The 8 Pillars of Holistic Health and Wellness Show Health is often understood as the absence of disease or sickness. While this definition is valid, it lacks the comprehensiveness of a broader approach. So start assessing your holistic health and wellness on a wider spectrum. This means wellness depends on more factors than simply avoiding the flu each year. Holistic health and wellness is sustained by eight pillars: physical, nutritional, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and environmental. The pillars will give you a sense of how to work toward your optimal wellness, but its by no means prescriptive. The path to wellness is not one-size-fits-all. The journey is unique and different for each individual. Your biology, personality, and environment will determine what wellness means to you. Thats why your approach should be personalized. The common thread for everyone is that wellness requires a holistic approach. So, lets learn more about each pillar and how you can strengthen each one. PhysicalMost people immediately think of exercisewhen they hear physical wellness. Regular physical activity is an important part of the equation that cant be ignored. But its not the only aspect deserving of attention. Your body needs more than movement alone. Physical wellness also includes appropriate sleep, hygiene, and a healthy diet (more on this in the next section). If youre evaluating your physical health, ask these questions: Are you getting enough quality sleep? And if not, what barriers keep you from achieving regular and restful sleep? Researchers published an update to The National Sleep Foundations recommendations for adult sleep requirements. Their study reaffirmed the idea that adults should get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. For college students, parents, and workaholics, this can be a tough number to meet. But simple strategies can ensure the sleep you get comes easily and goes on uninterrupted. Tips:
NutritionThough nutrition is intimately tied to physical health, its so important and must be represented by its own pillar. This is especially true because nutrition must be personalized based on age, sex, activity level, and body chemistry. A balanced diet requires that you consume nutritional foods that feed your body and mind. The USDA recommends that during meals, adults fill half of their plates with fruitsand vegetables. The other half should be dedicated to mostly grains, along with a modest portion of proteinand a side of dairy. Diversifying your plate with appropriate amounts of each food group will help you acquire the necessary macronutrients for day-to-day energy, muscle growth and recovery, and other bodily processes. Unfortunately, in 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)reported that nationally, 76 percent of adults didnt meet the recommendations for daily fruit intake. Even more87 percentof adults didnt meet daily vegetable requirements. When meeting the suggested five cups a day becomes difficult to do, supplementation can help restore the necessary nutrients in your body to appropriate levels. Strengthening this pillar requires careful attention to your diet and appropriate supplementation. Lifes stressors and time commitments can make these tasks difficult. But nutritional improvements will help strengthen the other seven pillars of holistic health and wellness. Tips:
EmotionalEmotional wellness encompasses the ability to navigate your feelings. This means identifying, assessing, and effectively sharing those feelings with others. Why is this important? The ups and downs of life can take you on an emotional rollercoaster. But the better you understand, process, and manage those feelings, the smoother the ride will be. Tips:
SocialSocial wellness is about connecting with others to form positive relationships. And if those falter, its about dealing with any conflicts appropriately. Social relationships create support systems that can carry you through lifes struggles. Harvards Study of Adult Development ran for 80 years, collecting data on hundreds of participants. A recent study on a subset of this populationsurviving octogenariansinvestigated the connections between marital satisfaction, social lives, and happiness. Researchers found that participants who spent more time with others reported greater levels of happiness. The impact of surrounding yourself with those that care for you cant be understated. When the demands of life increase and stress mounts, the ability to turn to someone for support and understanding is powerful. Building and maintaining these networks take time and energy, but the work is worth the effort. And it will continue to serve you throughout your life. Tips:
SpiritualThe spiritual pillar will look different for everyone because its such a personal piece of overall wellness. It will play a stronger role in one persons life more than another, depending on how each person defines it. Spirituality is commonly viewed as a sense of purpose, direction, or meaning, without which, values can slip to the wayside, upending lifes balance. Many cultivate their spirituality through meditation, prayer, or other activities that foster a connection to natureor a higher power. Maintaining your spiritual wellness will look different for everyone. Its not about a specific religion or belief system. Spiritual health is about personalizing your journey. Some people might practice mindfulness as a way of checking in with their intentions, guiding their actions, and maintaining a values-based approach to life. How you choose to strengthen your spiritual health is up to you. Tips:
IntellectualIntellectual wellness is strengthened by continually engaging the mind. Doing so can help you build new skills and knowledge that inspire and challenge you, and help you grow. You might choose different ways to keep your mind sharpdepending on your mood. For some, thats braingames and puzzles, or scholastic endeavors. Even simply engaging in intellectually stimulating conversations and debates can strengthen this pillar. Some experience intellectual boons through self-discovery and personal advancement. Academic efforts, involvement in community activities, or other avenues of personal growth are just a few you can try. Tips:
FinancialTo be financially well is to live within your means and plan for the future appropriately. It can be tough to accomplish, but small steps can pay off big-time in the long-run. Financial wellness might sound the least exciting. But pursuing betterment in this area will surely strengthen the other pillars of holistic health and wellness. After all, financial troubles are one of the top stressors that Americans report. Taking small steps to control spending and save money can really lighten the burden on your everyday life. Tips:
EnvironmentalEnvironmental wellness is concerned with your immediate personal surroundings and the larger community where you live and work. Specifically, environmental wellness is determined by the reciprocal relationship between an individual and their environment. How do you support your environment? And in return, how does your environment support your health, well-being, and safety? The effects of strengthening your environmental wellness can be felt personally, and by your larger local and global communities. The more you care for and respect your natural and built environments, the better they can support and sustain your daily life. Tips:
Build Up Your Pillars of Holistic Health and WellnessWellness means different things to each individual. And being well gives each person the ability to reach their personal goals. After all, when your body, mind, and soul are cared for holistically, youre able to pursue and meet your goals with less resistance. To determine your personalized approach to wellness, reflect on the eight pillars of holistic health and wellness. Figure out which ones most require your attention. And remember, strengthening each one will provide a great foundation for living your best, healthiest life. About the AuthorJenna Templeton is a health educator and freelance science writer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. After receiving a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Virginia Tech, Jenna spent five years as a research scientist in the nutritional industry. This work fueled her interest in personal wellness, leading her to pursue a graduate degree in Health Promotion & Education from the University of Utah. Outside of work, Jenna enjoys live music, gardening, all things food, and playing in the Wasatch mountains. ReferencesHirshkowitz M et al. National Sleep Foundations sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health 1 (2015). 1(1): 40-43. Moore LV and Thompson FE. Adult Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Waldinger RJ, Schulz MS. Whats love got to do with it? Social functioning, perceived health, and daily happiness in married octogenarians. Psychology and Aging (2010). 25(2): 422-431. |