A few decades ago, health only referred to the physical aspect. In other words, being healthy meant that you are fit, your metabolic rate is fast, and the food you eat is nutritious. Today, being healthy doesn’t just talk about how fit you are. Instead, it also refers to your whole well-being – the mental and emotional states of your body.
The past years brought a lot of attention to mental health especially when some of the most esteemed Hollywood celebrities committed suicide due to depression. While a lot of fans mourned for their idols, therapists and doctors alike delved deeper into the mental aspect of a person. They realized that a person’s mental state was equally important to that of the physical state. And because of that, more people have advocated for mental health awareness.
On the other hand, more content was published that talked about the emotional state of a person. Both the emotional and the psychological aspects of the person are closely linked because emotions can affect the long-term brain activities. Emotions are fleeting, but recurring emotions take a toll on the mind and this creates the mental illnesses people feel. Of course, there are a lot of other factors at play here.
How Do You Achieve Holistic Living?
Since professionals have acknowledged the importance of having holistic ways of taking care of one’s self, more people are looking into healthy habits that not only affect their bodies. If you are one of them, then these tips might be helpful for you.
Exercise is great for your body. When accompanied by the right amounts of the right foods, exercise can help strengthen your muscles. In the long run, your flexibility and endurance improve. But apart from the physical improvement you will notice, exercise can also lift up your mood because it reinforces the production of endorphins or “happy hormones”. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.
Breathing exercises have a lot of benefits. One of them is the short relaxation you will feel whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed by emotion. Breathing exercises allow your mind to have enough space again to take the day on. What’s great about this is you don’t have to go to a gym or take yoga classes. Breathing exercises can be done anywhere and it only takes a few minutes of your time.
More water, less caffeine, and alcohol.
If you want to be really healthy, it’s time to cut down on caffeine and alcohol. Although occasional drinking is tolerable, you shouldn’t go over the limit. The same goes for drinking coffee. Drinking coffee can increase your heart rate and this doesn’t do your anxiety any favors. The effects of caffeine are also short-term which is bad if you’ve made it a habit to consume large amounts of it every day.
Holistic living can be achieved if you are aware of your mental and emotional states. As much as possible, prioritize all three instead of focusing on just one.