstances, but you can take steps to live a balanced life.
If you want to feel truly well and open to life’s opportunities, look carefully at your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Identify any shortcomings and make the necessary changes so that your energy, health and enjoyment of life is to the fullest.
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