Which Area of Health is the Most Important?

After all this time, I find it difficult to believe we are still not integrating and combining health and wellbeing in a way that substantially contributes to long term health outcomes, a preventative approach and has done very little, if anything, to positively change the needle in any area of our health statistics.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.?

There is no one thing.?

It is a combination of all the colours on the canvas that paints the picture, no one colour can give you the beauty of the bigger picture.?

Areas of Health

Physical health used to be all we spoke of.

Eat less, and move more was the basis of this.

Thankfully this expanded over the years to acknowledge the many aspects of physical health that contribute to overall wellbeing.?

Over the last years mental health has rightfully had a spot in the limelight. A crucial aspect of creating discussion, awareness and acceptance.

The issue is, the way in which we have isolated each area of health places each area in competition with the other instead of understanding they are intricately intertwined and connected, not working without the other and certainly not working in competition.?

I regularly now see posts saying mental health is just as important as physical health, or mental health is more important than physical health.

A misunderstanding to say the least and at best a waste, as one of the pros of this means achieving health and wellbeing is much less consuming than we may think.

The 4 Pillars

There are 4 main pillars to optimal health

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Soulful

Like the foundations of a house, all these pillars must be strong and sound to ensure the structure on top can withstand any event or situation.

If one or more of the pillars is cracking or weak, it places more pressure on all of the other pillars, making the structure they support unable to cope with any real change in conditions.?

Understanding this will take you a long way towards understand the importance of integrating health and how it contributes to achieving optimal health and wellbeing.

Integration

We know how much?

• Gut health impacts mood and mind
• Mind impacts moods and sleep
• Physical activity impacts our thoughts, feelings and energy
• Sleep impacts hunger, moods, cognitive function and fatigue
• A poor working environment impacts stress, anxiety and digestive issues
• Skin conditions impact feelings of anxiety, confidence food choices affecting the skin?
• Stress, poor emotional health and keeping feelings contained leads to more stress, bruxism, headaches, poor food choices and weight gain
• Digestion can either positively or negatively impact immunity, energy, cognitive function and mood.?

You get the gist?

There is not one area of health more important than another.?

ALL health is crucial to you living a quality life with optimal health and wellbeing, because ALL health is intricately intertwined and connected with the other

Workplace Wellbeing

Working in the corporate area many years ago. It was a particularly stressful time in the office and I was really starting to feel the effects.

I decided to take my lunch across the road, take a seat in the gardens and put my feet on grass.?

When I came back to work, one of my colleagues stopped me and said, what have you done, where did you go. You look completely different.?

Your face has changed, you look happy and less stressed.?

Amazing what some time connecting with nature can do.?

Suffice to say, the rest of the afternoon was more productive than the previous week, with many solutions found and tasks finalised.

Have You Ever

Been on a walk, with your intent and sole focus to lose weight, but you end up feeling positive and happy?

Have you stepped away from your routine and had less sleep, only to find you were snappy, grumpy and not making positive food choices, creating not only weight gain but a further slump in energy and mood?

Taken your dog for a walk and watched how you connect with neighbours, felt a purpose as you look after a being more vulnerable than you, release some stored pent up energy and feel your emotions calm and notice as your mind unravels that puzzle at work?

In all of those scenarios you started with one area of health, only to find you positively impacted many.

When You?

• Enjoy a group sporting activity you look after your muscles and skeletal system, your cardiovascular system and more, improving your energy, emotions and feeling of connection in one.
• Participate in volunteering at a local community event, you may feel an increase in purpose and a connection with others, involving both your emotional and mental state at the same time.
• Practice yoga, sweat, stretch, and connect with your body, you also relax your nervous system and may feel less isolated as you chat with others before the class.
• Help someone with their bags at the shops and notice your feelings of contribution skyrocket, your feelings of being valued and needed also rise and your levels of chronic pain may decrease as the endorphins and feel good chemicals rush in.

Of course there are numerous studies now, with one from Web MD stating “The?mortality rate?from cancer and heart disease is higher among people with depression or other mental health conditions.”

and that ”Around 50% to 80% of people with mental health conditions will also have sleeping problems”

Though many look at health and areas of the body as different and separate, with any health challenges to be addressed separately and independently from any other, the very best outcomes are always from a combined and integrative approach.?

Why? ...... Because that's how the body works

ALL health is combined, so a walk, some great food, a relaxing massage, a worthwhile session with a practitioner, a chat with your neighbour while you plant some herbs, a walk to the shops to get a coffee and a chat with your locals, a walk and time with your animal, All contribute to ALL areas of health, not just one.

With this knowledge and understanding, we just might head in the right direction to actually create some real change.

If I had a Penny

For the amount of times I've been asked "What's the thing I need to do to....." , "What was the thing you did that made you better"

I'd be rich like Elon by now.

As no one thing ever creates the results, no one thing ever causes the problems.?

The way to optimal wellbeing is an integrated and combined approach. A multidisciplinary course of action to ensure you have everything you need to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.?

So next time you want to lose weight, have more energy, increase your immune system, decrease blood pressure, have better quality sleep, modify stress levels, decrease chronic pain levels, improve your emotional health, decrease anxiety, improve your mental health and the list goes on....

Make sure you contact either a practitioner who understands this and works with all Pillars of health, or a practitioner who can refer to and works with others to support you in a whole way instead of a sum of some of your parts.

NN.

If you are ready to really improve your health and wellbeing here are 3 ways I can help.

Join us for the Men's Mastery

https://www.nantnissen.com/mens-mindbody-mastery-group-program/

Need to implement a Workplace Wellbeing strategy that works?

https://www.nantnissen.com/workplace-wellbeing-programs/

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