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How do I Live a More Holistic Life?
Holistic living means you have balance in all areas of your life, including health, relationships, career, finances and spirituality. Many people are proficient in one or more areas but lack balance between all of them. There are many resources available to help you attain your desired level of balance and have a holistic life. One of the first steps on the path to a holistic life is to look at the current state of each area in order to assess where improvement is needed.
Many people start living a holistic life by looking at their overall state of health, such as nutrition, exercise, wellness and sleep patterns. The ideal holistic design incorporates natural and organic foods, nutritional supplements and vitamins, and it cuts out processed foods and too much caffeine, alcohol or drugs. Some people learn how to find community-supported agriculture or begin their own sustainable gardens when trying to live more holistically. The belief is that when your body is healthy, other areas of your life can become balanced more easily.
Having healthy relationships with loved ones, friends and family members is another key to a holistic life. Humans typically need regular physical contact with others, including intimacy, to be in a balanced state. Emotions also play a big part in holistic healing. People who live a holistic life typically have specific personal and professional goals, a positive outlook on life, take risks and learn from their mistakes, have a sense of humor and have long-term relationships with others.
A career and finances are sometimes overlooked as a main factor in a holistic life, but if they are not in a healthy state, you cannot live a balanced life. When you’re living in balance, your job is fulfilling and/or you have a creative outlet. Money problems can have a lot of stress attached to them, and that can affect overall health and emotional wellness. People who live holistically are open to changes and are not too attached to material possessions, but they manage their finances in order to pay their bills and set money aside for any unexpected emergencies.
Spirituality is another part of living a holistic life. No matter what type of religion or spirituality you associate yourself with, spending time each day to pray or meditate usually is imperative for a balanced life. Many people belong to a spiritual community or group as well. The belief is that your relationship with the spirit will assist you in your physical and material goals, and it will help you maintain a healthy body and mind.
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![Spirituality plays an important part of living a holistic life.]()
By: Andrew LeverSpirituality plays an important part of living a holistic life. -
![Having healthy, intimate relationships with loved ones is key to achieving a holistic life.]()
By: drubig-photoHaving healthy, intimate relationships with loved ones is key to achieving a holistic life. -
![Spending time in meditation is a way to a more balanced and holistic life.]()
By: kovaricekpavelSpending time in meditation is a way to a more balanced and holistic life.
Discussion Comments
@bythewell - A holistic life-style would say that you either need to cut back on work, change whatever you work at, or find a better way to de-stress.
I think of TV (or similar crutches) as being a kind of junk food. It will make you stop feeling hungry but it won't actually nourish you properly, so you won't really feel any better afterwards. It's not something I think you have to cut out altogether, but it definitely shouldn't be the only thing you use to make yourself feel better.
@Ana1234 - The problem that I have with my own time is that I get quite stressed out when I'm working and I need time to de-stress in order to have quality time with my family. Without that time I will feel stressed and won't enjoy myself or be pleasant to be around, and I won't be able to continue working well either.
I sympathize with people who want to blob out in front of the TV because sometimes you just don't have the emotional energy for anything else.
It's up to you to decide what things are important to you for a holistic life. If you want to try an exercise that can help, just write down the top five things that are most important to you. Try to be completely honest about it. Don't put down 'world peace' if what is really important to you is fixing old cars or something like that.
Now write down how you spend your week. What percentage of time do you spend on each activity?
Most people are going to have a huge percentage at work and that's OK, because most people need to work in order to support a lot of the things that are in the "most important" list, like family, or hobbies or whatever.
But if you've got hours spent on Facebook, or watching television when what's important to you is spending time with your children, then you need to look at what needs to get priority in your life.
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