What Does Health Mean?
When you think of the word health what comes to your mind, what does it mean to you? To be honest, for a long time health meant something far different to me than it does now. I used to think if you were skinny, toned, or muscular then that was the definition of health. This thinking caused me to view health in such a superficial way that I had distorted its meaning altogether. I didn’t even consider how there were different areas of health and the importance they played on each other. Why is that, and could I be the only person who saw it that way? My guess is no.
This mindset caused me to view health in such a superficial way that I had distorted its meaning altogether. I didn’t even consider how there were different areas of health and the importance they played on each other. Why is that, and could I be the only person who saw it that way? My guess is no.
What does our culture say about health?
The unfortunate reality is that the media represents health in a very distorted way. That, combined with our lack of knowledge of what actual health entails has led our society to develop misconstrued views of what health is and how to attain such a thing.
From infomercials to fad diets, we are over promised and under delivered in what a skinny or muscular body will do for us. It has fed our emotional appetite for pleasure. When we see a happy, skinny couple running on the beach, or a celebrity promoting the latest “get skinny” quick product, it has a significant impact on our emotions. Advertisers know that and have gotten extremely good at tapping into our emotions!
What really drives our decisions?
Most things we do are to change the way we feel. Although we like to think we act of our intellectual knowledge, the truth is we most often act out of emotion. Reflect on this, we intellectually know that junk food will cause us to get fat and eventually lead to unwanted health conditions; however, we still consume these things for short-term emotional pleasure.
If all we are doing with our health is acting out of emotion, it can turn into a series of losing weight, gaining it back, and over again. It is merely a short term fix because we haven’t mastered the art of our emotional state. We haven’t taken the time to understand why we do the things we do. If we make the majority of our decisions out of emotions, what happens we when aren’t focusing any time in the area of mental/emotional health?
Areas of Health
You see, health means more than a skinny, toned, or muscular body. Health encompasses four sectors that are the intersection of our well-being, and I believe it all starts with our mental/emotional health. Once we master our emotions, the other areas fall into place a lot quicker. Below are my interpretations of 4 areas of health and ideas to help you improve each area.
1.) Mental/Emotional Health
In my experience, emotional health is the gateway to success for every area of our life. Like I said before, although we claim to act on our intellectual knowledge, the reality is that we typically operate out of our emotions. We must realize this and pursue with great intention the practice of understanding our emotions. If we can figure out what makes us do the things we do, it can give us great clarity to make real changes in our behavior.
The lack of mental/emotional health is painfully evident in our culture. 15 million Americans get diagnosed with depression every year. That is a statistic that makes me sad. It’s upsetting because we have been conditioned to go for a quick fix of medication. I’m not a clinical expert by any means, but I believe if we embraced practices of mental/emotional health, a lot of people would realize that they have the power and ability to harness their emotions to create wonderful things in their life.
Our mental health can create, or destroy. I make practicing mental health just as important as any other area of health. My favorite time to do this is first thing in the morning. Here are some things I do to exercise my mental health:
• Read Self-Development Books
• Meditate
• Yoga/exercise
• Live in the present moment
• Positive Affirmations
• Find a hobby to enjoy
2.) Physical Health
How we use and fuel our body has a profound impact on the quality of our lives. If we fill ourselves with processed food and sit stagnant in front of the T.V., It’s no secret that we are going to feel sluggish, tired, and unmotivated.
We have one body in this life, and it’s our decision to choose how we treat it. What’s the point in striving for great success if we won’t be around long enough to enjoy it? It is so tempting to reach for bad food, its fast, it’s convenient, and it’s sinfully pleasurable for a moment. But that moment is deceiving, and it’s short. The long-term effect is far more painful than the brief moment of pleasure.
We have to retrain our brain to connect pain with bad food and stagnant behavior and happiness with eating good and an active lifestyle. My physical health is crucial because it affects every area of my life and I feel so much better when I eat healthily and exercise. That’s not to say I’m perfect at it all the time, but I do strive to make it part of my life. There are such small things we can do to benefit our physical health. Here are some of my favorite tips:
• Make it a point to walk/exercise every day.
• Find a form of exercise you love (I particularly enjoy Barre classes)
• Cook at home as much as you can
• Plan meals for the week
• Take your lunch
• Don’t buy junk food
• Keep healthy snacks in your purse and at home
• Eat multiple small meals a day
• Drink a lot of water – start with a glass first thing in the morning
• Limit eating out to once a week
3.) Social Well-being
Connections with others are a vital part of our basic human needs. We have the need to feel a sense of belonging and actively engaged with others. Social well-being can be a particularly tricky aspect of health. I think the older we get, the harder it is to feel connected with groups of people outside of the family. Some are better at this than others, but for me, the closet introvert, I struggle with this.
As we continue to age, I think we have to look into the future and realize how big of an impact social well-being has on us. It is the classic example of why statistics show that when a husband loses his wife later in life, he doesn’t live too much long after. His wife has been the only person to whom he feels connected.
In general, women are more social beings than men, so it comes a little easier to us. Still, I think we have to be mindful of how much of an impact this area of health has on us, especially as we age. I think it’s so important to find like-minded people to whom you build meaningful relationships with. There are lots of ways to practice social well-being, here are some ideas!
• Join a book/study club
• Group fitness classes
• Volunteer at non-profit organizations
• Join a church & become part of a small group
• Become an active member of a group that interests you
• Search for organizations within your community that you can join.
• See if your city has a Women’s Junior League Organization. That’s an excellent way to connect with other women & volunteer for the community
4.) Spiritual Health
This area of health can look different for everyone and is highly individualized. Religious faith, beliefs, values, morals, and purpose encompass the essence of your spirituality. For me, spiritual health is vital to finding peace, harmony, fulfillment, and balance in everyday life.
It’s an inner working that projects meaning and purpose. I find the more spiritual healthy I am, the more I have self-control and make decisions based on my values. Depending on what you believe, below are ways to practice spirituality.
- Involvement with Church
- Connect with other like-minded souls
- Prayer
- Meditation
Take Away
Think about this for a second, could it be that so many of us don’t reach any aspect of health because we consume ourselves in chasing just one component of it?
I think whole health comes from balance. I feel passionate about practicing balance in all areas of health. It has proved to transform my way of thinking and the way I see myself and the world. What are some of the ways you practice balance in health? Do you have particular struggles with any of the areas?
Take one small step today,
Xo – Jenna
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