Managing these behavioral and environmental pillars is key to sustained mental and physical wellness.
As we go through our day, there are countless things we do or that happen to us that impact how we feel and experience the world. Some affect our physical state while others affect our mental and emotional selves.
Having combed the scientific literature and experimented with many ourselves, this article serves as a broad overview of the manipulable factors that we've identified most directly impact our sense of wellbeing. Subsequent articles explore each Pillar of Health in greater depth.
The most important pillar, sleep is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that regulates the recovery and function of our brain and body. A single night of little or low-quality sleep could affect us for several days. A few consecutive days of no sleep could result in psychosis or death.
Activity in cognitive and regulatory brain regions is severely impaired even when losing only a few hours of sleep over a single night, and hormone dysregulation and deficiencies are likely to occur. Sleep also plays an essential part in physical and immune recovery. Depending on during what time of night sleep is lost, there are some predictable effects, as physical recovery tends to occur earlier in the night, and mental recovery generally occurs closer to waking.
The food (and liquid) we ingest is the source of energy for our bodies. Our digestive systems and microbiota evolved over hundreds of millions of years to be effective at breaking down food from our environments and converting it to energy. During times of food scarcity, our cells produce energy by utilizing energy stores. Having metabolic efficiency and flexibility in utilizing both food and stores is the key to stable energy levels throughout the day.
Established scientific literature dictates that much of our modern, industrialized diet is detrimental to our health. Well-intended methods of reducing food scarcity and increasing shelf life have resulted in highly and ultra-processed foods, where foods are stripped of beneficial structures and nutrients that also attract fungus and bacteria. Additions of refined sugars and carbohydrates to improve palatability are not tolerated by our bodies, spiking blood sugar and visceral fat.
Emerging evidence suggests that when we eat could be just as important as what we eat. Our bodies are more efficient earlier in the day and less susceptible to insulin spikes. Since we evolved with irregular access to food, restricting our eating window to a certain number of hours each day (also called intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating) activates biological processes that clear waste products and utilize energy stores. Prolonged fasting (>48 hours) has impressive benefits for organ function, immune health, and longevity.
Movement is a primary indicator of our overall health. Muscle is not only responsible for all of the movement we make; the muscular system is now considered to be our largest endocrine organ. It secretes and moderates various hormones and is essential for metabolic health, cognitive function, and physical and immune resilience.
Continuously challenging our muscles through resistance, aerobic, and anaerobic training is important for maximizing healthspan and lifespan. It improves bodily function and aesthetics and prevents accident and injury later in life. Women are especially at risk due to cultural norms; 50 percent of women experience osteoporotic fractures during their lifetimes, and the one-year mortality rate of those who experience a hip fracture is a striking 30 percent. Luckily, we can mitigate these risks entirely with regular resistance training.
As a diurnal species, light regulates our circadian rhythm and hormones, impacting our mood, wakefulness, metabolism, learning, and memory. In developed countries, our lifestyle has moved primarily indoors, reducing sunlight and increasing artificial light exposure. Insufficient light during the day and excessive light at night are the primary causes of insomnia and are thought to be one of the drivers of the rise in psychiatric disorders in modern society. Nighttime light is associated with worse mental health outcomes and conditions including major depressive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD.
The sun is the most powerful source of light in our environments, providing more light than any standard artificial light source. Our body has evolved in response to sunlight; melanopsin cells in our eyes detect the unique combination of blue and yellow light present near sunrise and sunset, promoting wakefulness in the morning and sleep in the evening. Sunlight also has direct effects on our endocrine system, boosting mood and reducing stress.
Stress is a frequently misunderstood pillar and is more nuanced than most people think. The impact of stress on the body is dependent on its physiological effects which depend on whether that stress is chronic or acute. Chronic stress increases systemic inflammation, breakdown of desirable skin proteins, and craving of high-calorie foods and impacts learning and memory, gene transcription, and thyroid hormone regulation. However, acute stress has many opposite effects and leads to physiological and mental adaptation, suggesting that while chronic stress should be managed, acute stress should be embraced.
This knowledge has led to the introduction and study of mindset in modern science. The stress-is-enhancing mindset, referring to acceptance of stress as an opportunity to improve rather than a threat, results in a more efficient physiological response, reducing cortisol and improving brain and heart function. Related and perhaps more well-known is the growth mindset, or belief that intelligence and abilities are not fixed traits and can be developed with effort, which detaches identity from performance and enhances learning and mood. Together, these mindsets have tremendous benefits on motivation, learning, and resilience.
The way we breathe has many direct and indirect effects on our brain and body and is the most effective way to take control of our autonomic nervous system, which otherwise operates subconsciously. Extended inhales activate our sympathetic nervous system, which increases our heart rate, oxygen levels, and alertness. Extended exhales activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which slows our heart rate, reduces carbon dioxide, and calms the mind and body. Increased breathing frequency can release adrenaline, improve immune response, and decrease pain sensitivity. Expelling additional carbon dioxide can also increase blood pH levels, reducing activation of pain receptors.
In addition to these physiological effects, an intentional breathing practice supports awareness and mindfulness of ourself. The effects of altering our breathing occur rapidly, allowing us to sense mental and physiological changes and become more attuned to our bodies. Breathing tactics are easy to implement and can quickly become a useful tool for self-regulation in nearly every situation.
Humans evolved to be social creatures. Our relationship with ourselves define our values, beliefs, and principles and are the foundation for how we respond in various situations. Our sense of self results directly from our internal dialogue and the conscious and subconscious memories that shape our responses. Our relationships with others enable us to derive value from and contribute to society. Regular social interaction, whether with family, friends, or strangers, has been found to improve mood, mental health, and immune function.
Healthy relationships with ourselves and others enable collaborative fulfillment of needs and expression and processing of emotions. Having an understanding of the dynamics of our relationships empowers us to continuously improve and ensure all parties are served by them.
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