Holistic living is a style of living where you nurture your mind, body, and spirit as you focus on your wellbeing, inside out. In this approach, it is believed that our mind and body are connected. Therefore, in order to have overall good health, you have to take care of your mental, spiritual, and physical health.
What is A Healthy Holistic Living?
Holistic living is an approach in which the mind, body, and soul are taken care of to maintain a balance from within. It is an awareness mindset to take care of yourself intentionally. The principle of this approach is derived from Aristotle’s wise saying: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This means each of the individual parts when connected they are worth more than when they were separate. The four pillars of holistic wellbeing are – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
A healthy holistic way of living can differ from person to person as there is no one way towards it! Because what works for another might not work for you. The main thing about holistic living is your willingness to live a balanced, healthy life. Also, it is not something you practice once a year in an expensive vacation in Hawaii; it is a consistent and deliberate everyday way of living.
What is A Holistic Lifestyle?
A holistic lifestyle is a way of living. You have a holistic lifestyle when you incorporate healthy habits and certain practices daily in your routine. A lot of people have a misconception that a holistic lifestyle only involves the use of natural remedies and plant-based products for healing. But it is much more than that!
A holistic lifestyle involves self-care, personal growth, healthy habits, and mindfulness. Mindpower is given immense importance in this lifestyle. Therefore, you have to be watchful about the thoughts you think!
The Holistic Approach of Living
A holistic way of living involves including certain factors in your life. These factors are – healthy diet, meditative practices, positive thinking, exercise, mindfulness, and most importantly, observing and nurturing a mind-body connection.
It is a holistic approach where you include a lot of healthy habits in your daily life. These habits can be quite simple such as eating clean, drinking a lot of water, spending time in nature, being grateful, or just replacing your coffee with green tea.
5 Benefits of A Holistic Living
Holistic living has several benefits. Some of these are discussed below.
1. Cultivates a positive mindset
The holistic approach induces positive and healthy thoughts. As a result of maintaining this lifestyle, you become positive-minded. Your mind is always engaged in positive, empowering thoughts and ideas.
2. Releases stress and tension
When you choose to live holistically it’s good for your mental health. As you are taking care of your mind, body, and spirit, you become relaxed. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
3. Increases self-awareness
While living a holistic lifestyle you come closer to your inner essence. You become more aware of your existence and the environment around you.
4. Helps to identify life goals
By choosing to live holistically on a day to day basis your physical and mental health improves. You become more conscious about your life. Your daily healthy choices bring a change in you. Your overall mindset develops so much that you are now clearer about your intentions. You can identify your goals and the means to achieve them.
5. Raises the vibration
We are all energy beings and so emit vibrations. Good thoughts and a healthy lifestyle raise our energy vibrations.
How To Adopt A Holistic Lifestyle
• Create a daily routine
The best way to incorporate a holistic lifestyle is by creating and maintaining a daily routine. Set an intention to practice certain habits on a daily basis. Write it down and paste it on your wall if needed but you must stick to this routine every single day.
• Be consistent
Consistency is the key. Through practice, your daily routine will become an ingrained habit.
• Have an accountability partner
It’s so easy to give up especially when life hits us hard! This is why you should take one or more people into this practice. Involve your partner, a friend, or a family member into this lifestyle. And you don’t have to even meet! You can easily keep track, over the phone, or on the internet.
• Believe
It is a simple one-word expression but it makes all the difference! Until you believe in your wellbeing, nobody can help you have it. Are you interested in a better life or are you committed? If you are interested you will choose the things that are convenient for you.
But if you are committed you will do whatever it takes to have the grand version of life! And this commitment comes from an underlying belief that you deserve to have holistic health and overall wellness.
16 Ways To Live A Holistic Lifestyle
1. Indulge in a daily self-care routine
Choose to live in such a way that you are a priority to yourself. Have a love life with yourself! Listen to your body and treat it with great care and respect. To understand self-care you have to change your way of thinking! We think we love ourselves truly. But do we, really? When you love yourself you don’t dump your body with fast food, or you don’t take a night’s sleep off because you have to complete an important project.
Many people will even argue that in this fast-paced life such sacrifices are unavoidable. But in reality, you don’t have to place yourself with compromises and sacrifices when you lead a disciplined life. In a balanced life you know how to manage time and what your priorities are. When you have a holistic approach to life you learn to balance everything.
2. Incorporate good dietary habits
While adopting a holistic lifestyle diet comes first! Include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily dietary intake. The best way to avoid health problems is by choosing the right food and adding some good habits in your diet. Eat clean, choose organic food fresh from farms.
While buying items from the store check the ingredients. Trans fat can increase your risk of having heart diseases or diabetes. So, you must as well learn to identify harmful ingredients in food products. Drinking green tea is a great practice and it also helps in weight loss.
3. Meditate
Recent researches have proved that meditation has several health benefits. Holistic health comes from a peaceful state of mind. A daily meditative practice quietens your mind.
The ongoing chatter of the mind slows down and you start to feel more relaxed and happy. Release stress and anxiety and be more mindful of your life.
4. Practice mindfulness
To lead a holistic life start practicing self-awareness. Observe your thoughts. Do each and every action consciously. Being mindful is a great way to stay in the present moment. You don’t dwell on the past or drift to the future but you stay in the precise moment of your life!
5. Exercise daily
Regular exercise is good for your physical health. Exercise every day to have a sound body and mind. Your overall health will improve with physical activities. And by physical exercise, we are not suggesting just going to the gym or jogging in the morning. You have to be more physically active throughout the day.
Nowadays most of us have a sedentary lifestyle. In the holistic approach, use the stairs instead of elevators, park at a distance to walk for a while, limit your time on the couch. Simply put, move your body more often.
6. Invest in self-development
You are your precious-most asset, so why not invest in yourself? Buy good books and read, listen to podcasts, attend events, take online classes. Educate yourself, improvise constantly.
While there are several resources available for free (like the article you’re reading now!) for some resources and tools you have to cough up some money. Be willing to spend some money on your personal development.
7. Practice gratitude
Gratitude is a great tool to change your life in a fast way! Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Lady Gaga, and many more absolutely rely on this practice and admit that gratitude has helped them in their success journey. To live our life holistically we must include this approach. Gratitude heals your mind and soul.
8. Journal your thoughts
Maintain a diary where you can write down your thoughts. By doing this you are having a way of releasing your emotions without hurting yourself or others. Before going to sleep jot down whatever comes to your mind in the diary.
The pent up, negative emotions after getting a channel to exit, your mind will become clearer. You will become aware of your thought processes and therefore, can consciously choose better ones!
9. Have a morning routine
A holistic lifestyle brings goodness to the body, mind, and soul. A daily morning routine can help you attain this lifestyle. Every morning after waking up do certain rituals without fail! This is called a morning routine. It can last for 15 minutes or an hour or even more depending on your preference!
Also, the routine can differ from person to person. A morning routine usually consists of healthy daily habits such as meditation, exercise, reading, affirmations, visualization, gratitude, etc. Choose one or all of these but the key is consistency. You must follow these on a day to day basis.
10. Treat your body with natural remedies
A holistic way of living includes the use of natural remedies as much as possible. We use a huge amount of chemicals on a daily basis. Our intention should be to minimize them as much as possible with healthy, natural options.
For instance, use essential oils instead of an antidepressant. Consult a naturopath to get a better idea. Obviously, if you have a chronic disease it’s better to take your medicines along with natural remedies and even consult your doctor before choosing them.
11. Make positive thinking a habit
Positive thinking is a mindset. A positive-minded person seeks favorable outcomes and that is why he gets it in most cases! It isn’t impractical or wishful thinking, rather it is an approach of believing in the best. Your thoughts actually create your world, so it’s better to think in your favor!
When you start consciously choosing positive thoughts and beliefs you bring opportunities, resources, and good people in your life. You stay in a happy mood and your physical and emotional health improves.
12. Create a conducive environment for yourself
You have to create a good environment for yourself. In this environment, you have a lot of space for good books, positive-minded people, self-discipline, healthy foods, and anything and everything needed for your wellbeing.
A holistic lifestyle is that in which you build a conducive environment for health, healing, growth, and happiness.
13. Have proper rest and sleep
We sacrifice our rest and sleep to get further in the ‘rat race’. But if you really want to advance in your life you must not compromise on your health. Deep sleep helps to heal your body.
You need to rest at other times as well to rejuvenate physically, mentally, and emotionally. To maintain holistic health you must give your body 7-8 hours of sleep on a daily basis.
14. Spend time wisely
How do you spend your free time? This is an important question to answer if you want a holistic life. Honestly, have you observed how much time is spent on Netflix, social media, games, and several unnecessary apps? If you are interested in living a holistic lifestyle, you have to spend time wisely.
Holistic living involves lifestyle choices. You have to make decisions in your daily life about small, simple things. On a big picture, these small decisions will matter – a lot! It’s about choosing self-development over cheap entertainment, choosing health over your cravings for junk food.
It is your life and the decisions will be yours. But if you choose a balanced, holistic lifestyle you have to make the decisions in your favor. Choose good health, self-growth, love, healing, and happiness and spend your time on these. Be conscious of how and for what you are spending your time.
15. Have a minimalistic approach
In holistic living, you have to see that you are not wasting anything. Check on your spending habits. Before buying something ask yourself this question, “Do I really need this?” Accumulating excessive things blocks the flow of energy around you.
Give away unused items and recycle energy by reusing things whenever possible. Remember, to have balance in life, you must also have a balance in the way you use things.
16. Smile a lot!
Lots of people nowadays have forgotten how to smile. They are always stressed, anxious and living life like a machine. Ease up, lighten your mood by smiling a lot. When you smile your brain releases a feel-good hormone called endorphins. As a result, you instantly feel better and happier.
Even when you fake a smile, still, this hormone is released to boost you up. So, smile a lot to feel good and stay energetic. This raises your vibration and is good for your mental health.
Closing Thoughts
Holistic living is a modern approach in which people are conscious about their overall wellbeing. In a holistic lifestyle, you take care not only of your body but your mind and soul.
It is a scientific approach to living a happy and healthy life. Through the continuous practice of the ways discussed here, you can easily incorporate this mode of living.
