Life is something which is the most open to interpretation. It has infinite dimensions – social, political, geographical, religious, economical, physical, emotional, intellectual, moral and many more. So, how one lives can vary to a great extent as it is quite a subjective phenomenon. The term health holds true in the same sense. For many people, healthy life is free of illness i.e. absence of a disease. For others, it might refer to wellness of mind i.e. no bad feelings like sadness or depression.
Let’s start by describing the layman concept of health which concerns the body only ( the physical fitness of an individual ). It can be maintained via a balanced diet, containing proper amount of nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, roughage, water…And side by side, exercise is needed too – running, walking will do. Eating in excess can lead to obesity. Consuming less than required can cause malnutrition. So, appropriate feeding is necessary. One should avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
Coming to the emotional aspect of health, it is usually said that healthy mind resides in a healthy body. This is true but it has certain boundaries. Our thoughts influence us a lot. The negative and the positive nature of what we think affects our actions. For example, if a person is stressed, it is visible in what he/she does. Meditation is a way out of unhealthy mindset. It provides clarity of feelings, sentiments and emotions.
Social aspect of health is quite dependent on the society we live in. The process of socialization ( conversion of an uncivilized human to a civilized individual as per the acceptable behavioral norms ) plays a major role. It’s our community, friend circle etc. that decides what kind of person we tend to be by acting upon our attitudes, interests, beliefs…Most of the people are the immediate products of their environment, maybe because they fail to challenge the faith around or the ambience can’t be more ideal. What a society should offer is liberty to oneself i.e. it should promote individualism. It must cater the basic wants of the people like food, water, shelter and education among others so that the chances of emergence of sociopaths, psychopaths could be lessened.
Religious health is based on what one believes, whether it’s logical/reasonable or not. In India, many religions are practised ( being Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism ). This leads to diversity of faith. But as we all have observed, it is a blind worship of idols, dominantly by the Indians. This results in disappointments when expectations bear no fruit. The solution to such a situation is living a life with logic, not to thrust everything on the Almighty. Being impractical won’t fetch a miracle.
There are other aspects which regulates health. The geographical and political factors add to it too. Our endurance varies as per the altitude. The people at high altitude ( mountains, hills ) has less endurance as compared to the ones at low altitude ( plains ). If a citizen isn’t exercising his or her right to vote, and that too in an appropriate manner, political ideology is dogmatic, then the political health isn’t right. One should be politically aware and sensible, measure both the sides of an opinion.
All in all, health is a very comprehensive concept. It is impossible to define it within boundations. In today’s world, what matters is the health of the body and mind i.e. physical and mental health because the people lack harmony in their daily lives due to the rat race created by the science and technology and the demands of sophistication. Therefore, to remain healthy, one should stick to a lifestyle supporting balanced diet, proper clothing, sufficient exercise, liberty to be oneself and awareness of what’s going around. People should say no to junk food ( burgers, pizzas, soft drinks ) and yes to green vegetables, fruits, more fibre and water in their diets. There is a dire necessity of open-mindedness. One should be able to, at least, listen to opposing views, and show acceptance towards the good ones. Travelling is a great a activity. It has adventure in it. It boosts the immune system and strengthens the stamina. It’s better to be a part of no religion than being blindly religious. We harvest what we sow. Sometimes things are done not out of interest but need. There are times when we have to conform to the society even though we don’t agree with the stand it takes. Our peace of mind is more crucial than anything else. If possible, don’t be a part of a conflict, disagreement, clashes. Always remember, health is the utmost wealth.
Author Bio – Mandeep Singh, 23 years student from Chandigarh ( Punjab, India ).A participant of International Essay Competition, Feb, 2019
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