Based on my education as a Community Health Education major, I am knowledgeable in many different aspects of health. Health is not only about your physical well-being; health is also about your social, emotional and mental well being, including finding ways to express your emotions and surrounding yourself with a good support group. These factors are just as important as exercising and eating nutritious meals. Here are the top aspects of health that I believe are essential in order to live an overall happy and strong lifestyle!

Social

A healthy social life is of great importance when it comes to one's well-being. Having a good social life is about surrounding yourself with those who truly care about you. It is about spending time with people who support you and your decisions and are there whenever you need them. Most importantly, a good support group is about quality rather than quantity. Therefore, it is best to have those few people who know who you are: your passions, interests, strengths, and even your weaknesses. It can take time to find that right social group, but when you do, you will find great happiness!

Emotional

To have a healthy emotional life all comes down to self-care. Self-care is about taking care of yourself before you take care of others. It is about taking the time to do what is best for you, whether that means taking time to isolate yourself from others to have "alone time" to re-energize or getting coffee with a friend to talk about the ups and downs of your day. Do what helps you to clear your mind and unwind in order to better your emotional health. Taking the time to either enjoy your solitude or talk with someone who is important to you is crucial in order to entail good well-being. This all comes down to knowing yourself, so do what works best for you!

Mental

A healthy mental state all comes down to your behavior. This is where cognitive behavioral therapy comes into play. Cognitive behavioral therapy is literally thinking about the way that you behave. For example, if you suffer from overwhelming anxiety, how do you cope with that issue? In order to have a healthy mental state in this situation, it is probably best to practice mindful breathing, yoga and other forms of exercise to reduce your stress, though the best treatment is different for every individual. Therefore, in order to have a healthy mental state, it is important to be knowledgeable of what issues you may be dealing with and what the best form of treatment is for that problem.

Although I do believe that physical activity and having a good diet is still critical to keep good health, I believe that the social, emotional and mental aspects of health are often overlooked yet just as crucial. I hope this article emphasized how important your social, emotional and mental well-being are so that you know there is more to just working out and eating right in order to strive to live a healthy life!