We are a spirit being, we live in a temporal body, and we have a soul. Most of us have discovered what happens when any of these aspects of our well-being are out of balance. So, what then, are the keys to wellness that we should focus on?
Here at Wholeness Haven, that’s our primary objective. We believe that God desires for us to be whole in our bodies, our souls, and our spirit. We were made to function in perfect unity. Without that, one area or another in our lives will suffer the consequences.
In this collaborative post, we will focus on the 5 keys to wellness. Ready? Let’s dive right in!
5 Easy Keys to Wellness In Your Life #wellness #healthyliving #health #naturalliving
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Clean & Natural Living
In short, natural living means living in harmony with the planet and our natural environment. It is also the process of reducing your impact on the planet and eradicating harmful toxins from your life.
More than this, we believe that everything God created is good. We believe that natural remedies are the best kind and have seen the evidence of this in our lives time and time again.
In fact, so many diseases can be prevented in the first place when we care for our bodies in the way they need.
We genuinely believe that our bodies are much like bank accounts. Healthy foods make healthy deposits that we can withdraw energy, vitality, and well-being from.
Now, don’t get me wrong! We still believe in enjoying treats sometimes too!
The problem develops when we make a lifestyle out of poor choices and our health bank account becomes bankrupt. We can only drive our bodies so far into the ‘red zone’ without major complications.
In our home, we LOVE essential oils and have watched our health improve dramatically since we began using them topically, internally, and through aromatherapy.
If you’d like to learn more, here are our most loved essential oils and our favorite resource book.
If natural living interests you, you might also enjoy these posts from us:
- Stewards of the Earth: How Adopting A Zero-Waste Lifestyle Can Help the Environment
- 8 Great Ideas for How To Make Your Home Smell Good Naturally
- How To Get Rid of Back Pain Naturally with Essential Healing Helpers
- 9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Mood Naturally
- Our Top 2 Best of the Best Natural Home Cleaning Products + DIY recipes
Take time for reflection
Reflection can take many forms. You might reflect while you’re reading the Bible, running errands, exercising, meditating, journaling, or soaking in the bath on a Sunday evening. Reflection is an important part of the keys to wellness in our lives.
A good way to reflect in a controlled and constructive way is to use a journal. At first this might sound off-putting if you don’t enjoy writing. It doesn’t have to be something you dread.
You can just take regular, random notes of thoughts in a notebook or app and look for the patterns in your life. By doing this, we can easily identify and process areas of strengths and weaknesses.
If you like having a journal in your hands, consider a gratitude journal to help you reflect on all the blessings in your life. For anxious or insecure thoughts, this method of reflection is particularly helpful.
For me personally, when I am feeling the most down about myself or my life, I like to pull away from all the noise and distractions of this world for a bit to simply get quiet and just be still.
Then, I sit with the Lord in the coziest spot I can find and ask Him to pour out of His love and remind me who I am. His tangible presence and peace are the best way of reflecting for me, and my #1 key to total wellness.
Related Reading: 10 Ideas to Help You Love Your Life A Whole Lot More In 2021
Your mental health matters
There is still a stigma around mental health, even though today it is talked about more openly than ever before.
But in reality, everyone experiences issues with their mental health from time to time, or at one time in their life. It is not a weakness and not something to be ashamed of.
Millions of people daily are affected by anxiety and depression alone. It has personally rocked both my family and my husband’s family. Even in our own lives, we too have suffered.
To alleviate the symptoms in the short term, try prayer, nature walks, exercise, and paying attention to your emotional life.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to others when needed. A trustworthy friend is a healing balm to a hurting soul!
Thankfully, there are so many resources to help! Take a look at our mental health page for more information.
Your body is a blessing
If we really stop & think about everything our bodies are capable of, it’s truly amazing, right?
That’s why being a blessing to our bodies through proper physical care is one of the main keys to wellness.
In the opening, we spoke about how inter-connected each part of our beings are. Physical health is directly related to mental and spiritual health, too.
When you don’t look after your physical health through regular exercise and rest, you might start to experience a deterioration in your mental health too.
This leads to a whole host of other problems in our relationships, our work, and our lives in general.
On the flip side of that coin, improving your physical health can raise your mental health and your spiritual well-being.
One activity that a lot of people enjoy is Tai Chi, available at taichiforhealthinstitute.org. Tai Chi is best performed in the morning when the atmosphere is quiet and peaceful.
If Tai Chi isn’t compatible with your faith, you might consider trying SlowFlo which incorporates the flowing movements and peacefulness of Tai Chi with a different focus.
Here’s a demonstration:
Don’t neglect your spiritual health
To me, spiritual health embodies different meanings because each of us experience ‘spirituality’ in different ways.
As a woman who has a personal relationship with Jesus (and not religion!), I find musical praise and worship to be one of the most fulfilling activities for my personal spiritual health.
Another way that I really connect to God is through nature.
My husband and I both love being outdoors and find it to be a very spiritually connective experience. There is such a peace found in God’s creation. Really, it fills me with awe sometimes!
What makes your heart sing? What activity allows you to feel alive in your spirit? If you are a person of faith – what is your favorite way to worship God?
I love how my friend Terri from Reclaiming HOPE puts it:
Spiritual Wellness is a key dimension of our overall wellness. It’s what helps us feel a sense of connection and find meaning and purpose in our lives. And because we have well-established values and principles, it’s easier to make decisions that benefit our overall wellbeing.
What Is Spiritual Wellness?
Your spiritual health is one of the critical keys to wellness because it does shape everything else about your life.
Are there any ways you could improve your spiritual health today?
— Closing Thoughts —
While this post zoomed in on only 5, here at Wholeness Haven, we believe there are many keys to wellness. One of the most beautiful things about our road to wholeness is that it’s different for each of us.
I can learn from you and you can learn from me. Each of us has a story to tell!
That’s why I love hearing from you in the comments below!
- What keys to wellness speak the most to you?
- Are you working on any particular area of your life right now?
- What is your favorite way to celebrate life?
Well my friend, that’s all for now, but I thank you for reading! I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Thank you also for sharing this post on social media if you enjoyed! I appreciate you so much! ♥
With Love & Gratitude,
Thank you for sharing this, ma’am. ❤ Our all round health matters to God and it should to us. 💯
Amen. I wholeheartedly agree with you, sis! ❤
What a great post Holly! So often, we think of wellness in terms of just our physical health, but it really does encompass so much more. Thanks so much for linking to my post on Spiritual Wellness – I appreciate you! As you said, everything is inter-connected, and all these dimensions of wellness really do impact the others. I find that physical activity (especially if I do it outdoors) has a huge impact on my mental and spiritual wellbeing as well. I hope you’re doing well sweet friend. Sending lots of love and hugs your way!
It was my pleasure to link to your great post, Terri! I love your writing and all of the nuggets of truth you share.
I’m in full agreement with you about outdoor physical activity benefiting mental and spiritual well-being. There is something very healing about being in the open air. God created such a masterpiece that speaks to our very souls.
Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to comment & share. I appreciate you!
You are so right, Holly. We are spirits in a physical body, despite what many say. Mental health stigmas still do exist, but through education, and because of those who speak openly about their struggles, it is becoming less of an issue. There are so many who suffer needlessly in silence, Some medicate via unhealthy vices. Get help! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I love what you said, Mark! Those are very wise words indeed. It blesses me to see so many brave folks being willing to open up and share their truth. People need to know they’re not alone and that there is help available; especially caring people who are willing to listen and be kind.
Thank you once again for your amazing comment and for being such a support. You’re the best!
Thanks, Holly, right back at you. 🙂
What an amazing post! I never thought about doing Tai Chi, but I’m saving that link because I really want to give it a try.
All of your points are excellent. I think taking care of your metal health is super important. If you’re feeling down you don’t feel like getting up and moving around, which makes you feel even more depressed. What a vicious cycle that can be.
Both my daughter and I have been feeling really anxious lately about moving to a new area. When she saw her doctor a few weeks ago, we talked about her anxiety. Her doctor told her to start a journal and write or draw her feelings when she’s feeling anxious. Then look up a Bible verse about anxiety and write it at the bottom of the page and say a little prayer about it. I just loved that idea!
Pinned and shared!! Hugs and love my friend!
Tai Chi is interesting, isn’t it? Some Christians (and other faiths) believe that it isn’t an acceptable practice because of the ‘energy’ referred to. That’s kind of why I provided the video to the lady who created SloFlo, a faith based alternative. The flowing, calm movements definitely help us release anxiety. Plus, it’s very low-impact which is great for the body! If you try it, I hope you love it!
What you said about depressed moods being a vicious circle because we don’t want to be active and the more we sit around, the more depressed we become, is so very true! I think it’s one of the most dangerous aspects of depression. It creates other issues to go along with it!
Aw! I am so sorry that you and your daughter are anxious about the move. It’s understandable! Changes like that always bring up that feeling of uncertainty in us. I genuinely believe you are going to LOVE the community. It is honestly, hands down, one of the kindest, most loving group of people I’ve ever met in my whole life. In fact, they were rated one of the most giving cities in America. (Some said even #1). Truly, they’re amazing!
And I LOVE what your daughter’s doctor said about journaling and choosing a Scripture relating to anxiety. Wow, now that is a great doctor! I am grateful y’all have that one. It is a beautiful way to bring God into our emotions so that He can calm and heal all that’s wrong.
You are such a blessing, Michelle. Thank you again for your incredible support and friendship. I appreciate you!
Another fantastic collab here! It’s always great to get new ideas or reminders to look after our wellness as best we can. Tai Chi is an interesting one – yoga is so often mentioned (and for good reason as it can be very beneficial) but I’d actually be quite curious about trying Tai Chi myself! xx
Hey Caz! Tai Chi is pretty intriguing, isn’t it? There are a lot of similarities between the benefits of yoga and Tai Chi. Both are low impact, relaxing, and yet challenging too. If you try it, I’d love to hear what you think?
Thank you my friend for your support and kind words. You have been such a blessing and an encouragement to me. I hope you know how much I appreciate you! ♥
Another awesome post, Holly! Thank you for this! Definitely very worthy things for us to prioritise in order to have wellbeing in all areas of our lives.
Thinking of you lots, and trusting that you are keeping well.
Sending love and hugs across the miles <3
Aw! Sweet Meg, thank you for your love & kindness. I can’t tell you how much your friendship, comments, love and hugs across the miles mean to me! I am sending much more love and bear hugs right back to you! ♥ Love you my friend. I pray you & your family are keeping well?
I enjoyed reading your post, Holly! I probably try to follow all the things you mentioned and find it helpful to better the mood. Reflecting and writing seem to help me sort out my thoughts. I try to limit my sugar intake. And though I have never done Tai Chi, I do see people practicing it in the park while I walk in nature. I hope you are having a good day!
Dearest Svet, so good to hear from you! I love what you said about reflecting and writing helping you to sort through thoughts and emotions. Isn’t it amazing how much we learn about ourselves and others when we take the time to do this simple thing?
I’m grateful you enjoyed reading, my friend. I always love hearing your thoughts as you always have such wisdom to share. ♥ Sending love across the miles in hopes that you & your family are well!
One model for health learned when training to be a teacher here in New Zealand is Te Whare Tapa Wha (https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/maori-health/maori-health-models/maori-health-models-te-whare-tapa-wha). I love the way you’ve highlighted the fact that letting one area of our wellbeing slip can have effects on others, just as lifting ourselves in one can lift others too. This model suggests four cornerstones that we need to be aware of: physical health, mental health, spiritual health, and family/social health. Having this in mind, and asking the question “What might be lacking, what do I need?” has often helped me when I notice I’m feeling different to how I might usually feel.
Thank you for sharing another really insightful post, with many good reminders to look after ourselves and our friends and family. ❤
Hamish, I LOVE your comments. You have no idea how much of a blessing you are. Your insights are always fascinating. The link you shared is wonderful. I agree wholeheartedly with you about asking ourselves the deeper questions to really understand why we feel the way we feel. Sometimes only a small adjustment is needed to feel the balance again.
Your comments always lift my spirit. You’re a blessing, full of sunshine and goodness. Thank you for being you, Hamish. I pray you & yours are well and blessed! ♥
Great read! I generally adore balance in all aspects in my life and I think thats what has been working best for me! Thank you for sharing, Holly xx
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Hi Lynn. Thank you for stopping in & sharing your thoughts! I agree with you – each aspect of our lives matters and when one suffers, the rest do too. ♥
Remembering all things we are blessed with in life is so very important. It’s so easy to get sidetracked by all the craziness going on in the world… but it is possible and essential!
Such a lovely blog you have… so inspiring and filled with helpful information.
You were blessed with great gift and ability!
JoAnn! When I read your comment, my eyes nearly teared up and my heart filled with gratitude. I often don’t see myself through very kind eyes so to hear your words deeply touched me. Thank you!
You are absolutely right. It is extremely easy to get sidetracked by craziness and chaos going on around us. Yet peace is the most precious gift we’ve been given. It is truly essential as you said. For me, I couldn’t live without being grounded in the love of God. Being reminded of how special we are and how much value lives inside of us changes everything. I hope you know this day and always that you are truly amazing, full of wisdom, love, compassion, goodness, and favor. You are a true gem and I’m grateful you took the time to share your thoughts. ♥ Sending love to you and yours. Thank you for being you!
Beautiful post Holly!!
I am not doing well on taking care of my physical health this year. I’d been doing great and then got into a project that took my attention and now I don’t leave tome for eating well, exercising, or taking thought to my menus and schedule. It changes THIS weekend! It’s time. I know how great I feel when I’m truly well versus just spiritually healthy.
I love you my friend. Thank you for this reminder!!
Dearest Shell, you know that I love you dearly! And I have nothing but faith in you. I trust that Holy Spirit will show you the small ways to feel better in every sense. It can feel too overwhelming if we try to look at the big picture of change hoped for. Resting in the goodness of God, living in HIS strength instead of our own — that’s how we really find the momentum to make a lasting impact for good. Abba’s love for you is all-consuming and I know that He will guide your steps every single step of the way. ♥
Sending heaps of love and hugs your way!
Hello there! Such a great article about wellness. In such a busy life, it becomes very difficult for anyone to get time for themselves but everyone should pay attention to things naturally, mentally, and spiritually too. By following these they can keep themselves active and happy from the inside for peace. Thanks for sharing and keep writing.
Oh bless your heart! What a beautiful comment you shared! When I read your words, “…and keep writing,” it really touched my heart. I can be hard on myself and wonder if I’m helping anyone. Seeing comments like yours is a true blessing. Thank you!
You’re right – it can become very difficult to prioritize the right things, especially time for rest and peace in our hearts and minds. Yet it is the key to lasting success. 🙂 I sure do appreciate hearing your thoughts and I agree with you completely.
Sending love & gratitude to you. I hope you will return and share more of your insights. ♥
Hi Holly, I so enjoyed this post. You are so right, we need holistic health, an all round approach to physical, mental and spiritual health. I always feel I have God with me, so blessed. In my home, working in the garden, when I’m singing, caring for my b’f’s mom, even out running or walking. I pray the rosary daily for my Mama, Daddy and sister in heaven and ask Our Lady to keep us all safe and healthy. I downloaded the Calm app and I love it. The sleep stories I especially enjoy and the ten minute mediations to start your day in a calm, happy way. We are souls in a human body and we need to look after ourselves and each other on our journeys. God bless Holly, lots of love and sparkles xxx
Sweet Dawn, bless your heart! I love your comments. You have such a sweet spirit. Thank you for sharing your heart with me!
Feeling the presence of God is such an amazing gift, isn’t it? He desires nothing more than our hearts – a genuine relationship with us, His kids. It’s beautiful to walk with Him, talk with Him, and know His heart for us and others. It makes me smile to hear your experiences too!
I am glad you found something that really helps you relax as well. We all need that! I love listening to soaking music and spending time in quiet prayer and meditation. Those moments accomplish more in our lives than all of our running around put together, don’t they? It’s amazing!
Sending so much love to you, my friend. I pray that you and your loved ones are well. God bless you for caring for others so much. I pray the Lord would bless you, keep you, and make His face shine upon you each and every day. Hugs!
Such a joy to read and connect with, Holly! It’s a rainy day here, but it feels absolutely divine. The sound of the rain is soothing and the birds continue their tranquil melody. It’s impossible not to smile. One of my favourite new-found joys is sitting outside with an inspirational audio book ~ an earbud in one ear and listening to nature’s blessings via the other. I am one with the universe. It’s such an embrace of gratitude and healing. Thanks so much for sharing this, as always. Blessings across the miles. xo
Dearest Natalie, thank you so much for your comment! I adore your vivid description of the rain and birds. Wow – just reading that made me feel soothed. I’m so glad you were able to enjoy those still moments. They just so happen to be my favorites too. 🙂
I love your idea of sitting outside with an inspiration book playing in one ear and the glorious sounds of nature in the other. I’ll be trying this soon. It sounds like the perfect way to connect with peace and unwind.
Sending love your way. Thank you for your kindness. ♥
Great post!
Thank you. ♥