What in the world is Holistic wellness and what does that mean for someone like you? The word comes from Holism. The belief of Holism is that the whole is most important as well as the interdependence of those individual parts. A common axiom said in regards to Holistic wellness, but falsely attributed to Aristotle, is “the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts”. While the axiom is true, Aristotle did not exactly write it in those words. Regardless, the point of Holism is to consider your lifestyle over all and not treat issues or symptoms individually as they arise. The key is a focus on prevention over correction. This article is meant to describe to you what Holistic wellness is.
The 8 pillars of Holistic Wellness
Holistic wellness is built off 8 pillars. Although there are some variations among those who practice Holistic wellness, the overall pillar layout tends to be similar. These pillars are fundamental to a Holistic Health outlook. Remember that Holism believes in the idea of everything is connected. Every pillar in your life is as important as the next pillar because they are all interconnected. An example is if your health declines, so does your emotional well-being. Without balance in one pillar, it will affect the other pillars in your life leading to a repeating cycle.
It is important to note, you need a balance between all 8 pillars. If 4 pillars are well balanced and 4 are off balanced, you will have a structure that falls apart. All 8 pillars are needed. Each pillar is as important as the previous pillar. Do not ignore one pillar for the sake of another pillar. If one pillar is hard to improve, zone in your focus on improving that pillar while keeping the others stable. By focusing on improving all 8 pillars, you achieve a balance that pours over into all areas thereby enhancing your life. Then delve into elevating the pillars. Let’s dive into these 8 pillars.
The 1st pillar: physical wellness is Holistic
The first pillar in our Holistic wellness overview is physical wellness. This pillar is like a mini Holistic wellness fractal. Everything about your physical state falls into this category. The first thing to cross your mind is exercise. Yes, exercise is a part of this category but it is not the whole category.
Why it matters
Like it or not, you live in your body twenty-four hours a day. Movement and exercise form a portion of this pillar. From hormone optimization to metabolism, movement covers a lot of ground. Sleep plays a large role as well. Sleep helps the body to repair and function optimally. Anything that affects your physical body is placed within this pillar. Brushing your teeth, bathing and other bathroom stuff fall in this category. Any self care routine will also be in this category. Nutrition is placed in this category as well. How and what you eat have a say in your physical well-being.
How to do it
Get active, even walking is better than sitting on a seat all day. Get adequate rest. Hydrate well and tend to your body. The impact this pillar has on your overall Holistic wellness is important, don’t sleep on it but do get adequate sleep. Some choose to separate nutrition out as it’s own category to lighten the information overload. Either way, the goal of this pillar is focusing on your physical well-being.
The 2nd pillar: emotional wellness
The second pillar is emotional. Emotions are a very human experience after all. When it comes to Holistic wellness, emotions affect your motivation and behavior thus impacting you overall. How that manifests from a Holistic wellness perspective is how you handle your emotions. Your handling of emotions can lead to a tense and stressful life. The idea boils down to whether you control your emotional expression, or your emotional expression controls you. There needs to be an outlet for these emotions. By responsibly expressing your emotions in a healthy manner, you prevent a stressful event from occurring.
Why it matters
Ever heard of the nice person that went ballistic on someone for no apparent reason? Like a shaken soda can or bottle, the bottling up of emotions increases the pressure in the body. The pent up emotions come bursting out all at once. The bodily tension exceeds the capacity and the pressure needs to release. The other party involved may not deserve it, but the person lashing out deserves to have a healthy way to express their emotions for their sake. Holistic wellness provides that outlet to bring in more joy in your life.
How to do it
Joy is important to the emotional pillar as to you. It stands as an additional metric you can use. How much joy do you have in your life and where do you find it? What activities spark joy for you? In discovering this, you will have a better balanced pillar.
The 3rd pillar: Intellectual wellness
The next pillar is the intellectual wellness pillar. For some, this category of Holistic wellness is presented as the mental pillar. The mental pillar does overlap with others like the emotional pillar. Many mental issues are balanced when the other pillars are balanced. At first you may think, why is this necessary for wellness? The mind needs exercise as well as the body. You exercise your intellect by challenging the mind and using it daily in many different ways.
Why this matters
Modern humans have technology to aid us in many ways we take for granted. While on the surface this seems like a blessing, it can be a curse at times. When ancient humans roamed the world, they had no devices to start a fire. There was no internet to find information. They had to seek out, learn and pass information on orally. This engaged the brain through intellect to come up not just with the information, but also creative solutions.
How to do it
The brain is a problem solver. When the intellect is not used, such as when technology takes the reins, it begins to fade. Take for example the fact that Alzheimer’s is lower in adults that read vs those who do not. The intellect needs stimulation to grow. Consider reading, doing puzzles or challenging your intellect in many other ways.
The 4th pillar: Holistic wellness is social
Being social and engaging in social activities is a key pillar in Holistic wellness protocols. This stems from the fact that humans are social animals by nature. People want and need to belong. The focus is on seeking engagement, building and maintaining positive relationships in your life. Real meaningful in person interactions, not internet interactions.
Why this matters
Studies show when a social animal is placed in isolation, it becomes aggressive and unwell. The behavioral patterns shift and it no longer fits in with the rest of the animals. Older adults have this issue too. Cognitive decline is found among older adults who live isolated.
How to do it
Find group activities. Plan a social night with friends or try a new social event you are interested in doing. To feel your best, it is recommended to engage in social activities every so often and nurture this aspect of yourself. After all, everyone likes having people they can call friends around.
The 5th pillar: Environment wellness
The 5th pillar in the Holistic wellness system. Your environment places a role in your wellness. Imagine correcting and balancing all facets in your life but neglecting your environment and how it can aid you. How much time do you spent at home and how can it be contributing, or destroying your overall Holistic Wellness?
Why it matters
The contaminants that exist play an impact in your health. Consider that VOCs are everywhere and you could be inhaling them now. They can affect you in a multitude of ways. Indoor pollution is a big source and it is not easily seen. Some people are sensitive to fragrances and other scents but may not even know it. The candles you buy and the cleaning product you use all play an environmental role. Within the Holistic wellness framework, another area to focus upon is how supportive is your environment for you? Does your environment support you and your goals in life?
How to do it
An environment that does not nurture nor foster care for who you are and what you want out of live constitutes a negative environment. If you are in a living situation that you feel is holding you back from your aspirations or goals, that will affect you and cause other pillars in your life to suffer. Grant yourself an environment that will aid you in life.
The 6th pillar: Financial wellness
The 6th pillar in the Holistic wellness framework is Financial. Life satisfaction is also dependent on your financial situation and the way you earn those finances. Money is a necessity in life for us to survive in our modern world. Knowing how to handle you financial situation to optimize your wellness is essential and is key.
Why it matters
Financial burdens are one of the largest and most common stressors in modern life. It impacts your mental and physical health. Money is not the only factor that can affect your Holistic wellness. How you earn that money is also a major component.
Occupational satisfaction plays a role. In this case, you feel as if you are not working up to your full potential or do not feel satisfied with your work place. This could be the work environment, people, or job function. All aspects are to be considered in the Holistic wellness framework.
How to do it
Job fulfillment dictates overall wellness since a large chunk of time is dedicated working. If that environment is not fulfilling, then your overall wellness will falter as well. Do a job you love. Increase your financial understanding and work towards goals. Tiny steps lead ot big gains. For a lot of people, this pillar is a major one with a high density of information. For that reason, this pillar is sometimes split into financial and occupational to help offload the information.
The 7th pillar: Nutrition wellness
Although we covered this briefly when speaking about our first pillar of Holistic wellness, nutrition is the next pillar.
Why it matters
Nutrition plays a large enough role in your life that it has it’s own pillar. What you eat and what you drink impacts you on all levels. It can affect your sleep. Malnutrition can bring about internal diseased states. You could be chronically overfed, but chronically undernourished. Optimizing your nutrition ensures you function at the highest level. You could work to improve all the other pillars in Holism, but neglect this one and the rest crumble. Like the physical pillar, this is one of the pillars that really form a foundation to uphold and support the other pillars.
How to do it
Nutrition goes further than macronutrients like carbs or protein. Nutrition includes micronutrients like vitamins and minerals as well as secondary nutrients such as polyphenols and antioxidants. Sunbathing could fall in this category since it produces vitamin D. Eat whole nutrient dense food and get some sunlight. Ensuring you have a balance in your diet fuels the performance needed to really shine forth.
The 8th pillar: Holistic wellness is Spiritual
The last pillar of our Holistic Wellness review is all about the spiritual. You may not believe or want to believe in anything. That’s ok, read the following:
Why it matters
In life, especially during the turbulent times, there needs to be an anchor or an island of stability. You only have so much time and energy to spend in any given day. Life is chaotic and messy. Life can always throw a wrench in the cog. If you were a device, your overall battery charge is affected by the preceding day’s effects. If you are holding all the sole responsibility, who do you turn to when you need support? Having that support in this pillar is a life changer. It doesn’t have to be a deity or the Divine or anything. It can be a higher purpose.
How to do it
The point is to reach a complete and balanced holistic self, you need to be attached to something greater than yourself. Pushing only gets you so far through life. Having a relationship or connection, to something larger than you or larger than life, pulls you up. Consider including gratitude as well. Gratitude causes a shift in your perspective even for the little things. It seems like a small insignificant change, but many people from all walks of like will agree that gratitude is a game changer for them.
In conclusion.
Balance among the 8 pillars of Holistic Wellness is necessary to live a fulfilling life. The outcome in you life is positive when the pillars are improved. When they are neglected, the out comes are negative. The pillar’s interconnections enhance one another positively or if neglected, the impact on your Holistic wellness is negative. Remember that improvements made in your 8 pillars need to be small and realistic. Baby steps will get you there with enough time. This might sounds like a lot of information and it will require education on your part. At those times, guidance from someone else helps. When it comes to it, you cannot be at one hundred percent all the time. Remember to be kind to yourself. It takes time and set backs can happen as life is chaotic. So long as you are improving over the long run, the fruits of your labor will show.