As we journey through life, we encounter a mix of experiences – some good, some bad, and some downright ugly. Sometimes it happens all at once.
How can we navigate through our days and years in a healthy way?
There is a growing cognizance of Holistic Wellness. We are aware that there is a depth of knowledge to be learned and explored regarding this subject matter. We acknowledge the experts and specialists who are helping many people to better their well-being.
In celebration of Women’s Month this August 2024, we share ideas and philosophies to inspire and motivate ourselves to nurture our inner world. In doing so, we can enhance our responsiveness to what the outer world presents to us.
We briefly explore the Five Pillars of Holistic Wellness: namely, Mind, Body, Relationships, Purpose and Spirituality.
1. Mind
The mind is powerful. It entails the thinking, connecting, emotional and psychological dimension.It is an active process to prioritize our mind or mental wellness. We must feed ourselves daily with positive words and thinking. It is like going to gym, only this is Mental Gym.
What you say and believe about yourself determines how you lessen the impact of negative emotions and situations that show up unannounced.
Practical Ways to Build your Mind or Mental Well-Being
- Growth mindset – read and listen to empowering content to learn strategies and knowledge.
- Plan quiet time – set aside a few minutes to 30 minutes a day of solitude to breathe and rest by yourself.
- Cultivate a meditation practice.
- Coach yourself – say powerful and kind words of affirmation. Believe in yourself.
- Listen to your favourite music that makes you smile and feel joyful.
- Get professional help if necessary – engage with a therapist or life coach.
- Daily prayers and gratitude set the tone for an attitude of abundance and overcoming.
“Start listening to the way you talk to yourself. These interactions will tell you how well you know yourself, how much you respect yourself, and what boundaries you are lacking.” — Sara Kuburic
2. Body
We have one body in this lifetime. Caring for it is more than a workout at a fitness studio.
A holistic approach to body wellness is important for health and physical management and can be a preventative measure for future risks.
There are various elements to consider and practice consistently to keep your body at optimum wellness for your lifestyle and longevity.
Pathways to Body Wellness
- Breathe – breathing techniques can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your cardiovascular system and achieve relaxation.
- Nutritional Health – eat wholesome food. Eat what makes you feel good, healthy and energetic. Consume quality and relevant supplements for better health.
- Stay Hydrated – plan to drink 4-8 glasses of water a day. Avoid dehydration.
- Exercise & Stretch – find the right balance of exercises for your body. You should enjoy your workout and it should not feel like a chore. Remember to stretch.
- Sleep – get sufficient sleep to enjoy the health benefits. Invest in a good bed and pillows.
- Take care of your oral health – floss and brush your teeth daily, plus visit the dentist regularly.
- Pay attention to your posture – good posture can help with various pains, including headaches, neck pain and muscle aches. Check your office desk, chair, how you sit and stand and learn about good posture.
- Connect with like-minded people – Hugs and laughter can lift your mood, reduce stress an increase your energy.
- Always listen to your body
“Sufficient sleep, exercise, healthy food, friendship, and peace of mind are necessities, not luxuries.” – Mark Halperin
3. Relationships
No person is an island. Healthy relationships are required for long-life, meaning and holistic wellness.
There is no substitute to experience authentic love, care, belonging and respect. We should have a strong awareness of the health status of our relationships from romantic, to family, friendships and work relationships.
Relationships are potent and can either fill our love tank or break our hearts. Any negative impact can severely cause disruptions to our holistic well-being. On the other hand, healthy positive relationships are treasures that can help us thrive and fill our lives with love.
Some Essentials for Healthy Relationships
- Two- Way Communication – open, honest and real communication on how you feel, what you want and expect are vital building blocks.
- Listening – feeling heard is important in relationships. Give your full attention to conversations. Listening shows respect.
- Disagreements – conflict in relationships is common and accepting our differences and preferences help keep relationships healthy. Disagreements should be spoken and addressed with maturity. If needed, healthy boundaries and actions to be adhered to. Get professional help to deal with disagreements that escalate or enter a dangerous stance.
- Intimacy – have a healthy space for mutual sexual intimacy and connection. Honest, open talks as well as exercising healthy boundaries is needed to feel safe and secure.
- Trust – this is a foundational pillar for relationships to stand and grow on. Trust is earned. There is huge damage to one’s holistic health when trust is broken. Build trust and stay in trust.
“Happily ever after doesn’t simply happen. We make it happen. Good relationships are no accident. They are the work of joy.” Unknown
4. Purpose
Purpose is unique to each individual. Purpose is your personal goal in life and gives you the fuel and passion to show up daily in your life. Purpose involves serving and is bigger than your own personal life circle.
Purpose is our grandiose north star to make our life and world a better place. It helps to create legacy. Our purpose adds meaning to our well-being gives us a sense of accomplishment.
Finding and Knowing your Purpose
- Reflect and Acknowledge – past experiences that were both successful or failures. Allow and accept the feelings attached to experiences. Be bold and brave to re-think and move forward with purpose.
- Seek Out your Passions – contemplate what dreams or activities light up your life. Passion is fire to pursue purpose. You can have a number of passions. Don’t restrict yourself.
- Experiment and Explore – try new projects and interests . Rather try and fail than fail to try. Gain the wisdom from the learnings and lessons.
- Set small but achievable goals – breakdown your plan of action into realistic steps that fit in with your time and resources.
- Look for the intersection – what you love is your passion, what you are good at is your vocation, what the worlds needs is your mission, what you get paid for is your profession. You often find your purpose in this meeting point of passion, vocation, mission and profession.
“When you walk in purpose, you collide with destiny.” – Ralph Buchanan
5. Spirituality
Spiritual wellness is one of the dimensions of holistic wellness. It is linked to finding purpose and meaning in life and involves faith, value and ethics.
Spirituality is connecting to a Divine God and the greatness therein. Maintaining a strong spirituality improves one’s peace and harmony with self and others. The practice of gratitude is powerful.
Spirituality allows us to tap into the essence of our soul. Soul health contributes to our holistic well-being.
A daily spiritual practice helps us slow down and pause to think, reflect and contemplate. It is also an act of faith for our hopes and dreams.
Spiritual Practices to Consider
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Fasting from food, alcohol or negative emotions
- Silence and Solitude
- Prayer
- Community
- Friendships
- Engage in a place of that feeds your spirituality
- Practice a day of rest (Sabbath)
“I understand once again that the greatness of God always reveals itself in the simple things.” – Paulo Coelho
Life is precious with so many possibilities. You are unique in every way with no replacement model. It a gift to yourself to focus on your holistic wellness. It is an everyday job to think, act and believe you are worth taking care of.
We look forward to you stepping into our salon.
You are important to our business, and we cherish our relationship. Our team is at your service for any of your hair and nail treatments or questions.
Ashleigh D Hair Salon is based in Salt Rock, Ballito at Tiffany’s Shopping Centre.
Tele: (032) 525 5227
Email: reception@ashleighd.co.za
With love,
Ashleigh D Hair Team