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What needs balance for experienced well-being

Optimal health is when there is balance in all 8 of the categories below.

 

Imbalance in one will adversely impact the others, balance in one will positively influence the others.

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This can create a positive spiral wherein (for instance) improving your quality of sleep will positively influence your experience of stress, which will make way for meeting friends again, which will make you feel more able to go practice sports with them again, which ...

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Though imbalance in one can create a negative spiral towards your experience of the world as well.

Imagine you getting extra work due to an important deadline in a month. This often means you will get more sedentary behaviour and stress. After a week of sitting a lot and feeling the pressure of the impending deadline you change your food choices (more fast food), and you cancel some sports activities with friends. After two weeks the stress, lack of movement and social contact make it difficult to stop thinking about the deadline (presence) which makes you lose sleep. Furthermore, gradually, as all these health behaviours diminish you notice that you become less and less creative. The deadline finishes and you somehow managed to make it on time though the quality of your work is "not great". You are exhausted, with a bad rash and extra weight from not moving and sitting a lot; you don't really feel motivated to pick up sports again with your fit friends. You decide to choose Netflix instead...

This is old news. We know that living healthier will make you feel better. But how do we change our behaviour? How do we develop healthy habits?

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