Many factors affect individual quality of life. You’ll spend most of your life balancing the various responsibilities, activities, and people that play a role in your everyday, trying to find the right rhythms that will help you get through each day.
When you think of the word “health,” there is probably a specific set of habits that pops into your mind. Maybe that includes going on runs, eating a healthy diet, drinking more water, and having a consistent sleep schedule. Holistic health is a concept that refers to more than just physical health. It includes other wellness areas like mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health.
If your goal is to live a healthier lifestyle, then you need to consider all these aspects of your wellness rather than just the physical. Here are 5 tips for supporting holistic health that you can start today.
1. Fruit Smoothies for Breakfast
When you have a busy day ahead, it can be easy to get a little lackadaisical with your breakfast choices. For example, it is far easier to fill up a bowl of somewhat healthy cereal than it is to prepare a heart-healthy omelet made of egg whites. A fruit smoothie, however, is a nice middle-ground option that doesn’t take too long to prepare, is very nutritious, and tastes delicious.
There are plenty of ingredients that you can include, such as frozen berries, bananas, Greek yogurt, oats, milk, orange juice, and even spinach. If you have the ingredients on hand or in the freezer, you can get a smoothie ready in minutes and take it on the go. This is a great way to start your day with plenty of nutrients.
2. Plant a Garden
Getting in touch with your green thumb is a great exercise for mental health. There have been numerous studies about the mental health benefits of gardening, and the discoveries are fascinating. Planting a garden can reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and provide a sense of accomplishment.
One common cause of mental health struggles is doing the same thing every day and feeling like nothing ever gets done. Watching a garden start from seeds and grow into flourishing colors can be a physical demonstration of your horticultural efforts. Plus, you could toss some vegetables in the garden to support a better diet.
3. Join a Sports League/Club
Sports have a way of bringing people together, both as fans and players. They are also a convenient way to get some exercise. Joining a local sports league or club will help you meet new people, get a workout in, and leverage your competitive nature. While some may dislike the idea of going for a run or hitting the gym, playing a sport adds the competition factor, so exercising is more fun. Sports participation has many health benefits that extend beyond the physical, making it the perfect strategy for supporting holistic health.
Types of sports you could play range from mild workouts to incredibly intense matches, including ping pong, racquetball, pickleball, tennis, basketball, softball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, or soccer. This tip can benefit your mental, physical, and social health.
4. Consider Couples Therapy
If you are in a committed relationship, then couples counseling is a tool that you should take advantage of. Learning how to effectively communicate, overcome arguments, and love each other more actively can benefit any couple, whether they are dating or have been married for 30 years.
Part of holistic health includes developing the most important relationship in your life. Also, don’t assume that therapy is only for struggling couples. The practices you learn during counseling could come in handy years down the road when you face some serious challenges in your relationship.
5. Start a Journal
Writing down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings is a great way to support mental health. It is also a helpful practice if you are a spiritual and/or religious person. You can jot down things that you are learning about your faith or just the memories you made that day.
Simply expressing these thoughts can help you identify and manage your emotions as well. When you encounter a big obstacle in life, it can be beneficial to look back through your journal and see how far you have come and what you are capable of accomplishing.
You Reap What You Sow
Health is like an investing strategy. You figure out where you can get the greatest return, but you won’t receive anything if you are not willing to put forth something upfront. For holistic health, that often means putting forth time and energy into some of these habits. Then, once you have settled into a rhythm, these practices will start improving the various areas of wellness in your life, including mental health, physical fitness, emotional awareness, social acuity, and spiritual development.
The more effort you sow, the more benefits you can reap. Feel free to test out a couple of these ideas one at a time to see if you see some improvements within a few weeks. Then try out another if you have established a pattern with the previous strategy. In a short time, you will have made several significant changes to support holistic health.
