Health (Essay Sample)

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Benefits of a more active social life
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Part A: Introduction
Dimensions of health refer to different practices which relate to different aspects of an individual, for perfect health. For an individual to be in perfect health, he/ she must try to conform to most, if not all of the different dimensions of health.
The first dimension of health is the social dimension. The social dimension of health requires someone to have an active social relationships with other people. This is because, without the right amount of social interaction, one experiences negative effects in physical and emotional wellness. It is encouraged to participate in different social activities.
The next dimension of health is emotional. This requires that a person assess their current emotional state aspire to be in a better state. This includes focusing on different aspects such as cultivating an optimistic attitude or learning to forgive and forget. Emotional wellness is directly related to physical as well as mental wellness.
Physical dimension of health deals with a person's physique. It encourages exercise, rest as well as eating a balanced diet among other things for one to be in a good state of physical wellbeing.
The Spiritual dimension of health requires a person to have some form of belief whether religious or musical among other beliefs. According to Doise & Palmonari (2011), spirituality has proven to help people deal with difficult situations in life and even extend their lives.
The mental dimension of health requires positive stimulation of one's intellect. As indicated by Krueger (2009), our minds require constant inspiration just like our bodies. A person in the right mental state will have an active mind that seeks to learn more about their environment. Such a person will most likely seek to improve other aspects of his health by aspiring to know more. It is for this reason that the mental dimension of health is related to all other dimensions of health.
Environmental health requires that an individual be aware of the state of their environment and what they can do to improve it. Such a person should be aware of actions that can lead to the degradation of their environment, and how this can negatively affect other aspects of their health. It requires an individual to maintain a lifestyle that minimizes harm to their surroundings and encourages conservation, recycling and the use of renewable energy.
I am interested in the social dimension of health. This is because I believe my level of social interaction is rather low. I prefer to sit at home on my computer or phone while most of my friends go out to meet other people. It became a serious issue to me when I realized my list of close friends is very short. I may have a huge online social presence but in real life, I have very few people I can call my close friends. As indicated by Shroeder (2010), “no amount of online social interaction can replace real time physical interaction” (p. 21). This means as much as I may be active on my online social accounts, I still need an active social life so as to fulfil the social dimension of health. My project will be to try and get more friends by being a little more outgoing and interacting with other people. I will visit recreational parks and sports grounds and try to meet new people.
The Project
I plan to visit all the recreational parks around and participate in the ongoing social activities there. This will include joining a sports group such as archery, mountain climbing or any activity that will promote increased social interaction.
At the end of each activity, I plan to have made at least a single long lasting friend. It May be difficult to make many friends since most people are suspicious of new people. It may also be hard for me to make as many friends since I am not that outgoing and I may have to change my schedule.
According to Doise & Palmonari (2011), social interaction is a very important part in the normal development of human beings. With the right amount of social interaction, a child can develop into an all-round successful and outgoing adult. On the other hand, a limited social interaction can lead to the exact opposite effect. This is why parents are encouraged to take their children to play dates with other kids their age. As indicated by Krueger (2009), “children learn crucial aspects of life such as sharing and friendship from each other” (p. 234). Positive aspects such as competitiveness and friendship are developed when interacting with one's peers. Therefore, it is advisable to increase ones social interaction so as to improve other aspects of one's health such as spiritual, intellectual and emotional wellbeing.
Research by Shroeder (2010) supports the fact that increased social interaction leads to the development of better relationships with other people. This has a positive effect on other dimensions of health such as physical and spiritual. A person with a more active social life is more likely to be physically fit as compared to one with less friends (Krueger, 2009).
Lastly, as indicated by Krueger (2009), social interaction has many health benefits such as a reduced risk of developing heart related complications, low blood pressure as well as reduced risk for mental health related issues such as depression. On the other hand, social isolation leads to many health complications as well as other risks such as depression.
Part C: Tracking
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