May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but prioritizing your well-being shouldn’t be confined to a single month. Maya Angelou’s powerful words, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style,” can be inspiring. But let’s be honest, sometimes surviving feels like all we can manage. This May, and every month thereafter, let’s challenge ourselves to move beyond just surviving.
What if we could cultivate a life filled with passion, compassion, humor, and style, not just existing but truly thriving? The key might lie in holistic mental health practices.
Understanding Holistic Mental Wellness
“Holistic” means encompassing the whole of a thing, and not just the part. Regarding health, it refers to the whole person, not just physical symptoms. When it comes to mental well-being, a holistic approach considers all aspects that contribute to your overall mental health.
Imagine your mind as a beautiful garden. Just like a garden thrives with various elements working together, a holistic approach acknowledges all aspects of life that contribute to your overall mental health.
- Soil (Physical Health): Like fertile soil nourishing plants, a combination of regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and quality sleep provide the foundation for a healthy mind. Just as nutrient-depleted soil can stunt plant growth, neglecting your physical health can hinder your mental health.
- Sunshine and Water (Mindfulness Practices): Techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing are like sunshine and water for your mental garden. They help manage stress, improve focus, and promote emotional balance. Check out another recent post of ours for more tips on managing stress and anxiety.
- Plants (Your Emotions): The various plants in your garden represent your emotions. Some may be vibrant flowers symbolizing joy, while others might be thorny bushes representing anger or fear. A holistic approach encourages understanding and acknowledging your emotions, just like a gardener cares for all the plants in their garden.
- Fence (Social Connection): A strong social network acts like a fence, providing support, protection, and a sense of belonging. Just as a fence safeguards a garden, healthy social connections can create a safe space for you to grow and thrive.
Pillars of a Holistic Approach
In contrast to traditional methods that might focus solely on medication or therapy, a holistic approach acknowledges the unity of mind, body, and spirit.
Nurturing the Mind:
Our thoughts and thought patterns significantly affect our emotional well-being. Cultivating these healthy thoughts and patterns can be difficult, but there are ways to be successful, both on your own and with a little bit of help. Here are a few ideas:
- Journaling: Taking time to write down your thoughts and feelings can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and emotional processing. Journaling allows you to find recurring themes and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
- Setting Healthy Boundaries: Learning to say no and prioritize your needs can significantly reduce stress and improve mental well-being.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This evidence-based method helps find and challenge negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health struggles.
*Action Idea: Sharpen your focus: Try a 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise
Find a quiet place and sit comfortably. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this cycle for 3-5 minutes.
Caring for the Body:
Our physical health significantly influences our mental state.
- Balanced Diet: Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein provides your brain with the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally. Consider consulting a nutritionist for a personalized plan. Zion HealthShare members with additional services like Primestin Care and TalkSpace Go have added access to information and resources.
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity is a powerful mood booster and stress reliever. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week. Harvard Health Publishing reports regular exercise has been found to improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress.
- Quality Sleep: When you’re sleep-deprived, your ability to manage stress and emotions diminishes. Practice good sleep hygiene by setting up a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and avoiding screens before bed.
*Action Idea: Move your body with fun: The “Minute Burst” Challenge:
Set a timer for 1 minute. During this minute, get your blood pumping with any activity you enjoy! Jump up and down, do jumping jacks, dance to your favorite song, or run in place. Take a short break and repeat 2-3 more times throughout the day.
Nourishing the Spirit
Having a sense of purpose and meaning in life contributes significantly to overall well-being. This can be cultivated through various practices:
- Spiritual Practices: For many people, spiritual practices like meditation, prayer, or spending time in nature provide a sense of connection and purpose. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) spending time in green spaces can improve mood and potentially speed recovery for stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Finding Your Purpose: Even if you don’t subscribe to traditional spirituality, finding purpose can significantly affect your mental health. Explore hobbies, creative outlets, volunteering opportunities, or personal growth pursuits that bring you fulfillment. This could be anything from mastering a new skill to giving back to your community.
*Action Idea: Gratitude list:
Take a pen and paper (or use your phone’s notepad) and write down 3 things you’re grateful for at this very moment. It could be anything, big or small-a warm cup of coffee, the sound of birds chirping outside, or a good night’s sleep. Research shows that practicing gratitude can boost happiness and well-being.
*Bonus Action Idea: Explore Mindfulness Resources
Download a mindfulness app or look for online resources to find a wider variety of exercises and activities tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Many free and paid resources are available to help you on your holistic mental wellness journey.
Consistency is Key:
Remember, consistency is key! Aim to incorporate these practices into your daily routine gradually. Start with small changes, like a daily gratitude list or a short mindfulness exercise and build upon them over time. You’ll be surprised at the positive impact a holistic approach can have on your overall mental well-being.
Benefits of a Holistic Approach:
The beauty of a holistic approach is that you can explore and discover what works best for you to cultivate a thriving mind, body, and spirit. A holistic approach isn’t about perfection. It’s about making conscious choices to nourish all aspects of yourself and create a foundation for lasting mental wellness. The Mayo Clinic, a leader in integrative medicine (another term for holistic health), emphasizes the importance of addressing all aspects of well-being for optimal health. A holistic approach fosters this by promoting healthy sleep habits, physical activity, and emotional regulation. This all-inclusive approach may even play a role in preventing mental health issues in the future by creating a foundation for lasting well-being.
In Conclusion: Embrace a Life of Thriving
Embracing a holistic way of thinking towards mental wellness allows us to transcend mere survival and embrace a life of thriving. By nurturing our mind, body, and spirit with mindfulness, healthy habits, and purposeful living, we sow the seeds of enduring well-being. As we enter Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s embark on this journey with intention, knowing that within the embrace of holistic wellness lies the promise of a life truly lived.
The content in this blog is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn’t take the place of medical advice or supervision from a trained professional.
Current as of: January 10, 2026