What is Holistic Health?

Holistic health is about looking at all the parts of one’s health and well-being. 

It's important to view everything as interconnected and integrated, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant. Each dimension has an effect on the others, so it’s crucial that we recognize the existence of each and take into account each person as a whole.

Let’s take a look at how this would look in your day-to-day life:

If you wake up with a toothache, it may dictate what you can eat, which can affect your mood. This mood can then affect your ability to be patient or kind with others, and result in a negative interaction. Whatever happens in this interaction can also affect your thoughts, where you may ruminate on something negative. This negative thought cycle can impact your stress hormone levels, and the increase in stress hormones will affect your physiology. 

See how one thing can impact the next?

Holistic health includes an understanding that all aspects of your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being work together to create overall wellness. These factors include a person's environment, sleep habits, diet choices (nutrition), mindset when facing life events or challenges, physical activity levels/exercise routines one partakes in regularly, culture, and relationships.

This may seem overwhelming, but it can actually be encouraging.

When you make a small change in one area of your life, you will see the benefits show up in many different ways.

For example, going for a walk every morning in nature will shift the pace of your day, and improve your overall mood through the release of endorphins. These endorphins will give you more energy, and as a result, you will be more focused during your workday. You leave work feeling proud and accomplished. As a result of simply adding in a morning walk, you’ve had a more productive and positive day.

The real benefit of a holistic approach is that it is inclusive rather than reductionist. It takes into account the individual's unique capabilities and differences. It does not generalize, nor does it try to place people in a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all model.

Holistic health means considering the whole person, rather than trying to reduce a person’s wellness down to one or two things.

So what does that mean for you?

It might be time to take a look at your life and see where there are gaps in care. Maybe it is time for some exercise, more sleep, a meditation class—whatever it takes! 

If you have any questions about how this holistic approach can benefit you, feel free to reach out and connect with me.