The Healthiest Women In America Have 7 Core Behaviors In Common
How to start taking care of yourself.
max-kegfire | Canva The ultimate women's wellness plan starts from within. Having a health and wellness plan reduces the stress in your life and helps you live longer. So, it's important to invest in yourself.
Your mind and body will give you warning signs, but too often when you're stressed out, you tend to ignore them. When you do this, you're ignoring the ultimate wellness inside you.
You shouldn't feel like you have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. And you shouldn't be around people who make you feel that way. You need to start to take responsibility for your wellness today, starting with preventive care.
This means getting screening tests for early detection of disease. Women are living longer these days, according to the World Health Organization. On average, women live to the age of 81.
When you take responsibility for your wellness, you're adding years to your life. This means you'll be around longer for your family, which is what you want the most. My mom was 82 when she passed away.
Believe me, I would love it if she were still around today. I know that nobody lives forever, but when you have an effective wellness plan, you will live a longer, happier life.
And you'll enjoy your time with your family and friends much more. A wellness plan doesn't have to be complicated. There is more to wellness than taking care of your physical and mental well-being, but these are important steps. Remember, small steps lead to big steps.
The healthiest women in America have 7 core behaviors in common
1. Emotional wellness
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Also known as mental wellness, the first step is being able to identify how you're feeling and why. Do these feelings come from an internal or external force? It also means being able to accept yourself — and your feelings — with healthy coping strategies.
Rather than smoking a few cigarettes to help you calm down, try going for a walk in the sunshine. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of social stigma around conversations about emotional and mental wellness, especially in the workforce. It's important to be in a workplace where you feel safe about sharing how you feel.
Ask yourself if your workplace supports emotional well-being. Do they offer mental health days and stress-management programs? Do they promote mental health services available in your community? How about providing mindfulness training?
2. Spiritual wellness
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Studies have found that spirituality goes hand in hand with emotional wellness. Spiritual wellness is about aligning your values with your actions. This makes you feel fulfilled in life and creates peace and harmony.
When your spiritual wellness is in check, you have a guiding set of beliefs, values, and principles that give your life purpose and direction. Make sure you have a plan.
Go to yoga, and meditation, and make sure there is a quiet space in your office you can go to get away from work. Find time to volunteer. Studies have found that giving back is good for your mental health.
Spiritual wellness is significantly essential for overall well-being. A 2023 study showed positive correlations between spiritual practices and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, improved coping mechanisms, increased life satisfaction, and a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life. A strong spiritual connection can improve mental health and adversity resilience.
3. Social wellness
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This means being able to relate and connect with people at work, home, and in your neighborhood. Work on building and maintaining positive relationships that add meaning and value to your life.
Start today by taking the initiative for a social wellness plan. Have meaningful conversations.
Connect with people you feel aligned with. This will help make friendships and relationships meaningful. You can do this at work, at home, or virtually.
4. Physical wellness
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This means taking care of your body, so your body can function optimally. Physical wellness has various components, like nutrition and movement. This doesn't mean extreme exercise.
You need to be able to get through your day without feeling physically or emotionally fatigued. This also means avoiding destructive habits, such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and sedentary behavior. Go for a walk or a bike ride, organize a fitness challenge, take 15-minute activity breaks during the day, use the stairs, and get enough sleep.
Physical wellness, particularly regular exercise, is significantly essential for mental health, contributing to improved mood, reduced stress, enhanced cognitive function, increased self-esteem, and a decreased risk of developing mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. A 2024 study explained that maintaining a physically active lifestyle can positively impact various aspects of psychological well-being.
5. Occupational wellness
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This means feeling fulfilled with your work and your chosen career path. You shouldn't have to sacrifice work-life balance to feel fulfilled with your work. Stress is the number one killer, and work creates a lot of this.
You must work at a company that promotes occupational wellness, such as regular health risk assessments and promoting preventive health. Working in a smoke-free office, a flexible work schedule, and being involved in making decisions for the company are all factors in wellness.
6. Intellectual wellness
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This means opening your mind up to new ideas and experiences that will benefit your personal and professional lives. When you're intellectually well, you'll have a desire to learn and apply new concepts.
Make sure to take advantage of the resources available to you to expand your knowledge. This can be developed by taking classes, cultural involvement, and hobbies. You can also host a book club, which will help your mind and make you feel better.
Actively engaging your mind through learning, critical thinking, and exposure to new ideas can positively impact mental health, cognitive function, and overall well-being, potentially reducing the risk of cognitive decline, especially in later life. An article published by Harvard University Health Services explained that it contributes to improved problem-solving skills, adaptability, and personal fulfillment. Individuals with a strong intellectual foundation are often better equipped to adapt to new situations, learn from challenges, and bounce back from setbacks.
7. Environmental wellness
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This means being aware of your immediate surroundings, nature, and environment. You want to protect yourself and others from environmental hazards. It's important to think about the land, air, and water, as well as how to protect it.
Make sure you have plenty of natural light. You can also have plants at home and in the workplace. Make sure you are drinking filtered water and that air filters are cleaned regularly.
Start by picking one area of wellness to improve the quality of your life today. Develop a weekly plan. You can put it on your calendar. Start with small steps. If you like, you can find an accountability partner who will help keep you on track.
Lianne Avila is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a practice in San Mateo, CA. Her work has been featured in Psych Central, BRIDES, and Prevention.