While traditional medicine and therapy are important, holistic wellness practices can be powerful complementary tools to support our mental health.
Holistic wellness is all about the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit and overall health through natural and wholesome means. From mindfulness meditation and yoga to breathing exercises, there are many ways to find balance and resilience. We’ll look at how they can support our well-being and provide tools for our mental health in addition to traditional care.
What Is a Holistic Approach to Mental Health?
Holistic mental health encompasses the entire person—mind, emotions, body, spirit, and social connections. It’s not solely about addressing individual symptoms, but about recognizing how various aspects of our lives influence our overall well-being.
Let’s break the holistic approach down:
- Mind: Thoughts, beliefs, cognitive processes
- Emotions: Feelings, mood regulation, emotional intelligence
- Body: Nutrition, exercise, sleep patterns
- Spirit: Values, sense of purpose, connection
- Social Life: Relationships, support systems, community involvement
Holistic practitioners look at the whole picture as they step back and see the whole health profile of the patient, considering lifestyle choices, relationships, and environmental factors to understand how they all impact mental health.
It’s all about an individual and their unique problems. For example, when it comes to a holistic approach to ADHD relief, it may include considering one’s nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, unresolved trauma, and routine activities. Or, if one wants to holistically approach their anxiety, they might focus on factors such as sleep patterns, stress management, social connections, and mindfulness practices.
Holistic approaches allow people to start to heal and transform themselves in a wholesome way, and bring balance to all areas of a person’s life instead of focusing on one isolated symptom.
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
Research shows our mental health affects our physical health and vice versa, because when we are stressed or anxious our bodies respond physically.
The problem is that when we’re in a constant fight-or-flight mode, our bodies direct all the energy into keeping us alive. This mode is activated when we’re surrounded by stressors, so the body’s only aim is to survive by dilating the pupils, slowing down reproductive and gastrointestinal systems, raising the heart rate, etc. Functioning in this mode all the time, the body doesn’t have resources to build up the immune system to protect itself or calm down the nervous system to get enough sleep.
The physical health problems caused by stress may include:
- High blood pressure
- Fast heart rate
- Weakened immune system
- Elevated cortisol levels
- Bad sleep quality
Over time, these symptoms may lead to chronic health issues, including those with cardiovascular and immune systems.
Practices that connect the mind-body include:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Deep breathing exercises
These practices not only relax and reduce stress but also have physical benefits, according to numerous studies. They can lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, and decrease cortisol levels. This, in turn, helps to eliminate the health risks posed by a stressful lifestyle. By acknowledging and nourishing this mind-body connection, we not only take a more mindful approach to health but also make this path truly effective.
Holistic Practices for Mental Wellness
Let’s explore four key practices that are scientifically proven to show significant benefits for mental well-being.
Meditation
Meditation is a great tool for quieting the mind and increasing self-awareness. It helps you observe thoughts and emotions without judgment and, by doing so, better manage emotions and reduce stress. Regular meditation can:
- Improve focus
- Reduce anxiety and depression symptoms
- Improve sleep
- Increase emotional resilience
There are various forms of meditation, such as mindfulness, transcendental, loving kindness, etc. There’s no universal approach to this mindful activity, so choose one that resonates with your inner needs and issues. Try various forms of meditation, which can vary from day to day just as your state and mood do. By dedicating 10-15 minutes a day to meditation, you can see significant improvements in your mental well-being.
Yoga
Yoga that actually helps mental health isn’t only about physical postures but combining them with breathing techniques and meditation. This ancient practice has many benefits for mental health, and it:
- Improves mood and emotional regulation.
- Increases body awareness and self-esteem.
- Improves sleep.
- Lowers cortisol levels.
- Helps with depression, anxiety, and stress.
Yoga’s focus on mindfulness and breath control helps you cultivate inner calm and balance. Regular yoga practice, even 2-3 times a week, can cause noticeable improvements in mental clarity and emotional stability. Also, it’s adaptable to all fitness levels, so it’s accessible to everyone!
Nutrition and gut health
The gut-brain connection is key to mental health. A balanced, nutrient-dense diet supports physical and mental wellbeing, so key dietary changes include the following:
- Eat probiotic-rich foods to support gut health.
- Include omega-3 fatty acids for brain function.
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for essential nutrients.
- Limit processed foods and added sugars.
A diet of whole foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats can make a big impact on mood and cognitive function. And drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day supports brain health and mental clarity.
Breathing exercises
Breathing techniques are a simple and powerful way to manage stress and improve mental health. They can:
- Activate the relaxation, or parasympathetic body response.
- Reduce anxiety and panic symptoms.
- Improve focus.
- Increase emotional regulation.
You can explore diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, and alternate nostril breathing anywhere and anytime. 5-10 minutes a day of focused breathing can see significant improvements in stress management and emotional wellbeing. These exercises are especially useful in high-stress situations and will give you an immediate calm by reminding your brain that your physical body isn’t in danger.
Using Tech to Make Holistic Practices a Part of Routine
We have so many tools at our disposal in this digital age to support our wellness journey. Let’s take the HeyWellness app, for example, which has guided meditations, yoga sessions, and breathing exercises so we can easily fit them into our daily lives. You don’t need to think about how to create your holistic routine and what to include, as the app builds personalized daily plans just for you!
Such apps remind us to move, breathe, and take mindful moments throughout the day, and these small steps build up to create beautiful and healthy minds and bodies in the long term.
Virtual reality (VR) also takes us to peaceful environments for immersive meditation experiences, while online communities and forums can connect us with others like us, so we feel part of something bigger.
By using these tools, we can easily slot holistic practices into our daily routines making healthy self-care more achievable in our busy lives.
Conclusion
By adding mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises into our daily rituals, we’re nurturing the mind-body connection for better stress management, emotional regulation, and resilience. With technology, it’s never been easier to fit these in! As we prioritize our mental health, let’s remember true wellness is not about treating one isolated part of our life but by considering mind, body, and spirit as whole, where each part nurtures another.