Hi Everyone!
Holistic health is an approach to wellness that simultaneously addresses the emotional, physical, mental, social, and spiritual components of health. It's based on the idea that all of these aspects are connected, and that being unwell in one area can affect the others. Below we talk about ways to improve each area to improve your overall wellness and overcome addiction!
😀🙌🏻Emotional Wellness is the ability to successfully handle life's stresses and adapt to change in difficult times. You can improve your emotional wellness by reading something new, this could be a genre of book you've never read before, or a self help book, it is nice to feel connected to other people's stories during this time. Another way to grow your emotional wellness is to journal your thoughts and emotions as there can be a lot of emotions that come up during your time of healing. Write down the good, the bad and the ugly and reflect on your writing weekly. Practice meditation by downloading an app like InsightTimer or Calm, these apps in particular helped me in my journey. In living your everyday life you can practice gratitude, do this by writing down things you are thankful for or express gratitude to those around you even for the simplest things. A way you can do this is by thanking a friend for being there for you during the good and the bad, express love and appreciation to your spouse or family, these words can mean a lot to both parties involved.😀🙌🏻
🙇🌎Intellectual Wellness is the engagement with new ideas and experiences which helps get your brain out of ruts! Traveling is a great way to improve your intellectual wellness by learning about new cultures and yourself, seeing places and things you have never seen before and building self confidence. If you don't have time or the budget for travel then just driving to a new place you've never been before such as a hiking a trail in your city you've been wanting to hike or simply going to a new park with your kids! Playing brain games such as crossword puzzles, words with friends, hosting a game night are all good practices of intellectual wellness. Another way to grow intellectual wellness is to have hard conversations, such as your addiction struggles to a loved one and talking it out (this can be easier said than done). If you are needing someone to talk to that is confidential the QuitK team is always here for you but we also always advocates of finding a good therapist to talk to too. In my personal experience, getting creative has been the most helpful. With this holiday season it can be so fun to make homemade gifts such as canned goods likes pickles and jams, knitting a new blanket, or making a loved one a scrapbook. Even thinking of a new business venture is great use of creativity for intellectual wellness. Creating QuitK was a huge creative outlet for me during a hard time and it was such a fun process from formulating the supplement to designing the logo and labels to building out our website and social media. It got me excited about the future! 🙇🌎
🏓🥊🎾Physical Wellness is state of physical health that allows us to do everyday activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. You can achieve this by making sure you are getting plenty of sleep at night, which is 7-9 hours. During your time of healing minimizing your alcohol and tobacco intake is crucial. Eating a healthy and balanced diet is also extremely important. I personally always feel better after a workout even if I really didn't want to to begin with. The trick is to make it fun and try to do something active every day. Some ideas are joining a new fitness class, a group league such as pickle-ball or softball, bowling is a great way to have fun and stay active. I know a popular one during the winter can be virtual golf, indoor tennis and basketball leagues, the list goes on, but being a part of these leagues also improves our social wellness.🏓🥊🎾
👭💬 Social Wellness is the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships with others. Reach out to people and maintain meaningful connections, such as talking to a coworker you've yet to connect with, a neighbor you've been meaning to say hi to or volunteering. I know a lot of local places are in need of volunteers during the holidays and it is a great way to connect to others. You could also do something fun like starting a bookclub or hosting a game night at your house. On the other end of the spectrum be sure to set boundaries for yourself and not over commit to things you don't want to do. It's also being mindful of people that drain your energy and limit your exposure to them. Surround yourself with people that give you light and support 👭💬
🌙🙏🏻🙇🏻♀️Spiritual Wellness is the belief there is so much more to our lives than the physical and material aspects. Some ways to connect to your own spirituality would be going to church, prayer or taking an hour to yourself to go a yoga class. It can be through meditation, sitting in silence, focusing on your breath and being present in the moment. It can be connecting with the earth through hikes or grounding your feet in the sand as you listen to the waves of the water. This might seem crazy, but I have a medium that helps me connect to my angels for guidance. There are so many different ways and modalities to achieve your spiritual wellness.🌙🙏🏻🙇🏻♀️
