When you hear the word “health”, chances are the first thing that pops into your head is physical health. While physical health is of course super important, it’s not the only aspect of health that we need to focus on. In addition to the health of our body, we need to consider and take care of the health of our mind and soul.
Thankfully, “health” is becoming a much broader topic and taking a more holistic approach to reflect all aspects of our health. I like to think of it this way: your physical health has to do with your body, your mental health has to do with your mind, and your emotional and spiritual health has to do with your soul. Each area is an important aspect of who we are and has an impact on our quality of life.
If you want to take a more holistic approach to caring for your health, read on for some healthy habits for your mind, body, and soul.
Mind
Check in with your mental health.
This is a helpful habit even if you don’t live with a mental health issue. We all have bad days and struggle with difficult emotions and thoughts. It’s important to check in with your mental health and deal with any difficulties you may be facing. I’ve learned from experience that neglecting your mental health can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations. This healthy habit can take as little as a few minutes but can do so much good for your overall well-being.
Related Post: How to Care for Your Mental Health
Stimulate your brain.
It can be easy to resort to mindless activities like watching TV or scrolling social media. I don’t believe we need to cut these things out of our lives completely, but I do think it’s important to balance it out with activities that stimulate our brains. In order to take care of the health of our minds, it’s essential to engage with the parts of our brains that thrive on intellectual stimulation. Do things that play to your sense of wonder and curiousity, and most importantly, never stop learning. When you make these things more of a habit, the health of your mind will be in great shape.
Practice mindfulness.
Practicing mindfulness is probably one of the most helpful habits for your mental health. Ground yourself in the present moment and pay attention in an intentional way. This will help you connect with your mind, body, and soul in any given moment. Mindfulness will help you combat stress, get a better sleep, and declutter your mind so that you can appreciate the present moment and connect with your sense of gratitude. Basically, mindfulness is a pretty incredible habit to take care of the health of your mind because of its many benefits.
Related Post: A Basic Guide to Mindfulness
Body
Rest your body.
I really believe we need to stop glamorizing the ability to stay awake for long periods of time and neglecting sleep because we’re just “so busy”. We’re all busy, but we’re all human, and we all need to rest, recharge, and re-energize in order to get the most out of life. Resting your body and getting the right amount of sleep for you is essential to your physical health. Give yourself permission to take a break, rest, and actually get a good night’s sleep. When you take on this healthy habit, you’ll experience higher energy levels in the short-term and a healthier body in the long-term.
Practice mindful eating.
In order to keep our body healthy, it’s important to pay attention to the food that we put into it. Bring mindfulness into your eating habits by being mindful of what you eat, how you eat, and the effects that foods have on your body. I know from experience that it’s often just easier to rush through your meals, multitask while you eat, and lose track of what you eat during the day. Mindful eating doesn’t restrict you from eating the more indulgent foods, but this healthy habit will definitely help you regain control of your eating habits and the health of your body.
Related Post: A Beginner’s Guide to Mindful Eating
Move your body.
Exercise can seem daunting to a lot of people, including myself. I have a gym membership and go to exercise classes, but I definitely have days where I just can’t bring myself to workout in a public setting, or even exercise at all. In order to have a healthy body, you have to get your blood pumping in some way, and that doesn’t always mean working out at a gym. Find ways to move your body that you’re comfortable with, whether that be taking breaks to stretch throughout your day, going for a walk, or even having a solo dance party in your room. Moving your body doesn’t have to be a chore; make it fun, accessible, and comfortable for you, and you’ll be more likely to turn it into a habit.
Soul
Feel all of your feelings.
This is probably the healthiest thing you can do for your soul. Certain emotions can be overwhelming, confusing, embarrassing, and difficult to handle. But your soul needs to feel it all in order to heal itself. Be happy when you’re happy, and be angry when you’re angry. Be excited and scared and inspired and anxious. Resist the urge to hide, suppress, or ignore your feelings. Give yourself permission to feel it all. It’s one of the most beautiful privileges we have as humans.
Related Post: 8 Ways to Deal With Difficult Emotions
Journal.
Even if you don’t like to write, journaling is a great thing to do for your soul. It can be an eye-opening experience that triggers epiphanies and realizations you didn’t even know were possible. Take out a journal, or a piece of paper, or even your computer, and just write whatever comes to mind. Journaling is a great outlet for your thoughts, emotions, goals, and dreams. It can also feel very therapeutic and allow you to connect to yourself in meaningful ways. When you turn journaling into a habit, the health of your soul will soar.
Create.
I never realized how important and helpful the habit of creating is until I really started working towards bringing this blog to life. I’ve always been a creative person, but in the past I’ve struggled with figuring out how to make creating more of a habit in a way that is fulfilling to me. I believe we’re all here to make something with the time we have, and we all innately have the desire to create. You don’t have to paint or write or design to create. Creating can be cooking, exercising, or planning. Even the thoughts in your head are a form of creation. Turning creating into a habit has the potential to bring so much inspiration, fulfillment, and meaning to your soul and your life. So whether you think you’re a creative person or not, this healthy habit is worth a try.
Health is holistic, and it’s important to pay attention to all aspects of our health. When we do, our quality of life is bound to improve. So try out these healthy habits, and come up with a few of your own, too. Figure out what works for you so you can take care of your mind, body, and soul in the most meaningful and fulfilling ways for you and your life.
what do you think?