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Riddhi Thakkar

HOLISTIC LIVING - A GUIDE TO NURTURE YOUR ENTIRE BEING

Updated: May 26, 2023

'It's time to get out of the survival mindset, and flow into the energy of wellness.'





Holistic living is a lifestyle which focuses on nurturing the entire being - mind, body and soul. The holistic way of living allows you to look at the big picture - the wholeness of an individual. The focus of holistic living is not limited to only physical or mental health, but includes every aspect of an individual as they are all inter-connected.


The term 'holistic' literally means being whole. It is derived from the Greek concept 'Holism', which is a comprehensive approach in which a man is seen as a unity of body, soul and spirit. According to holistic approach to health, the human organism is not a sum of individual parts, but a complex interdependent and interconnected system of life processes. A holistic lifestyle is the key to a wholesome life.


When we talk about holistic living, there are three elements involved - mind, body and soul. Lets look at each in detail -


Mind





Our mind is the biggest asset we possess, that can make or break the direction of our lives. This powerful tool within us needs to be taken care of on a regular basis. We need to regularly keep a check on our mental health. Ask yourself these questions -


- What are my thoughts like today?

- How am I feeling today?

- Do i feel mentally at peace or anxious?

- What can I do better to improve my state of mind?


These prompts will help you build self-awareness, which is one of the most important aspects of holistic living. A self-aware and mentally happy individual can take actions towards their goals effortlessly. Allow yourself the gift of a happy mind.


Body




Our physical health has always been the most popular part of us to work towards. It includes various aspects of the overall physical wellbeing in terms of health and fitness levels. A healthy body will ensure you have the energetic levels to perform all your tasks and improve your overall wellbeing. Physical fitness includes aspects like exercise, diet and nutrition, sleep patterns, energy levels, metabolism, water intake and the products we use for our external and internal use. To enhance your physical fitness, ask yourself these empowering questions -


- How do I give my body the exercise it needs?

- What are the food items I'm consuming on a regular basis? How are they making me feel?

- What is my water intake like?

- What does my sleep pattern look like?

- What are the products I regularly use for myself and are they positively affecting me?


These prompts will allow you to become more aware of your physical health, and provide you the groundwork to live a physically healthy life.


Soul




Soul is the energy or the essence of who we are and what we are made of. This can be a challenging as well as enriching aspect of holistic living. It is not only restricted to spirituality, but includes the base of your essence - which includes your core values, purpose and understanding of yourself and life in general. When you nourish your soul, you are embodying your truest, most authentic self. This requires you to go deeper within yourself and take care of your inner world. This not only improves your relationship with yourself, but also largely improves the relationship with others in your life. What are the questions you can ask yourself to become more spiritually connected within?


- What are my core values?

- What fuels and drives me?

- What am I truly passionate about?

- What makes me extremely happy and filled with joy?

- What do I love about myself?

- What are my deepest desires and goals?

- What is the best version of myself like?

- What are my fears and insecurities? How can I overcome them?


These prompts will help you understand yourself better on a deeper level, which will improve your relationship with yourself.


BENEFITS OF HOLISTIC LIVING


Holistic living allows you to nurture your entire being, not just a part of it. Some of the benefits of living a holistic life are as follows -


- Enhances a positive approach to life

- Releases all the tension and stress stored in you

- Allows you to become a more self-aware person

- Creates an inner balance that is essential to live a happy life

- Results in better mental and physical health

- Creates a better relationship with yourself and others

- Raises your vibration

- Connects you to your values and life purpose

- Ensures every part of you is nurtured and taken care of

- Creates positive self-image


CREATING HOLISTIC HABITS


Analyse your current situation


The first step in building new habits is to analyse where you currently at in terms of your daily habits. Get honest with yourself and understand the current habits you are embodying. Make a list of all your habits in every aspect of your life - mind, body and soul. Next, go deeper into understanding which habits are empowering and adding value in your life and which are disempowering and need to be replaced.


Focus on each habit deeply


Refer the list of habits and start working on each habit at a time. Making small long-lasting changes is more important than making too many changes together. Analyse the habit you have and introspect as below -


- Where did the habit first form?

- How does it make you feel?

- When does your habit usually kick in?

- Do you feel this habit is impacting you positively or negatively?

- If it is a negative habit, how can you replace that?

- If it is a positive habit, how can you build more on it?


Research and learn


Once you decide the area of your life / habit that you are willing to work towards, start your research. Refer to relevant articles, journals, books and content that will provide you with the information to make changes in your life. Prepare effective strategies based on your research and start applying them in your life on a consistent basis. Habits are tricky to change and requires a-lot of self-discipline. However, with trial and error, you can create effective habits that add value to your life.


Set your intentions


Setting intentions is more powerful than setting goals. Goals focus on the destination, whereas intentions allow us to take inspired and purposeful actions. Intentions are useful in creating a holistic lifestyle instead of achieving a specific goal. Intentions help us live in the present moment and provide us with the direction on how to live each day intentionally.


Integrate sustainable action


Once you set your intention, the next step is to plan out sustainable actions that can be implemented in your daily life. The actions should be such that can be sustained over time, as the aim is to create a lifestyle and make permanent long-lasting changes. Once you make a sustainable change in one aspect of your life, it changes other aspects of your life as well. As you progress on your holistic living journey, you will form new habits and evolve over time. This is the key to growth and evolution.





EFFECTIVE WAYS TO LIVE A HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE


- Indulge in self-care routine on a daily basis

- Cultivate healthy and balanced food habits

- Practice meditation daily

- Practice mindfulness

- Create a positive and sustainable morning routine

- Inculcate the habit of regular exercise

- Adopt a journaling practice

- Practice gratitude for the small things in life

- Remove time for rest and rejuvenation

- Sleep regularly for 8-10 hours a day

- Drink enough water daily

- Switch to natural remedies for your mind, body and soul

- Plan your year, month, week and day effectively

- Make room for activities that connect you to your inner child

- Smile often

- Practice affirmations and visualisation to create positive energy in your mind

- Regularly clean your home and office space

- Connect with nature

- Spend time wisely

- Set goals and track your progress regularly


CLOSING THOUGHTS


Holistic living has no 'one size fits all' approach, as every individual is different and have their unique ways of nurturing their mind-body-soul. We, as sovereign beings, have the ability to choose the kind of life we want to live with the best practices that resonate with us. Choose the approach, mindset and habits that work for you and cultivate them sustainably to live your desired reality.



















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