What are the 8 pillars of holistic wellness?

Why isn’t holistic spelled with a W? As you read through this post you’ll understand that question.

Anyway, this is a post about what holistic wellness actually is and why it’s key to time management and work life balance as a working mom.

When most people think of holistic wellness there’s a common theme playing. It’s not about the trendiest green smoothie and the latest pilates technique.

It also doesn’t mean you can’t take a medication if you need to.

Holistic wellness is not necessarily “natural”, but rather “encompassing” if you will.

By definition, holistic means a collection of the parts intimately interconnected and explained only by reference to the whole.

Wellness means the state of being in good health and there’s multiple factors we will get into.

In other words, holistic wellness is all about living your best life on purpose by honoring yourself as a whole person, not just a few pieces.

What does balance really mean?

I’ve covered this from different angles before and it hits different each time.

I see this all the time in reference to motherhood.

Especially for working moms that are separated from their families for extended amounts of time during the week.

They come home and have to be homemaker, wife and mama!

Okay, so how do you balance life so you don’t pull your hair out?

Balance insinuates being able to equally distribute weight among different things. You know in working motherhood that’s just not possible.

Some things need to take a backseat or even get cut out. Ahhh the refreshing art of saying no!

So for me balance means being able to maintain a state of holistic wellness throughout life’s obstacles.

A state of wellness including time management, saying no and setting healthy boundaries helps me do that.

I’m on a mission to do the things that mean the most to me and bring the most fulfillment to me and my family. Without the guilt!

What does balance mean to you?

If you’re feeling unfulfilled, out of balance, confused or even frustrated then there may be part of the below wellness factors that’s not making the puzzle of you fit together.

People think of wellness as being healthy and fit in the physical sense. It is so much deeper than that.

If that’s all you’re doing, then quite frankly you are neglecting like 7 other parts of you mama.

I can totally relate to that out of balance feeling. Sometimes I have to take a moment, meditate, brain dump, or whatever to get a clear head to see where I am on the wellness scale.

Do some digging to see what you need to focus on and tackle it bit by bit. Sometimes just knowing that you’re actively working on a certain area in your life can bring so much peace.

As I started putting the pieces together in a mindset and system that was functional for me, work-life balance really started to make sense.

We are so much more than our titles, functions, squat ability and schedules.

The thing about holistic wellness is that anyone can achieve it.

The principles are the same, but the approach and maintenance is totally individualized and continuous. As it should be.

8 Pillars of wellness

You may see different versions, but for the purposes of this blog, these are the most relevant in no particular order.

1. Spiritual

Living in line with your beliefs and moral systems bigger than yourself.

2. Physical

Your physical exercise, diet and nutrition. This is what most people think of when it comes to wellness.

3. Emotional

Your ability to identify, observe and process feelings / emotions.

4. Social

Building and maintaining a healthy social network.

5. Intellectual

Stimulating and challenging your mind. This is why a lot of mamas go back to work!

6. Environmental

Being aware of your surroundings and its impact on your health.

7. Occupational

Personal satisfaction and fulfillment with the work you do.

8. Financial

Your financial stability.

Time for application

Follow these pillars and you will start living your best life.

Start looking through these pillars of wellness and see what you can start focusing on to achieve holistic wellness in your life.

Accept that baby steps are okay! Again, this thing called working motherhood is an continuous journey so learning how to roll with the punches is a beautiful skill my friend.

Enjoy your baby steps, be happy in the process and journal them if you’re feeling sassy.

Honoring your entire self

Again, feel free to brain dump whenever you need it. Having a clear mind to focus on what’s most important is key. Taking care of your whole self is intentional and priceless.

Stop neglecting yourself

Holistic wellness will help you to take care of your family. How?

Well, as you take care of your own wellness it opens you up to be more resilient as a caregiver and partner.

There’s another cool thing I want to mention. Imagine being able to instill these concepts in your kids or better yet teach them.

I know, mind blowing right? As parents we want a rule book for parenting and that’s just never going to happen.

But it is nice to know that we can pay attention to these 8 pillars and encourage empowering holistic wellness for our families.

Your holistic wellness challenge

Step 1 : Take the time to get in tune with each pillar of holistic wellness.

Step 2 : Create your own holistic wellness plan for yourself to track each pillar and make sure you are fulfilling them in your life.

You will approach motherhood, marriage, work and self care in a whole new light.

You will start to see that the pillars can become fluid and intermingle as they form the whole you.

What will be your game changing pillars to round out your holistic wellness journey?