9 Steps
to Optimal Health and Wellness
9. Look after your emotional health as much as your physical health
Achieving optimal health isn't just about looking good on the outside, it's also about feeling good on the inside. This has been known for thousands of years throughout the Mediterranean and Asia, and the ancient Romans even had a saying for it: mens sana in corpore sana, which literally means "a healthy mind in a healthy body."
Here are
some highly effective ways to bring emotional and spiritual balance to your
life:
Enjoy
good food and the rituals surrounding it
The emotional aspect of food has always been a point to be celebrated in
Mediterranean and Asian cultures. Traditionally meal times have been cherished—and
the enjoyment of the food seen as paramount. In Italy, for example, they use
the term "Mangia!" which means "to eat." But according to
Italian-American food writer Anthony Del Plato it means much more than that;
to Italians Mangia means "eat and enjoy this food, relish all food, taste
as much as you can, eat up life, eat and be well!"
This same fundamental philosophy is shared throughout the Mediterranean region and equally so in Asia, where enjoyment of food has always been regarded as a deep-rooted part of the emotions and meal times are considered a blissful ritual.
Have
a more relaxed and optimistic attitude towards life
Enjoying lots of delicious food throughout the day is great for improving your
emotional wellbeing; but there's a lot more to life than just meal times. So,
how do you go about looking after your emotional wellbeing at other times of
the day?
Again, we can learn a great deal from the traditional cultures of the Mediterranean and Asia. A common trait throughout these cultures is that people generally have a more relaxed and laid-back attitude towards life. Simple celebrations of daily life are also common. And there's a general acceptance that life is fleeting and that time, as well as loved ones and friends, are precious commodities that can't be taken for granted.
Pursue
your passions
Another highly effective way to bring emotional balance to your life is
by pursuing the things in life you feel truly passionate about.
It's easy in life to sometimes feel like you're adrift on a huge ocean with no compass; but having a passion helps give you direction and brings more meaning to your life.
To identify what your true passions are in life, simply follow your heart and really explore what fulfills and excites you. You might have a passion for writing, cooking, decorating, animals, computers, helping others, sport, mathematics, teaching, crafts, music or art. Whatever your passions are, be proactive and pursue them with vigor.
Set aside
time each day to recharge your batteries
Just as you need to sleep each day to be physically recharged, you also
need time each day to de-stress, and recharge your emotional and spiritual energy.
For centuries Mediterranean and Asian peoples have made a point of setting aside special time to relax and rejuvenate their minds and bodies: the afternoon siesta in Italy, Spain and Greece, and meditation, yoga and Tai Chi in Asia are some good examples. But emotional relaxation can also be as simple as sitting in the garden admiring the beauty of nature, or relaxing in a hot bubble bath with candles and incense burning.
There are lots of other fun and enjoyable ways to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect with your spirit—check out the 7-day example of MediterrAsian living for more good examples.
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