“It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” is a famous saying by the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Good Health and Well Being is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It is, however, a vast segment that comprises not only of the physical well-being of the person but his/her mental and emotional well-being as well. A person can only be considered healthy when his physical, mental and emotional quotient is positive.
India, being a vast country, experiences different health factors across the nation. The difference is as high as the Infant Mortality Rate being 5 per thousand in Kerala but 64 per thousand in Uttar Pradesh. Various health issues (malnutrition topping the list) are seen amongst the varied population of India, mostly in the lower section as they fail to have access to sanitation, hygiene, hospitals and general health awareness.
People around the country do not understand the importance of health and the hazards it can bring you, if ignored. It is often said that “a healthy family is a wealthy family” which is a statement that holds true for every single individual. In today’s world, where people have their major focus on working extra hours to earn few extra bucks, they tend to forget how necessary it is to keep both their mind and body healthy. Over-working and stress makes a person mentally unstable and affects not only their health but their family members’ health too. Anybody who is not happy on the inside is most likely not to be happy on the outside as well. Emotional and mental stability is as, if not more important than physical goodness.
Being healthy does not only revolve around bodily fitness, but has to do a lot with happiness. There are many factors that affect a person’s health and well-being, namely:
- Family and genetics: Some issues that people face are hereditary and not in the control of a particular individual. Such issues can vary from diabetes to anxiety and should be taken extremely good care of.
- Environment: The surroundings you live in and work are very important for your emotional and mental well-being too. The kinds of people around you make a huge difference in your health. Surround yourself with happy and positive people and that is all you will ever experience – a life filled with joy and optimism.
- Affordability: Not entirely, but a huge proportion of health also depends on the affordability of a person. Someone who has a good and stable income is likely to look after their health more than somebody who earns at a border line and can only afford basic necessities like food and shelter.
- Education: Education plays an important role too. A lot of people are unaware/uneducated about the significance of being healthy and happy. A lot of it comes from schooling, researching, and talking. For anybody who has never had the fortune of being literate, is more likely to ignore health and well-being than a person who has been taught to focus on their health from the very beginning.
- Diet: The kind of diet intake a person has also defines their health. A good meal not only keeps the person healthy from the inside but also from the outside. Intake of extremely fatty foods result in hypertension and stress disorders, whereas eating a balanced diet that includes the right amount of protein, fibre, carbohydrates and good fats keeps a person’s inner system content.
- Relationships: People with healthy relationships tend to be happier and hence, healthier. Relationships with family, friends, spouse, relatives, and near & dear ones, all play an important role in defining a person’s health status.
After these six main factors affecting one’s health and well-being, there are a lot of things one can do for a better health altogether. It requires very easy steps to follow the journey of well-being; small things from a walk in the park, to doing something you love like painting, dancing, etc. can make a vast difference in your health. It affects all the 3 aspects of health – emotional, mental, and physical. Just appreciating and loving your life enough also benefits a person’s outlook on the way he/she sees himself and the world from his/her perspective.
Good health and well-being, in my opinion, is not given much attention even on national level. Governments barely talk about its people’s mental stability, big multi-national companies are often found to burden their employees with extreme working hours and projects, in schools, teachers rarely confront students about their emotional and physical well-being. Therefore, no matter how major this particular area is for every single person, it is often looked over by people themselves. Even at homes, for that matter, people are not comfortable enough to talk about their mental and emotional well-being quite often, if they are disturbed or if they need help. Mental health has been taking a toll for quite some years now and has started seeing the buzz lately.
Even in the 21st century, mental health issues like depression, stress disorders, anxiety, etc. are considered as “diseases” that are shameful and should not be talked about. People do not open to their family members when they are in search of help and that is what disturbs them even more. This distorts their mental and emotional well-being and makes them even weaker. This aspect of being mentally ill is extremely unhealthy and needs immediate attention. Thankfully, a lot of NGO’s and start-ups are focusing on mental health these days and normalising the concept to the youth. There are a lot of conclaves that happen on mental health and bring people out of their closet. Numerous helplines are available and online help is increasing too. Slowly and gradually, mental health as a “taboo” is going away too. This has been one of the greatest steps in our society in order to eradicate people with health issues that hinder their well-being.
Good health and well-being is a topic which has an endless discussion, as this is one of the most important aspects of life, and living too. No matter how much we talk about it and how much we focus on it, it will never be enough. As we say, there is always some scope for betterment, there is always some scope of climbing one more step of the ladder that leads us to a healthy and happy living.
Basics of health are summoned by zero disease and a stress-free mind, but, the pinnacle of health can be different for each person. For me, health and well-being could be being self-satisfied mentally, while for someone health could be having a lean body. Ideas can differ but the end result shall be the same – good health and a joyous living.
