What does it mean to be healthy?

“Healthy” is such a general term. Does healthy mean you’re skinny? Does healthy mean you run marathons? Or does healthy mean you’re cancer free for the last five years? Healthy can be defined in many different ways, and can really depend on your personal point of view and experience.

For me, healthy has a wide scope. It encompasses mental, physical, spiritual and emotional wellness. If my financial life is not in order, my health is incomplete. If my relationships aren’t in good standing, my mental and emotional health suffer. None of these areas of my life function in a vacuum. Our mental, emotional or spiritual state has an impact on our physical health. And the reverse is also true.

To feel healthy I have to be taking care of myself in all of the areas of my life. I have to get enough sleep, talk to my kids, drink enough water, pay my bills on time, eat foods that nourish me, get outside and stay on top of my business. It’s all connected.

It sounds like a lot, and it is. But the self-care piece is probably the most vital. I have to have somewhere to draw the energy from! Sleep, water, exercise, nutrition, and relaxation cannot be overlooked or avoided if I want to be “healthy” in all the other areas.

If you want to burn out quick, try to keep up in all the other areas of your life and skip self-care. I can guarantee you that that is the fastest track to a blazing crash.