Taking a Holistic Approach

In the last blog we spoke about the importance of mental well being. In this blog we delve deeper into the aspect of overall well being - holistic wellbeing.

In this modern day living and especially with the ongoing pandemic, holistic well being and meaningful living take center stage.  Let’s understand  why it is important to embrace and sustain it in its true sense.

What is Holistic wellbeing and why is it important?

Holistic wellbeing is an ubiquitous concept that focuses on the entire person: body, mind and spirit. The body refers to physical health and longevity, the mind is the reflection of the emotional state and spiritual wellness is the connection one has with the inner self, one’s sense of right and wrong and their perception of the world around them. So, Holistic wellbeing focuses on five pillars – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing.

These five states of wellbeing are interconnected and play a major role in overall wellbeing. This connection becomes the source of happiness and inner peace and provides the motivation to lead a meaningful and balanced life.

Unlike medicines that treat our body in sections of individual symptoms, holistic wellbeing emphasizes the human entity as a whole and the interdependence of each part. It is all about acknowledging that what affects one part of the body, in turn affects the entire body. When we treat our body as a whole, we are likely to find long term solutions that lead to better overall health.

So what do we need to do to embrace and sustain a holistic wellness approach?

Simple steps and minor adjustments to our daily life will help us focus on holistic wellbeing.

Improving Physical wellness:

Sleep:  Ensure you are getting your 8 hours of sleep. This helps the body to rest and repair from the previous day.

Diet: Make sure you consume a well-balanced diet rich in nutrients and superfoods. Shift towards organic food. The easiest way to detach from junk foods is to change your palate. Replace chips with dry fruits/roasted seeds.

Exercise: Dedicate 30- 45 minutes to exercise daily. Stretch your body and practice any form of physical activity that you enjoy

Improving Mental Wellness

Habits: Practice stress reduction habits which help in better management of life’s daily stressors. Strengthen your mind to shift away from any addictions.

Journaling: Keep a journal to record all your thoughts and feelings. This helps in self- reflection.

Connect: Connect with like-minded people and vibe with their positivity. Diverse set of people enhance not just your mental wellbeing, but also your intellectual, emotional and social wellbeing.

Improving Emotional Wellness

Balance: All work and no play can be disastrous and lead to stress. Ensure there are different activities that you love doing.

Think Positively: Positive thinking will always reinforce a positive attitude. Sometimes, when things don’t work out, thinking positively will improve the chances of reaching the goal.

Support: Some people always reach out to their loved ones during times of crisis, and a few others remain to themselves and do not talk about it. One aspect of improving emotional wellbeing is to realize that there is always support in times of crisis. Talk it out and seek help, if need be.

Improving Spiritual Wellness

Meditation: Meditate every day and focus on your breathing. This helps your body to relax and sharpen your focus.

Deepen your connection with yourself: Spend quality time with yourself and focus on what your body and mind are going through. Nature is the best healer. Absorb all the positivity from nature.

Purpose: Focus on what life means to you and your role in this world. A sense of purpose puts things into perspective and helps channelize your thoughts.

Improving Social Wellness

Connections: Make connections and get involved with others. Social connections influence our wellbeing, be it family, friends, neighbors or colleagues.

Communication: Communicating helps you manage your thoughts in a better way. Clearly communicating your thoughts, ideas, needs and wants helps in building trustworthy relationships.

Care: Take care of yourself while taking care of others. As much as you expect for someone to be there for you during tough times, you need to be there for them and provide care and comfort to others when needed.

A holistic approach to good health and wellbeing is multifaceted and a consequence of our actions and habits we develop. These small steps shape into significant changes in our lives that help us attain inner peace and happiness.

KellyKinetix Workshops focus on physical, mental and social wellness. Click here to know more  - Workshops (kellykinetix.com)