What is Holistic Health?
The word “holistic” means whole or complete. It comes from the word “holos” which means entire or total. Holistic health has the motto that wholeness or wellness is a way of life, and the whole is made up of interdependent parts. It is based on living in harmony with nature and on a love of life (and not the fear of death), where people accept their own responsibility for their level of wellbeing with a heavy focus on prevention.
The ideas of holistic health date back 5,000 years to the ancient minds of India and China. The ancient view was that good health implied a sound body, a sound mind, a sound environment, and a sound family. Today holistic health looks at an individual’s mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual aspects. These dimensions are not exclusive, but are interacting constantly. The goal is to maximize wellbeing by having every dimension functioning as best as possible.
1. Nutrition Awareness
You are what you eat. That’s why it’s important to consume healthy food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, to promote good health and good eating habits. Natural whole foods and a balanced diet will aid your body in fighting off illnesses. Also, abstain from unhealthy eating habits like cooking with too much oil, or eating processed or refined foods. Also, drink lots of water.
2. Physical Fitness
Being physically fit can prevent many illnesses like heart disease and Type II diabetes. Your activities for physical fitness will depend on your age, your state of health, and other things. Physical fitness includes regular exercise, adequate sleep, a balanced diet, maintaining personal hygiene, stress reduction techniques (like meditation), and preventing overworking or fatigue.
3. Stress Management
Chronic stress (distress) can cause several health problems like mental illness, migraine headaches, suicide, hypertension, heart attacks, peptic ulcers, as well as depression. Some ways to manage stress include using relaxation techniques like meditation and breathing exercises; doing assertiveness training to learn to say “no” to people; balancing sleep, exercise, rest, and diet; and doing cognitive behavioral therapy to change negative thinking patterns.
4. Environmental Sensitivity
Humans need the essential elements of life: water, soil, air and sunlight. When people do not co-exist with nature in harmony, these essential elements come under threat. Consider, for example, that many cases of cancer are caused by environmental pollution and other carcinogenic chemicals that people absorb. Adopting environmentally sensitive principles can include developing waste elimination techniques (like recycling), conserving energy, developing anti-pollution practices (like using biodegradable packing), and undergoing a life style change (e.g. reducing consumption and communal living).
5. Self Responsibility
Self responsibility is the management of the other four dimensions of holistic health to create balance and wellbeing. When one dimension is thrown off balance, you are responsible for restoring that balance. For example, if you were to forgo your usual healthy diet to eat sugary, processed, refined, and fried foods, you would begin to feel bloated, sluggish, and generally unwell. You could take action to reverse these effects by reverting back to a balanced healthy diet.
Mind-Body Connection
The idea of the mind-body connection exists in many traditional cultures, religions, and philosophies. The idea is that the mind and body are not separate, but a function of one another. The mind and the body exist on a continuum. This means that the mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. This is why it is said that the mind is a rarified, intangible version of the body, and the body is a solidified, tangible version of the mind. You can see examples of how the body and the mind impact one another in The Mind-Body Connection graphic presented here on this page.
Characteristics of Holistic Health
Holistic health has some unique characteristics that distinguish it from regular health care. Notably, holistic health is person and life cycle oriented rather than disease oriented. It focuses on full health and wellness rather than just treating symptoms. Holistic health does respect the contributions of modern medicine, because it is pragmatic, tolerant, and democratic. Holistic health recognizes the value of the scientific approach to determine what works. However, holistic health is not authoritarian, and it focuses on multiple levels of health (spiritual, emotional, and physical) rather than just one level (physical).
Holistic health is also heavily focused on primary prevention rather than crisis intervention. As a result, holistic health is an ongoing, longterm, and continuous effort versus fragmented and event specific. Also, the patient or client being treated is an active and committed participant in the healing process as opposed to a passive recipient. The responsibility of health is also placed on the patient or client rather than on the health care professional. Additionally, holistic health recognizes that not all illnesses are bad. For instance, symptoms of detoxification may present as illness. However, these symptoms are signs that toxins are being removed from the body, and are not a cause for alarm.
Some Simple Ideas for Wellness
1. Decide on a purpose in life.
Having a purpose in life avoids self harming scenarios like drug dependence, alcoholism, suicide, and depression.
2. Maintain reasonably positive attitudes.
Keep a journal where on one side of a page you write down all of your negative thoughts and attitudes and your positive thoughts and attitudes on the other side. Continue the journal until your positive attitudes become a predominant part of your thinking process.
3. Try to use your abilities fully.
This means being willing to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Be creative, learn, and do. You will be amazed at what you are able to accomplish.
4. Have the will to be healthy.
If you program yourself to be sick, then you will be sick. Activate your positive programming, and you will improve your wellness.
5. Be adaptable.
Accept that the only constant in this life is change. Instead of being rigid and stuck in the past, be flexible and adapt to change to your advantage.
6. Be reasonably cooperative with other people.
When done with the right people (not users and abusers), cooperating will lead to greater peace, prosperity, and harmony.
7. Accept responsibility for your own thoughts and actions.
Stop automatically blaming others. Take some time for introspection, and allow yourself to mature. Allow the development of your feelings, thoughts, actions, and words. Take responsibility, and be a source of good in the world.
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