Balancing out the personal, social, and corporate lives in today’s fast-paced world is crucial. Juggling with multiple roles in each aspect of their lives tends to leave women overwhelmed. Every woman wants to be successful. And this makes them unconsciously prioritize only external achievements and appearance. Nonetheless, we should not forget that the actual foundation of success is women’s well being and health.
Why Women’s Well Being and Health is Important in today’s World?
Many women have a hard time when it comes to their own health and wellbeing. Juggling with so many responsibilities and roles makes women neglect their own health. Thus many end up sacrificing their own health for the sake of taking care of people around them. Specifically in the 21st century, women’s well being and health has emerged as crucial issue. This issue intersects with various important aspects of society for instance:
- Education
- Social progress
- Economic development
- Global sustainability
Women’s health has always been a concerning topic. Specifically “ Women’s Health Melbourne ” has been a trended topic as the reports have shown that women have poorer health outcomes than men as a result of a survey conducted by women’s clinic Melbourne. This is why recognition and prioritization of women’s well-being is now not only considered an important part of human rights. But it is also recognized as a key factor in developing a prosperous, equitable, and harmonious world.
In this journey of achieving health and well-being, holistic harmony can play an important role.
Let’s explore what holistic harmony is and how it can help women like you and me to live healthy lives!
What is Holistic Harmony?
Holistic harmony involves approaches that can help an individual achieve overall health and wellness. This approach encompasses all the existing dimensions of well-being. While emphasizing how achieving balance in these dimensions can help to lead a fulfilling life. Holistic harmony is the inspirational state in which physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions are in balance. This balance promotes high quality of life as well as resilience when facing challenges.
We can say that holistic harmony is an ongoing venture involving:
- Self-awareness
- Conscious choices
- Healthy mind and body connection
- Commitment towards nurturing all existing aspects of one’s life
How Holistic Harmony can help us Achieve overall Health and Wellbeing?
Dimensions of holistic health are also known as dimensions of wellness, the reasons being obvious. This notion of holistic health emphasizes how our mind, spirit, and body are interconnected and interdependent. This notion further elaborates that health cannot be achieved only by focusing on symptoms. Rather complete focus on the underlying cause is necessary to eliminate the issues from the roots. In order to be fully healthy using holistic harmony, we need to understand all 4 of its dimensions.
Here we will discuss the 4 dimensions of holistic health and how they affect women’s well being.
What are the Dimensions of Holistic Harmony?
Physical Wellbeing:
First comes physical well-being. This dimension focuses mainly on the health and vitality of our body.
Whenever we think about health or well-being, the first thing that comes to our minds is physical health. Physical strength is the foundation of overall health; holding immeasurable significance to leading a prosperous life.
However, a good external appearance and good physical well-being are two different things. Society often places expectations on women to prioritize roles and appearances.
These expectations lead them to focus on external appearance solely rather than holistic health.
The societal pressure to conform to a certain body standard typically leads to body image concerns. This discourages women from engaging in physical activities too.
Staying in the house all day as a stay-at-home mom or juggling responsibilities in corporate jobs while trying to maintain social relations and taking care of people around us, this list goes a long way. And all these responsibilities require physical strength.
How to achieve physical strength? The answer is simple! Physical activities can be a great investment in our health, happiness, and growth.
We all know that physical activities are important for us. However, our bodies are not machines. They require rest too. Thus keeping up with a healthy diet and proper rest helps prevent health issues. Also, it helps achieve personal satisfaction which is certainly necessary for women.
As women, our bodies go through various stages in life, from adolescence to menopause. Each of these stages requires tailored care. Thus, preventive healthcare has a vital role in nurturing our bodies while ensuring optimal function.
Attaining physical well-being will help us to:
- Enhance the quality of life
- Increase energy and productivity
- Enhance the immune system and prevent diseases
- boost self-esteem and positive body image
- Longevity
- Weight management
Mental Wellbeing:
Next is mental well-being because our mind and body are intricately connected. For women, mental health is of profound significance because it shapes our relationships, experiences, and life quality. However, mental well-being goes beyond mere emotional balance. It is more about empowering women to embrace their:
- Inner strength
- Ability to cope with life challenges
- Grow in various roles
However, this is also the most neglected part of our wellbeing. Today, women are 3 times more likely to experience or suffer from mental health issues. Even the rate of self-harm among women has increased drastically since 1993. This negligence typically stems from a combination of personal, societal, and cultural factors. While this may not be universally true, some common reasons can be:
- The Societal expectations impose numerous demands on women. They are expected to juggle multiple roles like professionals, partners, caregivers, etc. Dealing with these makes them neglect their personal needs.
- Even though we live in a progressive world, stigma and shame surrounding mental health still exists. Seeking help and admitting mental issues make them fear being perceived as weak/incapable. Even though womens health centre exists now, women suppress emotional and mental needs rather than get help.Women have this nature of self-sacrificing. Prioritizing other’s needs over ours and believing that “self-care first” is selfish is normal for us.
We all have this fear of burdening others with our problems. This leads to keeping the struggles hidden and neglecting our mental health. The financial constraints, specifically for stay-at-home moms limit their ability to access help from psychologists or even womens health centre. Also, making time for themselves in their busy schedules makes them unable to prioritize themselves.
There are so many reasons and causes but what is the solution? It is simply to prioritize yourself. Prioritizing your emotional and mental health will help with a strong mental foundation.
This will not only help with mental stability but will also help to navigate the ups and downs in life. Good mental health is an invaluable asset that can potentially enhance every aspect of life. When mental health is nurtured and prioritized, it can do wonders for women’s well-being for instance it can:
- Enhance emotional resilience
- Enhance confidence and body image
- Empower decision-making and stress management
- Advocacy and women empowerment
- Resilience in life transition
- Happiness and fulfillment
Intellectual Wellbeing or Emotional Balance:
Emotional well-being entails understanding, processing, and expressing emotions in a healthy manner. Women navigate through diverse roles, responsibilities, and social expectations in their everyday lives. Dealing with so much simultaneously often takes a toll on their emotional well-being.
Also, women deal with this term called “emotional labor” a lot. This means that they have the responsibility of managing and regulating others’ emotions too along with their own. This constant tug between helping others leads to exhaustion and difficulties in their own emotional needs management.
Women are also often discouraged from displaying their emotions like anger or assertiveness. Because displaying such emotions gets them labelled as aggressive or overly emotional
Australia is a multicultural country. In various cultures, emotions are expressed and perceived differently too. These cultural norms discourage open discussions about emotions difficult. This leads to further difficulty in seeking help even though various Australia multicultural organizations for provide women health and family services.
Furthermore, women are considered much more emotional than men; this is possibly due to hormonal differences. Various studies show that certain sex hormones influence how women display their emotions.
To conclude this, we can say that women’s experiences with emotional balance are often influenced by:
- Biological
- Societal
- Personal factors.
The correct way to deal with intellectual health issues and emotional imbalance is to:
- Setting definite and compassionate limits and boundaries
- Promote emotional literacy as well as self-care
- Encourage open conversations about emotions.
Grab opportunities for managing emotional well-being life workshops and seminars
Attending to your needs and learning to put yourself first. It’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes.
Also, as women, it is not only our responsibility to help others with their emotions. We can seek support from our friends, family, and even professionals. Seeking support at the right time can be an important step towards achieving emotional balance. Balancing the art of expressing emotions and regulating their impact on life will enhance life quality.
Spiritual Fulfillment:
The last dimension is spiritual fulfillment. When we say “spiritually”, many people automatically connect it with religiousness.
However, there is more to spirituality than just religion. You may have come around people saying that they are spiritual but not worshipping or following any religion at all. This is because the perception of spirituality is different for different people. Some people don’t link spirituality with religion; rather they link it with finding the meaning, and purpose and connecting beyond world material.
Therefore, the way to find spirituality will be different for people too. It can include practices that can associate you with your supreme spiritual self like:
- Self-reflection
- Praying
- Charity
- Yoga
- Meditation
As women, we are always indulged in so many things. However, detaching yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and focusing on yourself can be great for spiritual well-being too. Spiritual well-being provides this sense of meaning and purpose in life. It can also help you to comprehend your place in the world while guiding to towards actions that align with your values. This will further contribute to a higher sense of purpose.
Furthermore, engaging in spiritual practices of choice helps cultivate inner peace and tranquility. Spiritual practices also foster this sense of interconnectedness with others as well as the universe. This shared connection leads to a deeper and more meaningful relationship.
Empowerment of Women’s Well Being through Holistic Harmony
These are the 4 pillars of holistic health when they are in balance, it can help you feel a sense of empowerment that will ripple in every aspect of your life. These will help you to be equipped to handle challenges, make well-informed decisions, and contribute positively to your family and community. Now the thing to remember is that holistic harmony does not mean perfection. It is all about acknowledging that life is full of ups and downs and being equipped with the right tools for navigating it with grace and resilience. All we need to do is to emphasize the interconnectedness of various aspects of life in order to nurture each one of them, one at a time.
Now, what can we do to achieve holistic harmony? Here is the answer!
Holistic Health Approaches to Achieve Women’s Well-Being:
Staying active: Firstly, staying active is important. Incorporating physical activities and exercises into daily routine. Even walking 30 minutes or more a day can be of great help. Also, there are various different types of activities one can participate in like yoga, and even games, etc choose the one you like and stick to it.
Prioritizing self-care: Self-care should be considered necessary and non-negotiable. Try and allocate time for activities that can help you rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. There can be activities like meditation, journaling, and baths. You can invest time in your hobbies. Doing things you like will help you. Also, take some time for yourself. A little “me time” will help you relax. It will increase your blood flow around your body and slow your heart rate. You will feel more energetic, calmer, and clearer.
Nutrition Awareness: There are foods that should be avoided:
- soft drink
- processed meats
- Fast food
- sweet
Foods that should not be avoided:
- Fruits
- vegetable, specifically greens
- legumes
- Nuts and grains
- Fresh meat and eggs
Knowing what to eat, when to eat, and what to avoid is the key. Also skipping meals, specifically breakfast should be avoided. It slows down the metabolism rate and can cause weight issues.
Practising Mindfulness and Meditation: Stress causes various issues like diabetes, weight gain acne, etc. The solution to stress and anxiety reduction is mindfulness and meditation. Practicing these will help you manage stress better, will increase your ability to relax, enhance enthusiasm, and help with self-esteem issues. Also, it will help make networks.
Healthy Boundaries: Healthy boundaries are said to play transformation roles in women’s well being. Setting boundaries will enable you to navigate challenges, lead empowered and fulfilling lives, and navigate challenges easily. For this you need to ensure to:
- Never compromise your values
- Know and communicate your personal needs and wants with others
- Never over-share or under-share
- Keep yourself flexible yet firm
- Accept when others say no to you and learn to say no to others too
- Set up physical and verbal boundaries accordingly
- Letting go of co-dependency
Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Heavy episodic drinking and drug use should be avoided at all costs. Women should not more than 3-4 drinks in one sitting. Specifically drinking games should be avoided and drinks should be spaced over time alternating with a glass of water.
Social Connections: There are so many clubs, womens centre and seminars, etc. held these days. You are bound to find at least one thing among them that will grab your attention and interest. Also, know who your friends are and who your foes are. Keeping the social circle small and genuine is the key. The social life should be balanced with academic or professional responsibilities.
Develop a Positive Attitude: The people who believe that they can control their own fate are the ones who are more likely to take charge of their future. For this, you can try and:
- Smile and be kind and empathetic to others
- Be happy for the success of people around you
- Practice self-compassion
- Be open to humor
- Get pleasure from simple things in your life
- Interact with positive people and the environment
- Permit you to be appreciated and loved
Be Assertive: striving towards personal empowerment leads to expressing your thoughts, needs, and ideas. For this, you should start practicing by:
- Assessing your style and practicing saying no
- Listen actively to others and be reflective
- Always keep your emotions in check
- Always give your opinions and concerns
- Discover and make effective use of your personal stress relievers
- Seek help whenever required
Spiritual wellbeing: As spirituality holds different meanings for everyone, the spiritual practices will also be different. Nonetheless, you can do many things like:
- joining a church group
- If you follow a religion then research, study, and practice it
- Find a quiet space and spend time there every day.
- Spend time in nature and appreciate small things
- Help others as it will help you too
- Contemplating the meaning of your life
- Live by your values and principles
- Be curious and inquisitive of things around you
- Actively participate in your daily living
Practicing Preventive Healthcare: Preventative healthcare is necessary to detect symptoms early and prevent diseases. For this, you can:
- Be updated with your vaccinations
- Be updated with your vaccinations
- Encourage a healthy lifestyle
- Practice safe drinking habits
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Focus on weight management
- Exercise at least 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes, 3 times a week.
- Beware of lumps, lasting fever, and cough, changes of blood in stool, changes in skin, unexplainable weight loss.
For further information, you can contact the women’s health and family services near you.
Intellectual and Social Health: For this, you can take the following steps:
- Contribute and volunteer in your community
- Share your skill and talent
- Cultivate healthy relationships with people around you
- Be aware of current affairs
- Show respect and appreciation for not only others but yourself too
- Take your academic/professional work very seriously
- Spend some time reading
- Become a life-long learner and set realistic goals
- Keep a journal to track your achievements and gratitude