BALANCE = HOLISTIC WELLNESS
I once heard a statistic that reported on why "centurions" those people that live relatively healthy to be a 100 years old or more, did so. You know, those peeps that Willard Scott of The Today Show, would say "happy 100 birthday" to on the smuckers jelly jar? Okay, if you don't remember you're probably below the age of 30 but, never the less this applies to us all! The number one thing that was expressed in the comments by those same centurions was that they all maintained a connectedness to the outside world. Socially. they valued time with family, friendships and social engagements. They stayed plugged in and engaged to some degree or another. Healthy diet and eating kale everyday, while never smoking wasn't the main factor according to these folks. It was instead being together at Sunday dinner, considering most invites and prioritizing the human relationship. Of course we all know that healthy diet, proper rest and other aspects of lifestyle certainly all contribute.
There’s a whole lot of buzz around words like holistic, integrative, natural, organic, the latest foods, diets, exercise, mind, body, spirit and a bunch of other sorts of ways to gain awareness about our wellbeing. How do we possibly keep up with it all in order to achieve a balance?
Holistic Wellbeing can be defined as “ An approach to life" Rather than focusing on specific parts of the body, this ancient approach to health considers the interconnectedness of the whole person. The goal being to achieve maximum well-being, where there is a balance and all aspects of ourselves are functioning as best as possible.
Happiness may come and go with the ebb and flow of life, but balance is achieved when we can create a more stable sense of satisfaction. Finding the peace within the chaos, as they say. We could drink a green smoothie every single day but we can't achieve true holistic wellness unless we can create a balance by becoming engaged in all aspects of everyday life.
Your state of wellbeing is influenced by every aspect of your life.
Physical Wellness-sleep, fitness, and diet
Emotional Wellness - Being aware of thoughts and feelings, accepting mistakes and external support.
Spiritual Wellness-Spend time praying, meditating, learn more about yourself. Accepting and forgiving.
Intellectual Wellness-Travel, learning new skills, reading, opening up to different cultures and experiences.
Social Wellness-Positive Friendships, connecting, cutting off toxic people. Making an effort to stay connected to those that matter in your life.
Environmental Wellness-Connecting with nature, Being aware of taking care of our planet and all it's inhabitants. Conservation and recycling.
All of these aspects of wellness are interconnected, There are many benefits of finding a balanced wellbeing such as, prevention of disease, healthier lifestyle, greater employment productivity, better relationships, improved quality of life, with fewer daily limitations and longer lifespan.
To increase your awareness and to engage in these aspects of holistic wellness, try some of the following:
Stay active, good for body and mind
Connect socially, call a friend, say hi to a neighbor, get out.
Challenge yourself, learn or do something new outside of your box.
Be kind, to yourself and give of yourself, help out someone.
Quiet yourself, turn off all external devices and just listen. Get to know yourself.
Take a walk in nature and engage all of your senses.
We all have responsibilities and let’s face it, sometimes the journey can be stressful. Social media (if we allow) can create unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. It may seem like we can never achieve that balance. Remember “balance” is best achieved not in a perfect environment (it doesn’t exist) but by remaining steady with the equal distribution and correct proportion of all the wellness elements.