The Three Main Components of Overall Health and Wellness

By Erika Kawamura

When we think about improving overall health and wellness or maintaining positive strides for the long haul (kudos to you!), most of us think about the physical aspects such as weight, medical concerns, appearance, or even happiness and positivity. However, that is only a piece of the puzzle. It’s important to ...

remind ourselves that we are also influenced by our thoughts and emotions; after all, these things can move us off-course limiting positive gains in our physical health!
 
Think about the last time you came home after having a bad day and felt mentally exhausted….yeah, I bet the last thing you wanted to do was go for a run and cook a healthy dinner. Instead that chocolate cake or ordering pizza was calling your name. So, the goal for overall wellness is keeping the 3 pillars Physical, Intellectual/Mental, and Emotional in balance.
 
Take a moment to give yourself a check-up on these 3 components. To get you started, here are some examples of things to consider...
 
PHYSICAL

• Medical issues or concerns, lifestyle behaviors that can help or harm your health, immune system (e.g. do you frequently and easily get sick?)
• Energy level
• Flexibility
• Functional movement, fitness, reflexes, coordination
• Strength, muscle
• Endurance

 
INTELLECTUAL/MENTAL

• Mental sharpness
• Positive thinking, gratitude, simple pleasures, appreciation
• Focus, concentration
• Memory
• Knowledge, continuous learning, exploring new interests
• Self-awareness, ongoing personal growth, insight,  and an awareness and understanding of our own thought processes
• Rational, logical thinking (caveat- too much or too little has its downfalls, as does overreacting when you’re intensely geared up with emotions or under-reacting)

 
EMOTIONAL

• Emotional intelligence, awareness of emotions of self and others, interpersonal skills
• Even-keeled, feeling grounded or centered (some find this through spiritual means)
• Validating your emotions and what it’s trying to tell you
• Resilience, rolling with the punches, finding inner strength
• Coping with distressing and other unpleasant emotions instead of pushing them away or trying to avoid them at all costs

 
Be curious with what you find, and learn to listen to your body, whether it’s physical, intellectual/mental, or emotional. To further build on your improving awareness of these 3 components, let Strength for Life’s “Strength for Women, Strength for Life” help you start your journey toward improving your overall wellness!  

Erika Kawamura