Everyone wants to know the keys to their integral well-being, but we must start by clarifying what aspects should be present in this definition since according to the WHO (World Health Organization) “integral health” is a condition which is associated with a state of deep balance in which the most transcendental areas of the human being must be completely harmonized.
These areas or axes include physical, mental, emotional and social health, and some include the spiritual element to consider that we enjoy integral well-being in our lives. In this way, a series of habits, attitudes and behaviors that benefit each of these axes or areas must be developed to be able to find that harmony and balance so desired and needed; that is why we describe below what we believe are the keys to this integral well-being that we all seek:
Taking care of our body: The basic thing to have a well-being is to have a healthy body, so we must have a balanced diet that provides us with the necessary nutrients for it to function properly.
Sleeping and resting: According to a report by the National Sleep Foundation (2015) “the average hours of sleep of an adult should be eight hours a day”. On the other hand, it is recommended following a relaxation routine before going to bed to favour the necessary conditions to enjoy a comforting sleep, which provides the body with the rest that every human being needs to avoid exhaustion and diseases and have comprehensive well-being.
Drinking more water: The body needs to function properly, so in addition to proper nutrition, it requires proper hydration; for this reason the Mayo Clinic (2018) recommends that “men drink 3 liters a day and women drink 2.2 liters”. This aims to prevent dehydration and the body to function properly, considering that an organism without hydration drains its energy, making you feel tired, fatigue, headaches, etc.
Expressing feelings: To enjoy integral well-being, it’s not enough to have physical health, but also emotional and mental, so it is necessary to express feelings not to suppress emotions that bring inner conflicts, discomfort, suffering, anxiety and depression, which may even affect physical and mental health. Therefore, feelings and emotions must be controlled to act in a balanced manner.
Doing physical exercise: Physical activity is essential to choose to have a state of integral well-being since it not only benefits our physical body, but also helps us to control our emotions and thoughts, so that it favours our mental and emotional health.
Asking for help: When things get complicated and some of the situations in your daily life cannot be handled, it is convenient to ask for help, either a family member, friend, or a therapist who can guide you in relation to how to deal with it and find the state of well-being and satisfaction that is required.
Taking control of our lives: Our integral well-being depends on ourselves, and we must understand that since otherwise we will not be able to handle the emotions, situations and events that happen in our family, work and social environment.
Develop social life: The social aspect is the fourth axis or area of integral well-being, and as such, we must also take care of it and feed it by interacting and communicating with our peers, providing an adequate environment to maintain emotional and mental health which in turn promotes physical health, increasing the level of harmony and balance in our lives.
Learning from mistakes: To achieve balance in life, one must learn from negative experiences and mistakes made since complaining and staying hooked to adverse situations does not help us to grow as people, and moves us away from that state of well-being that we all want.
Looking for a sense of purpose: According to Cohen and Colb (2015) “people who have a sense of purpose in life are less likely to die and have cardiovascular diseases”; so it is essential that we trace a life purpose that injects us vitality and motivation day by day, favoring our physical, emotional and mental health; and with it you can achieve comprehensive well-being.
Laughing often: It has been shown that laughing often activates the segregation of endorphins, which are the body’s natural analgesics that manage to minimize physical pain, in addition to increasing the T cells which are specialized in the immune system, strengthening it to fight and prevent disease. Likewise, it reduces hormones associated with stress, which usually creates anxiety and brings negative biological effects to the body.
Finally, we advise you to use your strengths, change your perspectives, let flow, make plans, plan your goals, distribute your time properly, establish quality social relationships, stay away from toxic people in your life, meditate, say “get out!” to sedentary lifestyle, recreate yourself often, take responsibility for your emotions, and live in the present so that you achieve your state of integral well-being.
ALFA