The 5 Areas of Health

Everyone wants to live a healthy lifestyle. People spend a lot of money on good food and gym passes, manage their weight, and aim to obtain that good bill of health from the doctor's office each year. Of course, as mental health has become more and more okay to talk about, people's desire for good mental health for themselves and their children have also increased. And the doctor's office is more likely to ask you about your mental health now, knowing that it can have an effect on your overall health and well being.

Physical health and mental health. That's all there is, right? Wrong.

In college, I studied to become a recreational therapist. Students in the program aimed to use recreation as a modality to increase people's quality of life, whether that including treating someone's ailment(s) or improving their lives through recreation education and experience(s). We were taught to take a holistic approach to health, which included 5 different areas of health for a healthy and thriving person. Those who are holistically healthy historically report better quality of life than those who were lacking in one or more of these areas of healthy living. Since then, I have seen my health, and the health of my children, in more than just the physical aspect.

Are you ready to learn the 5 areas of health? They are: social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual.

So what does a healthy person really look like?

SOCIAL. They have friends, and connect with people in both small and meaningful ways. They are happy to strike up conversation with others in the grocery store line, smile and say hello to a passer-by, or call or text their friends and family frequently to see how they are doing. They find ways to be involved in and connect with their communities that they are comfortable with, depending on their social style (introvert vs extrovert). They not only have a support group for life, they are part of a support group for others. They make new friends and meet new people, and invite people to do things with them. They also set appropriate boundaries for their relationships, not being easily swayed away from keeping their own standards based on whatever the group or other individual is doing. They are active listeners, good at crucial conversations, and quick to help, forgive, and lift others. They know how to be both a good leader and a good follower.

EMOTIONAL. They are also in tune with their own emotions, and not afraid to feel any of them. They can express their emotions well, and cope with and work through them appropriately. They have emotional intelligence, which means they both know how they are feeling and can chase the "why" AND can sense how others might be feeling based on their actions. When it comes to expressing emotions, they've learned to be a "thermostat" instead of a "thermometer." They might feel empathy, but they know it's okay for them to feel differently from you, and don't let your mood effect theirs too much. If someone gets mad at them, this skill helps them to keep their cool and talk through it and apologize without getting defensive, or to discipline their kid without mirroring or escalating the child's emotion. They also don't hold onto emotions for too long, which also helps them to be quick to forgive others, and themselves, and move forward. They recognize when they are struggling emotionally, and seek out help for dealing with any stuck emotions, either from their peer group or from professionals. (Yes, sometimes even healthy people need therapists.)

PHYSICAL. They are also good at the physical stuff: getting enough sleep, having good hygiene, exercising (without obsessing about it), and eating healthy foods and having a healthy relationship with food. Not only that, but they know how a lack or over-abundance of any of these things effects them, which helps them to know when they might need more or less than of any of them. They listen to their body and its needs, including when they might need some time to recover from an illness or injury. In fact, they are less likely to get as sick or injured as others because they listen so well.

INTELLECTUAL. Their discipline does not stop there, however. They know their intellectual strengths and seek to use them. They find stimulating work, and seek out hobbies that both interest and challenge them appropriately, resulting in lots of "flow" experiences. They are always seeking something new to learn, or some part of their character to strengthen or improve. They have confidence in themselves, but also humility to know when to ask for help - not to make things easier for them, but to actually learn how best to do it next time when their way did not work. And then they remember it. They place feedback from others in a clear perspective, and speak highly of themselves and others. This is because they are able to tackle and overcome any "thought holes" others might find themselves in. They are also not afraid to fail, and enjoy continuing their education and experience. They see most challenges as an opportunity. Overall, they have great mental health. And when their mental health starts to decline, they seek out multiple ways they can improve it, and they do those things. They have great critical thinking skills, and can sift through true and untrue news and media pretty well. They rely on credible resources, and know how to research their own topics and find good answers backed by facts and science. They usually make dedicated students and passionate teachers, especially if they have aimed to develop those skills, though this does not always mean that they got good grades in school (grades only one type of intelligence after all). They also think logically through big decisions, but include their overall feelings in anything final. They also are not afraid to be wrong, as this does not insult their personal intelligence or their overall thoughts about themselves. They know both how to decrease the frequency of negative emotions, like anxiety, and to increase the positive ones, like happiness.

SPIRITUAL. They feel both individuality and a connection to the outer world. They have and keep meaningful traditions, and value life. They may or may not participate in organized religion, but they do have a belief system that grounds them and helps them to make their decisions. They are faithful to their faith, and take care of it, even if that means sometimes making adjustments to their core beliefs because of new knowledge or perspectives. They believe in a higher power or a spiritual connection with others around them, and take time to worship however they feel is appropriate. They express gratitude for the things that they have, including non-tangible things they feel blessed with like their talents or their friendships. They realize that there are things they can and cannot have control over, and avoid feeling punished if hard times come to them or choosing to have a harder time with them than necessary. They trust that in the long run they will be able to obtain what they need to live a successful life and to grow into who they feel they should become. In other words, they trust their journey.

Those are just some examples. Does this person exist? I think so. At least, I think plenty of people aim to be just like this. This is health, after all.

If you are one of them who want to be like this, then stay tuned. I have some ideas on how to help you to figure out where you can improve in theses areas, what resources you may want to watch out for, and how to become the healthiest "you" you have ever been.