A State of Complete Physical, Mental and Social Well-Being
What is health? For many people it includes a healthy balance diet, regular exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle. Health, according to the World Health Organization, is “a condition of total health, physical well-being combined”. Various definitions have also been used over the years for various purposes.
The definition of good health has to do with the ability of the body to resist diseases and live its life normally. It can also be influenced by the state of the physical environment. A person who is mentally healthy can fight diseases that might attack him or her physically. The absence of physical illnesses does not mean that the person is healthy.
The ability of a person to resist diseases and stay healthy depends on the presence of some mental qualities. Two major components of mental wellness are physical health and spiritual health. Physical health is affected by the presence of healthy bacteria in the colon and gastrointestinal tract. Antibiotics do not cure illness but rather treat the symptoms of the illness. Hence, the person becomes physically healthy but remains ill because of the absence of the underlying illness.
On the other hand, spiritual health is influenced by spirituality. An individual who is spiritually healthy is healthy emotionally and mentally. They do not suffer from diseases as those who are physically ill. They have a general feeling of well being and are unaffected by physical ailments. A good health is a state of total well being and good health in turn is a condition of complete physical well being.
Spiritual wellness is a natural means to attain mental health and to fight off mental health problems. This holistic approach to health means that the emotional and spiritual aspects of an individual combine to make him healthy. It means a combination of a healthy diet, a drug free lifestyle and an active social life. This holistic approach to health problems also prevents the occurrence of serious health problems like obesity, heart problems, arthritis and diabetes.
The absence of a healthy diet, drug free lifestyle and an active social life makes an individual lethargic and inactive. He remains indoors all his life without really doing anything that he likes. A lethargic person does not take part in his surroundings and does not make any efforts to create a good social network or to find ways to attain a state of complete physical, mental well-being. Such an individual only suffers from minor diseases like simple colds and coughs and is rarely prone to more serious diseases like diabetes and cancer.