Holistic health care

Holistic health care suggests one take a wholesome approach towards all aspects of their health. It calls out for attention to be paid to one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being so that one has a deeper experience of wellness. Holistic health care involves various natural, traditional, and eastern modalities of healing and alternative therapies along with the complementary western medicine to be devised in any treatment. Unlike the absolute system of western medicine that merely caters to treat the superficial symptoms of a problem, a more holistic approach to treating a sickness goes to the root cause of it, finally eradicating it forever.

Holistic health care demands a balanced approach to tackle a person’s disease which looks at the discomfort being caused from all angles and perspectives. It asks for a deeper kind of healing to be given to the person so that no scars, imprints, or traumas are left in one’s body, mind, and soul. Hence, it draws on physical, mental, and spiritual solutions to any disease. 

Different forms of therapies and treatments inclusive of a holistic system of healing are: 

• Naturopathy

• Homeopathy

• Acupuncture

• Acupressure

• Aromatherapy

• Ayurvedic medicine

• Hypnotherapy

• Yoga and meditation

• Body massage

• Botanical medicines or Chiropractic

• Reiki healing

• Tai Chi

• Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Reflexology

• Food as medicine

• Sound therapy

• Mindfulness practices

• Psychotherapy

• Colour therapy

• Breath-work etc.

Here are some quick, doable, and simple practices to ensure one’s holistic health care is in place listed health area-wise:

1. Body or Physical health

A lot of people take physical health to be the only meaning of health but it is just one aspect of it. Some key practices that can really benefit our body and make a huge impact on its full nourishment are:

• Getting a good and sound 8 hours of sleep. It allows our body tired from the day to have a state of deep rest and also repair itself well.

• Eating a rich qualitative nutrient-dense diet that is high in plant-based foods and organic/pastured animal products and no synthetic food.

• Maintaining balanced meals that contain sufficient amounts of all; fats, carbohydrates, and proteins at least every 3-4 hours.

• Moving one’s body for at least 30-45 minutes every day. While exercise routines can be different for different people, everyone can benefit from working out a good 30 minutes each day.

• Limiting one’s inorganic, packed, and processed food choices and hydrogenated oils which can be highly inflammatory and can increase the risk of chronic diseases.

• Avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and drugs is a must.

2. Emotional Well-being

While it can often be the most overlooked part of one’s overall health, our emotional health is just as (if not more) important as our bodily or physical health and it is especially true because our emotional health can superbly affect our mental and physical health if it is not prioritized. 

Ways one can support their emotional health:

• Seeking out therapy when one is in need. Therapy is an essential piece of supporting our emotional health which can be fragile at times and must be utilized properly whenever necessary.

• Practicing mindfulness and some wonderful stress reduction habits like cooking, taking a walk in nature, spending time with your dog, etc. that can help anyone better manage life’s daily common stressors. One could also read and watch some good content on releasing and channeling their stored emotions.

• Keeping a journal is an excellently therapeutic way to record one’s thoughts and feelings. Using a journal to record what we are grateful for can help bring positivity into times of difficulty and hardships.

3. Social Health

Research has proven that the happiest people are those on earth who have deep connections with their friends, family, loved ones, and community. This is often why religion also acts as an anchor in bringing people together and is connected with happiness as it can provide people a deep sense of community and support for sure, no matter what faith a person may choose.

Ways that one can support their social health:

• Making time for inter-personal connection. While the internet and technology have allowed us to feel more connected to one another, Science and data show that virtual connection still does not provide us with the same level of comfort, security, and happiness as the in-person connection does. 

• Getting involved in one’s local community whether this is through your Temple, Church, Gurudwara, Mosque, local volunteer organizations, support groups, clubs, or programs at your kid’s school. Participating in their activities and celebrating festivities together is one of the best ways to keep one’s community closer and promote one’s social health and happiness.

• Setting boundaries with people who bring along stress, negative and toxic energy into your life is very important. It is also suggested to quietly walk away with no drama from the relationships and friendships that add no value to your life. 

4. Spiritual well-being

Spiritual wellness is to do with the inner self-work and soul work one should do. It is knowing oneself deeply and who you really are in true sense. It is also the clarity of your heart dawning upon you. It is connecting within to the source of all life, God, creator, life force, or whatever is that you choose to call it.

Ways one can support and strengthen their spiritual health:

• Spending quiet and introspective time in nature

• Spending a few minutes of every day meditating

• A lot of times spirituality and religions coincide and overlap, so sometimes taking the time to practice your faith helps too

• Chanting a God’s name or any mantras constantly. It deepens one’s seeds of meditation

• Elevating one’s consciousness through any selfless serving acts of kindness and helping others 

• Praying often for everyone

• Reading up on some good spiritual publications like Life Positive

5. Mental Health

The last aspect of holistic health care is our mental health, which often overlaps with both our emotional and physical health. One’s mental health not just affects our moods and daily feelings like it occurs in emotional health, mental health is the sum of our cognitive and behavioral functions of the brain. It determines the quality of our actions and daily living.

Ways that one can support their mental health:

• Keeping the mind often busy with mental challenges of coming up with creative solutions to problems, learning new skills, and applying more mental abilities wherever you can.

• Consuming nutrient-populated foods that are high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other important nutrients and minerals that will help to reduce overall inflammation and support the brain’s cognitive function.

• Avoiding anything that may weaken the nervous system or cause a neural fog/blur such as excessive drinking, uncontrolled smoking, and consuming recreational drugs regularly. 

• Taking care of gut health which is directly linked to a healthy mind. 

• Keeping oneself hydrated

• Keeping oneself less conflicted and burdened 

One can use an integrated system of holistic healing methods to solve their problems and keep a strong belief in the fact that our body has the capacity to self-heal itself. 

About the author-

Navni Chawla is a correspondent and content writer with Life Positive. She often used writing as a means to consult her deeper self. The process in itself was calming and healing to her. Her other passions include yoga, poetry, singing, being in front of the camera, and the most adored one being, life itself; leading it from a child’s heart.