Holistic wellness is an approach to health that views all aspects of an individual’s life and how they interact with their environment. Holistic wellness purports that all individuals may play a role in their own wellness rather than relying solely on a medical model to treat illness and disease. It involves looking at the health of the mind, body, and spirit as a way to promote wellbeing.
What Is Holistic Wellness?
Holistic wellness differs from other treatment approaches in that it is viewed as a lifestyle coupled with a deeper understanding of self.2,3 According to the holistic approach, our “self” is the whole composed of our complex, interconnected parts. When one of these parts is dysfunctioning, this will manifest as disease or deficit to the whole. Studies suggest that holistic wellness is the most effective method of achieving wellness due to its multi-faceted approach.
While there are slight variations in the number of the domains within literature, generally these domains include physical, emotional/psychological, spiritual, financial, occupational and social wellness.1 The holistic approach emphasizes that attention must be given to each of these domains, but there does not need to be equal balance within the domains.2
Why Is Holistic Wellness Important?
Holistic wellness is important because it helps individuals conceptualize illness by looking at all aspects of their lives and implementing changes to promote healing and prevention.4 Holistic wellness is an essential factor in guaranteeing that someone will live a happy and healthy life by promoting spiritual and emotional introspection while deterring illness and disease. Achieving holistic health is also associated with accountability, self-regulation, and responsible decision-making.1,2,3
Dr. Brooke Stuart, Holistic Doctor, Functional Medicine Practitioner & Founder of Let Go & Grow® International, mentions several of the benefits of a holistic approach: “Holistic wellness can be seen as a journey that allows one to explore all aspects of themselves- including mind, body, heart, relationships, and life as a whole. In this way, people are able to see past the divisions and into the intricate connections that make up their whole being.15
The center of holistic wellness is you. You can begin to gain insights and understanding about certain symptoms to have a more established baseline and quality of life in a functional approach. These holistic approaches support the unique expression of vibrant health for each and every individual, as it looks beyond the absence of disease and into health creation. Holistic wellness can have a big impact in one’s life as tools work to balance systems, bridge gaps, drive function and assist you in healing the whole self.”
The most efficient method to implement a holistic lifestyle is through behavioral changes, development of habits, and developing self-awareness and self-regulation.2 One 2008 study examined the importance of the mind-body connection within the context of preventing autoimmune responses due to stress triggers. The study identified that stress decreases the body’s white blood cell activity, slows down wound healing and lowers the effectiveness of vaccines.5
Individuals who engaged in talk-therapy in order to address stressors and offer coping showed improvement in their ability to heal and fight disease, this offers some concrete evidence in the importance of the mind-body connection in efforts of maintaining wellness.5
An additional study examined the influence of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA) dysregulation on the emergence of both physical and psychiatric ailments.6 The findings suggested that HPA disturbance was related to inflammatory responses within the endocrine system, as well as the presence of mental health disorders.6 Considering the shared molecular function and co-occurrence of ailments, it is theorized that a holistic approach would be most impactful at remedying the issues.
Physical Health
Physical health pertains to cardiovascular ability, strength and flexibility. Factors of physical health include exercise, diet and monitoring stress responses within the body.3 This is a foundational aspect of wellness as physical exercise is associated with mood and weight management, blood sugar regulation, improving and maintaining cognitive ability, sleep, sexual health, longevity in addition to strengthening muscles and bones and preventing heart disease.6
A 2019 study concluded that improving holistic physical literacy among physically inactive adults over 15 weeks demonstrated improvement in the areas of self confidence/self efficacy as well as physically active behavior.7
Another contributing factor in physical health is the idea of monitoring the body’s reaction to stress and seeking medical attention or intervention when necessary. This also encompasses avoiding physically harmful behaviors such as smoking, illicit substance abuse and excessive alcohol consumption.4
Some helpful tips in adding more exercise to your daily routine include:6
- Add movement to your daily life: Take the stairs or park further away to get more walking distance.
- Track your progress: Using a fitness tracker can help with goal setting and motivation.
- Make it fun: Making an energizing playlist, or engaging in activities such as sports can assist in making exercise more preferred.
- Make it social: We are more likely to be accountable when we have a buddy to participate in activities with, this can also help in keeping exercise fun and tracking progress. Consider making a group challenge with friends or family or joining an exercise group or class.
Emotional/Psychological Health
Emotional/psychological health generally refers to an individual’s development of adaptive self concept and beliefs about life. This often refers to a sense of autonomy, good self-esteem, and purpose. Individuals who are psychologically and emotionally healthy also possess an ability to adaptively cope with stress and adversity.4
Stuart mentions the importance of perception as it applies to holistic wellness: “When we shift our perception, we can change our physiology and liberate our power to send new signals to the system to heal. I view perception as beyond thoughts and feelings, as it is the lens in which we can bring to and explore all of the parts that make up our experiences. Perception is 24/7 medicine! Remembering who, what and where you are are three fundamental principles to the healing process that can simultaneously reset and realign you in an instant.
- Who you are: The creator of your reality
- What you are: Wonderful, beautiful, valuable, important
- Where you are: The present moment”
It is important to note that the construct of happiness is subjective, and therefore, there is no universal recipe for its achievement. This being said, those who are psychologically and emotionally healthy are generally happy, and those who are happy live longer.4 In a 2017 meta-analytical study, it was found that cognitive behavioral therapy and other psychological approaches were effective contributing factors in decreasing medical ailments in children, including chronic pain, diabetes and epilepsy.8 These findings suggest that emotional/psychological health is a vital piece to combating an illness.
Emotional/psychological health is best pursued through seeking mental health treatment with a competent and licensed provider.8
Intellectual/Cognitive Health
Intellectual/cognitive health is the idea that the pursuit of intellectual stimulation can contribute to personal and societal improvement.4,9 Intellectual or cognitive deficits can pose a barrier to the achievement of holistic wellness and ultimate life balance. These deficits impact one’s ability to learn which impedes the comprehension of wellness concepts and subsequently the motivation and ability for implementation.
Realization of one’s personal potential is dependent upon comprehension of complex concepts and the creation of purpose.4,9 Intellectual/cognitive health also relates to education. Studies have long examined the link between education level and happiness and generally found that there is a correlation between the two. However, after mid-level educational attainment, there are mixed results whether this continues to further happiness and fulfillment.4
Spiritual Health
Spiritual health signifies the development of purpose and meaning of life. Spirituality has historically been associated with religion, and, while religion is almost always spiritual, spirituality is not always religious.4,10 Spirituality can be viewed as an individual’s awareness of their position in relation to nature, society, the universe, and the unknown.
This awareness directly influences an individual’s creation of personal beliefs, values, traditions, and philosophical outlooks.4,10 Another crucial factor to spiritual health is the sense of connectedness that spirituality offers; individuals who reportedly feel more connected are generally happier and healthier. Feeling connected to others can offer support during times of adversity and illness.10
Financial, Economic, & Occupational Health
Financial and occupational health are defined as the level of security and control that one feels over their earning potential, savings, financial goals, ability to find employment, employment satisfaction, and job security. While it is well known that money doesn’t equal happiness, lack of financial and occupational health is linked to increased stress and adversity which is associated with multiple forms of illness.4,11,12
Occupational wellness also directly refers to an individual’s satisfaction with their work position. This relates to an individual’s unique skills, societal contributions, and the assessment of reward and meaningfulness within their vocation.4
A 2015 study examined factors that contribute to workplace health and designated that some of the psychosocial hazards included organization, inadequate management, heavy workload, lack of control, inappropriate roles, poor workplace relationships, and lack of upward mobility as risk factors for poor occupational health.11,15
Another foundational factor is the concept of work-life balance.4 Financial health is complex in that unemployment or lack of financial security is initially correlated with a lack of well-being. However, this seems to plateau at some point where further financial achievement no longer has a positive relationship with subjective well-being.4 In a study of 50 countries, increased financial inequity was associated with poorer health, but the factors that lead to increased wellness relied on the effectiveness of political and social structure.4
That being said, financial health is a determinant of overall health and wellness by offering the opportunity to grow, problem-solve, and access healthcare. A 2020 study found that financial health is an individual’s capacity to spend, save, borrow and plan. The opportunity for these abilities is related to housing, energy and food security. Findings in this study demonstrated that financial health is a unique form of economic health that directly relates to an individual or family’s physical and mental health.12
Social Health
Social health focuses on the connection and support that one feels with their peers, family, and community. A study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that social health was one of the major underpinnings to the material, psychosocial and political empowerment that is vital to well-being and equitable health.4
Additionally, a 2010 study examined the importance of social relationships on the outcomes of mental health, health behavior, physical health and mortality risk. The results of this study suggested that the confluence of smaller family sizes, high divorce rates, employment-related geographical changes, and aging populations pose a risk for social isolation and therefore a risk to our general health outcomes.13
How a Holistic Therapist Can Help Develop Holistic Wellness
A holistic therapist can help an individual develop holistic wellness through assessment of the holistic domains, set goals related to the outcomes and then facilitate interventions to expand and grow areas of deficit. The theory of holistic therapy suggests that an individual cannot optimally function without nurturing the integrated facets of wellness.4,12,14
A holistic therapist provides an objective and integrated lens to client problems, and proposes complementary and alternative interventions in order to advance awareness and interconnection of self. Holistic and integrative mental health providers should possess the adequate training and competencies to provide the adequate assessments and treatment.12,14
When choosing a therapist, first identify your desired areas of focus and what your needs and goals are. Then, asking your primary care physician for a local referral, or searching a directory may be helpful in ensuring that a provider has adequate education, experience, and expertise.
Building Your Holistic Care Team
Stuart encourages, “When looking to build your health team, it’s important that you find practitioners that align with you and your values. Focus on how you feel when searching for practitioners and dive in if it feels like the next right step for you. Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) has a “find a practitioner” tool, which is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine- created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world! Many practitioners are now working virtually (telehealth) to support clients through difficult times.”
Final Thoughts
If you are feeling off balance or in a state of misalignment, you may want to think about which domains of your life are not fulfilled and how this is impacting you as a whole. Sometimes ailments that we suffer from such as chronic inflammation, fatigue, anxiety, and depression can be more interconnected than we think. Speaking with a holistic provider can be helpful in assessing and identifying the root cause of an issue from a holistic perspective and, more importantly, be instrumental in prevention of any further issues.
