Holistic Health: Care for the Mind, Body, & Spirit

What Is Holistic Health?

Holistic health and wellness differs from other treatment approaches in that it is viewed as a lifestyle coupled with a deeper understanding of self.^1,2,3 According to the holistic approach, our “self” is the whole composed of our complex, interconnected parts. When one of these parts is dysfunctional, this will manifest as a 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 domain variations in literature, these domains generally include physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, financial, occupational, and social wellness.¹ The holistic approach emphasizes that attention must be given to each of these parts, but an equal balance does not need to be maintained.²

Why Is Holistic Health & Wellness Important?

Holistic wellness is important because it helps individuals conceptualize illness by looking at all aspects of their lives, helping them implement changes to promote healing and prevention.⁴ Holistic health promotes spiritual and emotional introspection while deterring illness and disease, making it essential in guaranteeing a happy and healthy life. Achieving holistic healing 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. She says, “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.”

How to Implement a Holistic Approach to Health

The most efficient method to implement a holistic lifestyle is through behavioral changes, the development of habits, and the development of self-awareness and self-regulation.²

Below are the key aspects of holistic health:

Holistic Wellness & Physical Health

Physical health pertains to cardiovascular ability, strength, and flexibility, including exercise, diet, and monitoring stress responses within the body.³ This is a foundational aspect of holistic wellness because physical exercise is associated with mood and weight management, blood sugar regulation, improving and maintaining cognitive ability, sleep, sexual health, and longevity.

Physical activity also strengthens muscles and bones and prevents heart disease.⁵ Additionally, one study found that increasing holistic physical literacy among physically inactive adults demonstrated improved self-confidence, self-efficacy, and physically active behavior.⁶

Below are tips for implementing physical wellness into a holistic health approach:⁵

• Add movement to your life: Take the stairs or park further away to get more walking distance.
• Track your progress: A fitness tracker can help with goal setting and motivation.
• Make exercising fun: Make an energizing playlist or engage in activities like sports to increase enjoyment.
• Make physical activity social: We are more likely to be accountable, track our progress, and see physical activity as fun when we have an exercise buddy. Consider making a group challenge with friends or family or joining a class.

Holistic Health & Emotional/Psychological Wellness

Emotional and psychological health generally refers to an adaptive self-concept and beliefs about life, autonomy, good self-esteem, and purpose. Individuals who are psychologically and emotionally healthy can also better cope with and adapt to stress and adversity.⁴

The construct of happiness is subjective, and there is no universal recipe for its achievement. Therefore, psychologically and emotionally healthy individuals are generally happy, and those who are happy live longer.⁴ In a 2017 meta-analytical study, it was found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other psychological approaches effectively decreased medical ailments in children, including chronic pain, diabetes, and epilepsy.⁷ These findings suggest that emotional/psychological health is vital to combating an illness and maintaining holistic wellness.

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,” Stuart adds. “I view perception as beyond thoughts and feelings, as it is the through 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 of the healing process that can simultaneously reset and realign you in an instant.”

Holistic Wellness Intellectual/Cognitive Health

Intellectual and cognitive health is the idea that mental stimulation can contribute to personal and societal improvement.^4,8 Holistic approaches argue that intellectual or cognitive deficits can impede wellness and life balance, impacting the ability to learn and the motivation for implementation.

Realizing personal potential depends on comprehending complex concepts and the creation of purpose.^4,8 Cognitive health also relates to education. Studies have long examined the link between education level and happiness and generally found a correlation between the two. However, after mid-level educational attainment, there are mixed results on whether this continues to further fulfillment.⁴

Holistic Health & Spirituality

Holistic well-being also encompasses spiritual health and the development of purpose and meaning in life. Spirituality has historically been associated with religion. However, while religion is almost always spiritual, spirituality is not always religious.^4,9 Spirituality can be viewed as an awareness of nature, society, the universe, and the unknown.

This awareness directly influences the creation of personal beliefs, values, traditions, and philosophical outlooks.^4,9 The connectedness spirituality offers is another crucial factor in spiritual and holistic health. Connection with others provides support during adversity and illness, helping individuals feel happier and more fulfilled.⁹

Holistic Wellness & Financial, Economic, & Occupational Health

Financial and occupational health is the level of security and control one feels over earning potential, savings, financial goals, employment satisfaction, and job security.

Money does not equal happiness, but a lack of financial and occupational health is linked to increased financial stress, adversity, and multiple forms of illness.^4,10,11 Financial health is essential for holistic wellness because it offers opportunities to grow, problem-solve, and access healthcare. The ability to spend, save, borrow, and plan is related to housing, energy, and food security, directly impacting physical and mental health.¹¹

In holistic approaches, occupational wellness refers to work satisfaction, including unique skills, societal contributions, and the assessment of reward and meaningfulness within a vocation.⁴ Another foundational factor is the concept of work-life balance. Coupled with financial health, occupational wellness and fulfillment are critical components of holistic health. 

Holistic Wellness & Social Health

Social health is connection and support from peers, family, and community. One study determined that social health was a major reinforcement of the material, psychosocial, and political empowerment vital to well-being and equitable health.⁴ Other evidence suggests that the confluence of smaller family sizes, high divorce rates, employment-related geographical changes, and aging populations pose risks of social isolation, impacting general health outcomes.¹² Therefore, holistic health encompasses social wellness, further supporting emotional, mental, and psychological well-being.

Is Holistic Health Effective?

Holistic health approaches are effective when used in the treatment of various conditions. One study suggests the mind-body connection can prevent autoimmune responses due to stress triggers.⁵ Findings showed that individuals who engaged in talk therapy to address stressors improved their ability to heal and fight disease, offering some concrete evidence of the importance of the mind-body connection in maintaining wellness.¹³

Additional research examined the influence of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA) dysregulation on the emergence of both physical and psychiatric ailments.⁵ The findings suggested that HPA disturbance was related to inflammatory responses within the endocrine system, as well as the presence of mental health disorders.⁵ 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.

How Therapy Can Help Develop Holistic Health & Wellness

A holistic therapist can help an individual develop holistic wellness by assessing holistic domains, setting goals, and facilitating 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.^4,11,14

A holistic therapist provides an objective and integrated lens to client problems and proposes complementary approaches to advance awareness and interconnection of self. Holistic and integrative therapy providers should possess training and competencies to provide adequate assessments and treatment.^11,14

Identify your desired focus, needs, and goals when choosing a therapist. Ask your primary care physician for a local referral or search online for a provider with adequate education, experience, and expertise.

Stuart encourages, “When looking to build your health team, it’s important that you find practitioners who 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

You may want to consider which domains of your life are not fulfilled if you feel off balance or in a state of misalignment. Sometimes inflammation, fatigue, anxiety, and depression are more interconnected than we think. Speaking with a holistic therapist can help you identify the root cause of an issue from a holistic perspective and, more importantly, be instrumental in preventing any further problems.