Keeping the Balance; Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health

Usually when someone refers to being healthy, they think of being physically in good shape. Well this is not the only case of well-being. In order to have overall health, one must have physical, mental, and emotional wellness. But what does this all mean? How is this obtainable?

To acquire physical wellness, one must maintain physical health (such as not getting sick or injured) and participate in physical activity. Some activities include playing for a sports team or going to the gym. A person with good emotional wellness is able to constructively deal with their feelings and have a positive self-concept. Typically, those with good emotional well-being are very optimistic and determined. They often portray themselves in a confident manner.

Defining mental wellness may be confusing being that there are so many parts. Some include being intellectual, interpersonal relations, and a sense of spirituality. Intellect can be referred to as having common sense. So, if someone told you to go jump off of a cliff, would you do it? Answering a question like this would indicate if you have common sense or not. I hope you all answered “no”…

Having interpersonal relations means that one is able to make and keep friends. This requires being a good listener, supportive, and friendly! So, cheering up a friend when they are down or saying a friendly hello to someone would all be indicators of positive interpersonal relations. The spiritual may refer to one’s religion but not in all cases. It can also mean having a set of beliefs, morals, and values.

As seen, there are many components involved when achieving overall wellness. It is so important to try your best to balance each aspect in order to live a healthier, happier life. My motto is, “a positive attitude = a positive life.” There is nothing we can’t do if we set our minds to it. So, in times of struggle, give it your all, push through, and stay determined. Life is what you make it so let’s make it a good one and stay healthy!

Vocabulary:

acquire (verb) – obtain or achieve

constructively (adverb) – positively or helpfully

concept (noun) – an idea

optimistic (noun) – hopeful

intellectual (adjective) – smart

interpersonal (noun) – relating to relationships

common sense (noun) - ability to make good decisions 

indicate (verb) – to show

components (noun) – parts

Vocabulary Exercise: Complete the crossword puzzle using the above vocabulary.

Grammar Point: The above passage has many cases where it uses commas to separate multiple ideas. An example is "Being healthy means having physical, mental, and emotional well-being." As seen, the structure of the sentence entails separating the words physical, mental, and emotional by commas. Commas are used in this way when combining three or more things. Another example would be "I like to swim, dance, and skii."  Having this knowledge, please compose 3 sentences using commas to combine three or more ideas when referring to your health.