Health Philosophy

I believe overall good health involves many different factors coming from all areas of our lives. This includes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—meaning to be completely healthy, we must be taking care of each of these perspectives. Fortunately for us, all of these characteristics overlap with each other. An example of this is proper nutrition, which is good for our bodies physically, as well as mentally. I believe each one of the factors I have listed are all equally important and necessary to proper health and a balanced lifestyle—a holistic view.

When I think of health in general, I have the main aspects put into layers. The outermost layer of these would be the circumstances of individuals. This includes the knowledge of each, the education given to inform about good general health, and the economic status of the individual. As provided by the laws and regulations of the states and countries in which they live, the public greatly depends on the government for assistance. This includes educational assistance, as well as financial. Without sufficient finances, it is difficult for lower income families to get the proper necessities to be able to live healthy, well balanced lives. People are more likely to take better care of themselves and those around them when they are aware of how to and the consequences that come without doing so. Even with this though, the education given about good nutrition is not always accurate or is misinterpreted, as seen in many advertisements that we often see today, which seem to rather explain how to lose weight quickly than how to live healthy lifestyles.

This closely overlaps with the behavioral aspect of our lives. With knowledge and understanding of proper nutrition, one can be expected to practice appropriate exercising and diet control. Supplying your body with the proper nutrients is essential to having good mental health. We, in general, are taught from a very young age to eat vegetables and drink plenty of water, as well as to get a good night’s sleep. This is also related to mental health. In addition to providing our minds with the proper nutrients and ensuring our bodies are physically healthy, we get a sense of accomplishment and a good sense of self-esteem, and essentially furthering positive mental health and achieving proper emotional health. Emotions are brought up biologically through hormones. Without properly balanced hormones, our emotions stir up more than are intended to, and can cause a downturn of events. Emotional balance is just as important as all of the previously discussed factors, and can possibly hit even harder and faster when not taken care of properly. Another factor is spirituality. Spiritually, again, ties directly to mental, emotional, and physical health. I personally think of spirituality as important because of the responsibility I have because of the life I have been given. Because God gave me this body, I want to nourish it to the best of my ability, take care of my mental health to the fullest I can, and remember that He can defeat all of my emotional battles for me.

The problems we currently see in healthcare are relatively small in comparison to what has been discovered to date. I believe the greatest help we can be in dealing with healthcare is to educate and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. A downfall in one of these areas can lead to a downfall in any other area and can eventually lead to an overall unhealthy person—mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. On the flip side, though, better health in one of these areas can easily lead to the next area, helping us achieve a healthy and balanced life in which we are intended to live.