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The 5 pillars of health
There are 5 pillars of health. Only 5, and yet it is so easy to let 1 or more of them fall out of focus. The 5 pillars are these:
- Eating well
- Sleeping well
- Moving your body
- Dealing with stress in a healthy way
- Meaningful connection
There isn't anybody closer to your truth than you. If you’re not feeling well, chances are that one or more of these pillars need some attention.
Eating well
You will know when you’ve been eating well. You’ll feel healthy and strong. When we go through rough periods in life (either stress at work, or in our personal life, an illness, or trauma), it may be difficult to feel strong and resilient.
The reality is that it’s even more difficult to make good food decisions in these times. Cultivating good habits, will make sticking to better choices easier when you don’t feel like it, or at least bounce back easily if you indulged a little.
The answer is to keep it simple:
- Eat colourful meals made from single-ingredient foods,
- Aim to eat clean 80-90% of the time,
- Plan your treats and enjoy them with all your heart, and
- Consider intermittent fasting to take control of your blood sugar, blood pressure, and neurotransmitter development.
If you struggle with energy fluctuations, ADHD, or anxiety intermittent fasting can be a game changer.
Sleeping well
For adults, not getting quality sleep may not mean much on morning number 1, but by morning number who-cares you're forgetting the words you were going to use, you're putting the car keys in the fridge, and you're battling to remember things from yesterday’s meetings that inform the work needed for today.
Preparing for a good night’s sleep begins when you wake up in the morning. No, this is not a license to stay in your PJs. This means that everything from meditating in the morning, to curbing your caffeine intake after 2PM, to keeping a gratitude journal adds to your ability to sleep well at night.
Easier said than done? Then, just like with eating well, start small. Implement one good habit at a time until you find your balance. If sleep keeps illuding you, even after you tried your best to implement good sleep hygiene, it may be time to consult a sleep specialist.
Moving your body
The heading for this section is intentionally not "exercise". For some of us, this word conjures up images of people in 80s gym gear, sweat bands and mini dumbbells, hopping up and down to very old music… or maybe you follow some CrossFit families online… that’s a lifestyle really.
If the CrossFit lifestyle is what you want to do, join a CrossFit gym. If, on the other hand, you haven’t moved much lately, chances are you forgot what makes your heart sing. Maybe you have boat-loads of pain when you do move the way you love (like hip or knee pain when you run). Whatever the obstacle is, it’s totally worth overcoming.
Moving often and intentionally, helps your body flush toxins from its cells. A body with less toxins is an efficient body and is likely to also have a clear brain. An efficient body with a clear brain can use food for fuel, make happy hormones and the right amount of sex hormones, and can fight off infection without breaking a sweat.
Find the kind of movement that suits your pace and personality. Be it rock climbing, walking, running, cycling, dancing, swimming, organised sports, or group gym programs … find your thing and do it with gusto.
If you experience pain when you move, you may need to visit a biokineticist or physiotherapist first to address the problem. Don’t let this stop you from being healthy and thriving.
Dealing with stress in a healthy way
Knowing how to calm your sympathetic nervous system that does not involve ignoring it, or taking substances to numb it, is an important skill.
Anything from meditation, to connecting with a friend, or enjoying your movement of choice that can help you calm down the stress response in your body is a great idea. Also reading up on some techniques to reframe your situation, or reparent your inner child (if this is what is needed) can help you to consistently handle life stressors.
Identifying situations that consistently cause stress for you and learning how to handle these may need the help of a life coach. Don’t ever be ashamed to reach out for help if the end result will be a more whole You, able to reach your full potential.
Meaningful connection
Connections that enrich your life and provide a safe space to be yourself are truly important. They create a feeling of living a fulfilled life, feeling seen and accepted, and provide a place where you can give love.
We were never meant to be alone or isolated. Studies are being published that prove that isolation and lack of meaning are more detrimental to health than smoking and alcohol.
If you feel isolated, it’s very important to find out how and where you can connect, to regain a sense of belonging. Even before diet, or sleep, or movement, or stress management, make sure you have a healthy place you feel like you belong and can contribute.
In summary
You are not just your arm, or just your head, or even just your heart. You are a whole person with so much to offer. The whole of you deserve to be loved, acknowledged, nourished, well rested, and enriched.
First of all, love yourself. All of you. No conditions or judgement. Just all-out fanboying on yourself where nobody can see. Then, when you go out, that love will spill over onto others and honestly its bewitching.
If you feel that you struggle to find a balance and you have symptoms you can’t explain, feel free to drop us a mail and we can point you in the direction of the closest integrative health practitioner in your area.
