Health
Health IS
Dictionaries:
- The state of being free from illness or injury.
- A person's mental or physical condition.
- Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- The condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit.
- A condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well.
I use the terms "health" and "wellness" synonymously. Health is the foundation of life. Your physicality and mentality are linked. Health is maintaining proper functioning of, and balance between, the domains of life; spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, occupational, environmental, financial, and cultural. You are more like a garden than a machine, everything around you affects your health. Health is ultimately about eliminating bad habits and maintaining balance in all dimensions of your system while also continually stressing it in controlled ways. Some people bring this to an extreme, that is not me. In my view, health and wellness activities are supposed to enhance your life, not replace it.
Subset Values
Spiritual Health
Working on your connection to existence. Developing meaning & purpose for life.
Physical Health
Diet, Nutrition, Exercise, Fitness (flexibility, endurance, strength, speed, quickness), Sleep.
Mental Health
Emotional Health (knowing how to deal with negative emotions, experiencing positive emotions more and more; peace, tranquility, serenity, etc.), Intellectual Health (challenging your mind continuously)
Social Health
Intimacy, connection, community, charitable work, volunteering.
Occupational Health
Having a job where you are valued and have job security.
Financial Health
Being able to pay your bills, 6 month emergency fund, ability to save money, ability to invest.
Environmental Health
Cleanliness, lack of pollution, positive environment, beauty, etc.
Health is NOT
Health is a matter of degree, so there is no perfect, idealized, “Health” that none of us can ever reach. It is a messy management of many dimensions and requires constant rebalancing strategies to maintain this delicate state of homeostasis. At some points of your life it may be necessary to avoid addressing whole domains so you can focus on others - this is life - just know; this isn’t Health. That being said, here are some things that are not Health:
Disease, imbalance (having one area fostered and others neglected), compulsiveness, drugs, steroids, messing with your body, laziness, high-sugar diets, etc.
Here is the kick; we all know what isn’t healthy but we often choose to engage in those activities regardless. Stop.
Valuing Health
If someone valued health and wellness, it would mean that they prioritize their overall well-being, both physical and mental, and take steps to maintain or improve their health and happiness. This could involve making healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, seeking medical care when needed, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and avoiding harmful substances. Someone who values health and wellness might also prioritize mental health, and take steps to manage stress, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. Valuing health and wellness could also involve making choices that promote overall happiness and satisfaction, such as practicing mindfulness, setting and achieving personal goals, and maintaining positive relationships with others.
Developing Health
We all know what isn’t healthy but most of us consistently do unhealthy things. This is because we haven’t developed the attitude of reverence towards life, consciousness, health, yourself, your body, your mind. The reverence to the point you don’t want to poison yourself. The reverence to honor God, consciousness, and your life. You’re disrespecting life when you do unhealthy things and the remedy is cultivating the joy that comes from doing healthy things and sacrificing to your higher purpose of Health. You can get a deeper mental joy from executing on healthy activities vs. the pleasure of doing unhealthy things.
Health is ultimately eliminating bad habits, maintaining balance in all dimensions of your system, and continually stressing your system in controlled ways. Some people bring this to an extreme, that is not me. In my view, health and wellness are supposed to enhance your life, not replace it.
A state of Health is when you’re no longer sabotaging yourself, you are in alignment, you are holistic. Holistic means all the parts of you are working together, in a synergistic manner, towards some higher ultimate purpose which in this case would be Health.
My Commitment to Health
I commit to the constant pursuit of Health.
I commit to the never ending rebalancing, shifting, and experimenting in my journey to health.
I commit to shift my health activities proportional to my resources and other obligations.
“You are not a machine. you are more like a garden. You need different things on different days. A little sun today, a little less water tomorrow. You have fallow and fruitful seasons. It is not a design flaw. It is wiser than perpetual sameness. What does your garden need today?”
Joy Marie Clarkson
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