The definition of a good life is all about ‘taking care of the whole-self’. Holistic wellness is that approach to creating a lifestyle where we can take care of all our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social needs. An individual or a person cannot be well if they are not well in their all areas of life. Holistic approach takes care of those needs, and makes us aware of our well-being.
In order to understand deeply what areas of our life need attention right now, we must segment the “wellness wheel,” and focus on finding fulfillment and balance in each areas or segments like; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness.
So how do we know where to start from, and how? I would encourage you to do this (what I did) if you think this makes sense; otherwise start with the most neglected segment at first. Suppose your lifestyle looks a bit busy and out-of-balance, then it’s time to pause and reflect. Yes, career, success, and financial security force us to do more and more and more. But in that process we lose our mindful living, and end up in an unhealthy lifestyle rut.
Here’s what I did in these last eight months to do myself a wellness check favor. I hope this article encourages you to follow the steps to find your calm, and the courage to find your holistic wellness.
My life was a mess. Everything felt like falling apart, and out-of-my-control. I didn’t know where to start, or if at all I wanted to start? After lots of guidance from two of my best friends, and the universe, I carved out some very important wellness habits for myself, that pulled me out of the darkness.
Let’s first learn a little more about “why is wellness even important?“
Wellness means being in a state of good health and wellbeing, and we cannot neglect taking into consideration any of the aspects of our self-being. When our deep core needs are in alignment with our present status, we can tell ourselves that, “our wellness check is in good shape.”
So let’s get into the details of each of the types of wellness I’ve listed above: that is; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social needs, and see how we can improve our wellness wheel.
- How to improve your physical wellness?
6 steps to improve your Physical Wellness and this is what I did.
- Make walking and going outside everyday a priority. Move fast or slow, but move more. And being outdoors at least once a day is a must for a healthy mind and body.
- Sleep More. At least for 8 hours, and take quick short naps in between your work or chores.
- Reduce snacking time and eat proper meals.
- Take Multivitamin Supplements.
- Reduce screen time and sitting for too long.
- Stress is the biggest reason for almost all health issues. Try to reduce your stress by staying calm, and by taking necessary steps to quiet your mind either by doing relaxation stretches, yoga, or through deep meditation- every single day.
2. How to improve your Mental & Social Wellness?
6 steps to boost your mental and social wellness and this is what I did.
- Through social connection, i.e. by creating good relationships.
- By finding/joining a supporting community that encourages you and your talent and skills. Find a platform where your voice is heard, supported, and celebrated. [Fashion Potluck Community platform always have had my back, where I was able to write and share my thoughts and lessons to inspire others]
- By making an effort to keep in touch with supportive friends and family.
- By sleeping enough and being present for yourself and friends and family as an when needed.
- By being empathetic and kind to yourself and others. Listen to others without judgement and blame.
- Share your feelings honestly
3. How to improve your Emotional Wellness?
6 steps to boost your emotional wellness and this is what I did.
- Learning to celebrate the strengths and being aware of the weaknesses helps us in finding our confidence connection.
- By giving credit for the good things we do each day.
- By focusing on the good positive experiences we can feel happier and can be more mindful of our surroundings.
- It is very important to get enough quality sleep. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning is a healthy habit to feel more calm, focused, wise, and at control to handle all kinds of emotions.
- Just 30 mins of walking in the day can reduce stress and can fill our heart and mind with lots of positive energy and happy calm feelings.
- 1 hour of deep and focused meditation a day can help us control our emotions, and can reduce our stress-levels, and all kinds of anxious emotions.
4. How to improve your Spiritual Wellness?
Spiritual Wellness means being in harmony with oneself, with your surroundings, and with others. In order to achieve this harmony, our actions and intentions must align with the environment and our society for everybody else’s and our benefit. So how do we build this spiritual life to attain our wellness goals spiritually? Here’s how!
10 steps to boost your spiritual wellness and this is what I did.
- By being humble and surrendering to God, by learning from the mistakes, by forgiving oneself and others, by accepting the situation with faith and trust.
- By making it a priority to pray often, at least twice a day.
- By reading your Holy book or other spiritual books.
- By trusting the Universe and by manifesting.
- By developing a purpose in life, and finding the right kind of passion to lead your life in the right direction.
- Having a clear sense of right and wrong, and acting accordingly.
- By being aware of your situation. This means recognizing your pain (and not avoiding it) and overcoming your fears.
- By practicing how to be compassionate towards yourself and others.
- By chanting mantras or powerful affirmations or words every day (at least twice a day) to feel light at heart and to bring back your focus to the present, and to stop overthinking.
- By accepting oneself and others without judging them and without criticizing them.
In order to achieve the harmony and to align our actions with our intentions for building a better life for ourselves, we must practice these wellness tricks. Holistic wellness is a way of looking at life in all areas rather than just focusing on only one aspect.
Main Image Source- Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash