Five (5) Dimensions of Health
A holistic perspective on "success" in life
In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Stephen Covey beautifully encapsulates the concept of holistic health through five interconnected dimensions: physical, mental, social, spiritual, and financial. The harmony of these dimensions promotes a balanced, fulfilling, and successful life.
What are the Five Dimensions of Health?
Physical Health refers to the wellbeing of our bodies. Maintaining physical health requires a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and regular health check-ups to mitigate illness and injury. Physical health serves as the foundation for all other dimensions, providing the energy and endurance needed for overall effectiveness.
Mental Health encompasses our relationship with ourselves. It is about nurturing our cognitive abilities and emotional stability. It involves continuous learning, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and maintaining a positive mental state. Cultivating mental health allows us to make sound decisions, solve problems effectively, and endure life's challenges resiliently.
Social Health encompasses our relationships with others. It involves empathy, active listening, clear communication, and mutual respect. Effective social health allows for healthy, fulfilling relationships with our friends, family and partner—vital for our sense of belonging and happiness.
Spiritual Health is a deeply personal aspect that involves our core values, purpose, and inner peace. Whether through religion, meditation, nature or connection to something greater than ourselves, spiritual health gives a sense of meaning and direction in life.
Financial Health is a professional health metric (different from the four personal health metrics above) that involves the effective management of economic affairs. This means living within means, saving for the future, and making sound investments in assets. Stable financial health (a stable baseline) is critical for giving us energy and means to progress forwards in the four personal health categories, and it provides security and freedom which is essential for stress-free living.
These five dimensions of health roughly correspond to another important mental model, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
Why is this mental model important?
Individually, each dimension of health plays a vital role in determining our effectiveness. But together, they create a synergy that can exponentially increase our potential for true “success.”
Growing up, we are socialized by our environment and those in it (whether intentionally or not) to view “success” in life largely, if not solely, through a lens of financial health. “How much money am I making? Am I on path for a promotion? I can’t wait to be able to buy this new car.” This myopic focus on career and finances leaves most people unknowingly operating in a local optimum as they forget to consciously be focused on simultaneously improving the other critical, personal health dimensions of their life too. In the worst cases, for example, for many people it’s too little too late as by the time they realize the need to focus on personal health categories such as, say, social, they are already middle aged and have deeply damaged their relationships with their partner or kids.
Keeping this mental model of the five dimensions of health in mind is helpful as it helps you consciously strive towards a global optimum (i.e. towards your best self). This is imperative as it broadens your aperture of what “success” means to you—redefining the term to be more holistic.
How can you apply the Five Dimensions of Health to your own life?
Physical: 99% of the time you should prioritize your physical health first and foremost. Like a rising tide lifts all boats, having strong physical health makes it easier to become healthier in every other category (you feel better and look better which goes a long way). Also, relying on pharmaceuticals to feel healthy should always be a last resort. To improve your physical health, exercise regularly, maintain a nutritious diet (especially high in protein), sleep well, and undergo regular health check-ins.
Mental: Embrace lifelong learning, practice critical thinking, and cultivate emotional intelligence. Practice gratitude, maintain optimism, and think long-term. Avoid negative thought patterns, practice positive self-talk, and see a therapist if need be. Engage in activities that challenge and enrich your mind—leverage neuroplasticity by building new neural pathways.
Social: Nurture your relationships with friends, family and your partner. Practice empathy, communicate clearly, and respect others. Seek to understand before being understood.
Spiritual: Spend time exploring your values and purpose. Write them down. Engage in activities that provide you inner peace and a sense of connectedness. Seek for meaning in something greater than yourself. Look up at the stars instead of down at the screens. Remember we are all humans and are all lucky to be here.
Financial: Live within your means, save and invest wisely. Seek financial literacy to ensure a secure and stress-free future.
In essence, the five dimensions of health provide a comprehensive framework for achieving overall wellbeing and effectiveness. Solely internalizing this mental model can increase your happiness by more holistically redefining “success.” Further, by consciously attending to each dimension and working to create a more harmonious balance, you can lead a more fulfilled, successful, and meaningful life.
Related Mental Models:
Maturity Continuum
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs