What is "Good Health"?

Every year at Thanksgiving, many families tend to say what they are thankful for, and from what has been noticed over the years, the top answer is: good health. When hearing such answers, people tend to think of it as a given, or that it is an obvious thing to be grateful for. However, when looking more deeply into what “good health” really means, it is vital to consider the main aspects of what are usually prioritized by most individuals. When referring to health in general, it tends to mean that one should have both a proper mental and physical lifestyle.

Mental health generally refers to one’s social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Being in a healthy mental state can be classified through not having depression, anxiety, stress, or any disorders. It allows one to feel mentally free, not bound by anything. Experiencing a free nature further ties into having the ability to enjoy life, adapt to difficult circumstances, balance work and family time, feel safe, feel secure, and reach their personal potential. These are the main components which prove that a person is mentally happy or stable. Although, it is vital to keep in mind that the most important thing for you to experience is self approval. If you master to accept your qualities, situation, and responsibilities it makes it much easier to achieve mental peace. When one achieves all these qualities, it means that they are mentally content.

Physical health is equally important to one’s mental health. Having good physical health relates to first, not having a disease. But just because one is not sick or has a disease, does not mean that they are physically healthy. This relates to having a proper diet and maintaining physical fitness. A proper diet is one which includes all the food groups, ample nutrition, and avoiding unhealthy foods. When it comes to having physical fitness, one should have a maintained heart rate, good muscle strength, flexibility, and should overall be putting their best effort at working out as often as they can. Having good physical and mental health both go hand in hand with each other as sometimes people have situations where one can affect the other. For example, if one develops a chronic illness that prevents them from completing daily tasks, this may lead to depression or stress.

Science shows that there are a plethora of factors that go into how one’s overall health would be. Having good health sometimes depends on where a person lives, what their surrounding environment is, their genetics, their income, their level of education, and their employment status. This means that sometimes people who have a higher socioeconomic status are more likely to enjoy their good health, get access to a proper education, get a well paying job, and be able to afford healthcare. Even though one's financial status can play a role in their happiness, it does not mean that all people can not be happy. In fact, it is always encouraged that people take care of themselves no matter what as sometimes it can alleviate them from such issues.

We believe that when people say “good health” they tend to refer to a proper physical and mental health. This can be achieved through the techniques mentioned above, and also allow people of all statuses to be content with themselves.