Iris Was In Good Physical Shape

Five Components of Health

Iris was in good physical shape. Abel couldn’t remember the last time he had to stay home because he had a cold. Do you think Iris and Abel are healthy? Being healthy is much more than being physically fit and free from disease.  Health is the state of well-being in which all of the components of health – physical, emotional, social, mental, and spiritual – are in balance.  Wellness is the achievement of a person’s best in all five components of health. To be truly healthy, you must take care of all five components. The five components are described in more detail below.

Physical Health

 Eats a well balanced diet  Exercises regularly  Avoids tobacco, alcohol and drugs  Is free of disease

Abel used to think that being physically healthy meant being strong and muscular like an Olympic athlete. Being in good physical shape is part of physical health. However, you don’t have to be an athlete or even good at sports to be physically healthy. Physical health refers to the way your body functions. Physical health includes eating right, getting regular exercise, and being at your recommended body weight. Physical health is also about avoiding drugs and alcohol. Finally, physical health means being free of disease and sickness.

Emotional Health

 Expresses emotions constructively  Asks for help when sad

Emotional health is expressing your emotions in a positive, nondestructive way. Everyone experiences unpleasant feelings at one time or another. Emotionally healthy people can cope with unpleasant emotions and not get overwhelmed by them. For example, when Abel feels down, he knows he can go to his best friend or his family for support. Are you aware of how you feel and to whom you can go for support? Social Health

 Respects others  Has supportive relationships  Expresses needs to others

Social health does not mean being the most popular kid in school. A person who is popular can be socially unhealthy! Social Health is the quality of your relationships with friends, family, teachers and others you are in contact with. A person who is socially healthy respects others. A socially healthy person also stays clear of those who do not treat him or her with respect and tolerance. For example, Abel gets together with his friends each week. However, he avoids his neighbor who bullies him. He is also learning to better work out disagreements with his parents. Mental Health

 Has high self esteem  Enjoys trying new things  Is free of mental illness

Your mental health can be strongly influenced by your emotional health. Mental health is the ability to recognize reality and cope with the demands of daily life. Sometimes people who have gone through intensely troubling times develop mental illnesses. But mental health is about more than not having mental illness. A person who is mentally healthy with be able to tolerate new ideas and things that are different. Mental health is also having high self-esteem. Having high self-esteem is feeling comfortable and happy about your self. For example, Iris is now trying out for the drama club. She had been hesitant to try out because none of her friends liked acting, but she decided to try out anyway.

Spiritual Health

 Has a sense of purpose in life  Follows morals and values  Feels unity with other human beings

Spiritual health is maintaining harmonious relationships with other living things and having spiritual direction and purpose. Spiritual health means different things to different people. For some people, spiritual health is defined by the practice of religion. For others it is understanding their purpose in life. Spiritual health also includes living to one’s ethics, morals, and values. A value is a strong belief or ideal. Being spiritually healthy may mean you live in harmony with your environment. It may also mean that you are at peace with yourself and those around you. For example, Iris says she feels most valuable and united with others when she helps out at the city’s homeless shelter.