Keys to Wellness in 2022

When it comes to overall wellness, it’s important to consider a biopsychosocial approach.  The biopsychosocial model looks at the interconnection between biology, psychology, and socio-environmental factors of our daily lives. Supported by abundant research findings, our overall wellness is contingent on the intersectionality of our body, mind, and environment. We want to assess, understand, and focus on all three aspects of our lives, how they interact, and how we can improve each factor in order for us to enhance our overall wellness.

Below I will detail five key factors that can influence and be influenced by our biology, psychology, and social life. By understanding and making improvements to these 5 factors, you can significantly enhance your overall wellness:

Overall Wellness

1.      Stress Management

2.      Nutrition

3.      Exercise

4.      Sleep

5.      Behavioral Activation

Stress Management

Stress is one of the most prominent mental health conditions facing us today.  Continued, or chronic, stress can turn into anxiety, which is the most common mental illness in the United States.  Today, we have seen an increase in children between 13 and 18 experiencing anxiety.  It’s important to understand stress and that it’s not always problematic. Stress can be positive or negative.  On one hand, it can help you study for a final exam, but on the other hand it can hinder your sleep.  Stress affects us emotionally, physically, cognitively, and behaviorally. A few techniques to get you started on healthy coping for stress are focusing on what you can control, reaching out to your support system, identifying and challenging negative thoughts, getting at least 7 hours of sleep for adults, exercising, and eating healthy.

Nutrition

Eating healthy not only reduces risks for heart disease, diabetes, and forms of cancer, but also it can significantly help decrease pain and fatigue. Choose whole grains, vegetables, lean protein, and unsaturated fats.  Try to aim for 64 ounces a water a day.  Develop easy habits by setting a water alarm and keeping a water bottle with you. From a scheduling standpoint, try to eat every 3-4 hours, do not skip meals, and eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking.  Find a balance! Making small modifications every day can go a long way.

Activity

Physical activity and exercise improve our physical and mental health.  We may know that it reduces risks for heart conditions, diabetes, and cancer, but it also helps with depression, anxiety, and cognitive concerns.  Study’s also show the improvement of our immune system from physical activity, which will in turn fight off illnesses, infections, and even the common cold.  For healthy exercise, we want to accomplish 150 minutes of moderate exercise in a week.  If this seems unrealistic for your week, try to schedule two days where you get 30 minutes of activity, and work your way up.  Exercise Physiologists suggest moderate exercise can include taking a walk, doing light yardwork, dancing, cycling, and water aerobics. As with eating, small modifications each day can go a long way: take the stairs, take a quick 10-minute walk during lunch time, and stand while talking on the phone. 

Sleep

Research shows that over 35% of adults get less than sufficient sleep during the week (less than 7 hours).  Getting less than seven hours of sleep also poses a higher risk of chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and arthritis.  A pediatric study identified 25% of children under the age of five to have sleep concerns as well.  The lack of priority on sleep can lead to diagnosable conditions such as insomnia. In particular, women have a 40% higher lifetime risk of insomnia than men.  Some realistic solutions include scheduling at least seven hours per day, setting a sleep and wake time to keep the body consistent, and limiting screen time one hour prior to bedtime.  And remember, the bed should be used for sleep and intimacy only. 

Behavioral Activation

Behavioral Activation is when one engages in enjoyable behaviors to improve their emotional state. Scheduling dedicated time and efforts to pleasant activities influences how we behave, feel, and think.  Behavioral activation may seem like a complex concept, but it is pretty simple.  We want to engage in enjoyable activities to increase pleasure, mastery, activity, and our social experiences.   These can range from cooking, listening to music, biking, reading, or a dinner party with friends.  Increased behavioral activation helps reduce stress and depression, provides for better sleep, and will provide for overall purpose in your daily life.  Find one thing you enjoy doing and try to make time for it at least once a week.

Over the next few weeks, I will dive deeper into each of these domains.  We will look at statistics, causes, and real-life skills to help improve each of these critical aspects in our overall well-being. 

Stay tuned for the next blog to read about a comprehensive way to reduce and manage stress.