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What is Holistic Health?
Have you heard about holistic health lately and wondered what it actually is? What is holistic health? Well, in a very simple definition, a holistic approach to health is related to all the things that can affect our health as a whole.
According to the Webster-Merriam Dictionary, Holistic means:
Relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.
And Holism: Is a theory that the universe and especially living nature is correctly seen in terms of interacting wholes (as of living organisms). Meaning it is more than the mere sum of its elementary particles.
This is how I understood this
Don’t worry… This won’t be a lecture about a theory…
In other words, living your life in a holistic manner means, we cannot see ourselves as mere individuals, but as all the things we interact with.
It also means that we cannot see ourselves merely as a body with several parts but as a system that works all together in many different ways.
For me getting there… getting to see Me that way, happened (unfortunately) through some health problems. That is a result, of seeing my body only as a physical thing and living a life out of balance. Even though at that time I did not know those habits were bad for me. But I will tell you about that part of my life in more detail in other posts…
When trying to gain wellness, taking into consideration all the things we interact with, as well as other aspects of ourselves besides our bodies, can have a huge impact on our health.
How can you see your life in a holistic way to gain health?
So… How do you see your life in a holistic way in order to get balance and health?… it is not a matter of only seeing, knowing, or believing something, it is a matter of actually living it. Then, how do you start living it?… by building small habits that in the end will create for you a solid base to achieve whole well-being.
My favorite way to do it is taking baby steps, starting by doing small changes; and gradually seeing the effect until you find something that suits you.
What things should we take into consideration?
To have a more balanced life and improve your health, you need to take care of your body, your mind, and your soul (regardless of your religious beliefs). The emotional and social aspects of your life are also important and learn how to interact better with the environment.
Let’s see an example… If you work long hours and are too stressed out… It could mean you need to install some new habits in order to take care of your mental health and relax.
You could start by looking for a good book with a positive message and try to read a chapter a day. Try to read before going to bed or first thing in the morning. Set a goal of the number of pages. Then see what it does to your general state of mind.
If you are (as I am) a workaholic, it is pretty easy to let days pass by without taking those moments to let your mind and body rest and feed that amazing data processor called the brain with constructive information instead of negative inputs.
I don´t mean you will isolate yourself from the world but try to stay away from negative news, and all negative information we are exposed to. It seems like something we need to pay attention to in order to stay informed, but… they could become a poison that incrementally does some damage if you don’t choose wisely and take them in small doses.
Now… Here some practical steps so you can begin to make changes
First of all, I recommend you can start by doing a list of your current habits. Then identify what changes are needed.
Secondly, think of something you enjoy and also could bring some benefits to your health. Because is easier to start doing something you like. At this point, you will maybe need to try and try until you find something you enjoy the most. And please persevere, repeat again… and again… baby steps!
Changing a habit and creating a new one is not easy! Maybe you have an iron will but it won´t be easy anyway. A habit is something settled so firm in your mind, sometimes you don´t even need to think about it to do it. It is an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.
How to take action now
Now, I invite you to choose one habit you want to change. Think of something you know is not it´s not helping you to be healthier or… Choose a habit to acquire (something you know will be good for you) for at least one of these aspects:
- The physical body: For example, drinking lemon water, eating more fruits and vegetables, reduce sugar consumption, etc.
- Mind and Soul: For instance, reading a book, quit that TV show that is not leaving anything good, having alone time to connect with your inner self, and admire the little miracles of life.
Once you have chosen, work on them on a daily basis, and aim to be consistent for at least three weeks.
If you want more guidelines about how to change habits in a more lasting way you should read this post:
https://behealthyholisticway.com/healthy-habits-how-to-implement-effective-long-term-changes/
If you found this interesting, I would love to share with you some good habit ideas and my plan to successfully create healthier habits!
All my love,
Monica
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