What Is Holistic Health And What Are The Best Practices?

What Does The Term Holistic Health Mean?

The term holistic means looking at the complete system of something. So when we talk about holistic health, that means you do not only look at the symptoms of the body but also at the mind and spirit. It doesn’t mean you don’t follow modern Western medicine. You instead combine it with alternative health practices.

Examples of holistic healthcare practices are:

• Massage
• Chiropractic
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Sound Healing
• Acupuncture
• Herbalism
• Personal training

What Are The 5 Aspects of Holistic Health?

There are 5 aspects of holistic health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health. They enable you to boost your well-being and to live your healthiest life. However, you have to make sure that all 5 aspects are in balance. If you compromise only one area, all the other areas will be compromised as well. So here is how you can live your healthiest and happiest life:

1. Physical Health

Physical health is the aspect that most think of when they think about health. In a way, physical symptoms are also the ones that are easiest to track and measure. There are a lot of things you can do to support your physical health, such as:

• Sleep enough at night, so your body can repair itself from the day and gets the rest it needs.
• Drink enough water to stay hydrated
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet, by mostly consuming organic and clean products.
• Make sure your blood sugar is balanced by eating carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
• Move your body regularly and try to move for at least 30 minutes a day. Even a quick walk can already be beneficial.
• The obvious: Do not smoke, drink alcohol in moderation, and avoid processed foods and drinks.

2. Emotional Health

There is no healthy body without a healthy mind, and your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. It includes your mental health and how you deal with stress, anxiety, and your daily struggles. To support your emotional health you can do a couple of things, just like:

• Regular meditation. It helps to calm your mind and process your emotions. Studies show that people who meditate regularly are emotionally and physically healthier, more focused on their goals, and happier.
• Journaling to process your emotions and thoughts.
• Practice gratitude, for example by writing down three things you are grateful for every night before going to sleep.
• Exercise not only for your body but also for your mind. It helps you to process your emotions and supports your well-being by releasing endorphins.
• Get help if you need to. Therapy is essential if you feel like your emotional health is out of balance.

3. Social Health

Everybody needs a good social support system. Research shows that the happiest people have deep connections in their life with their family, friends, and community. That doesn’t mean that you need a lot of friends. The quality of your connections is what’s important here. Some ways to support your social health are:

• Make time for the people in your life. Not only by calling or texting them. You need regular contact in real life, so make sure you see your friends and family regularly.
• Get involved in your community. This can look different for everybody, some people join local clubs, others start doing volunteer work. What counts is that you give back to your community.

4. Spiritual Health

Spiritual health is one of the aspects, that a lot of people ignore. But it is just as important as the other 4 areas for your well-being. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be religious, even though those two practices are of course overlapping. But even if you are not religious, you can live a spiritual life by connecting to your soul and taking care of it. Ways to support your spiritual health are spending time in nature, meditating, or practicing your faith (if you are religious).

5. Intellectual Health

The fifth and final aspect of holistic health is your intellectual health. It refers to your cognitive abilities that affect how your brain functions. If you feel like it overlaps with emotional and even physical health, you are right. However, you should still see it as an important aspect in itself. Ways you can support your intellectual health are:

• Keep learning to challenge your brain.
• Make sure you keep your brain healthy by eating nutrient-dense foods that are high in omega-3 and antioxidants. They support your cognitive functions.
• Avoid brain-damaging behavior, like binge-drinking, consuming recreational drugs, and smoking.