You can gauge your general health using the health triangle. The health triangle is triangular in shape.

Most people could only recall one or two of the triangle’s angles. Can you identify each of the three sides?

If not, keep reading to learn why the health triangle matters and how to achieve overall wellness by balancing its three sides.

What Is The Health Triangle?

The wellness triangle, also referred to as the health triangle, is a way to gauge how well our bodies are doing overall. It is an illustration of the effectiveness and balance of your body.

Three sides of the health triangle each play a part in your overall wellness. Your body is at its most effective when all three are in balance, which is when you are in your ideal state.

The Health Triangle Has Three Sides, What Are They?

Men­tal Health

Your beliefs, emotions, and feelings are all part of your mental health. Stress, anxiety, and negative emotions like frustration are all part of mental health. It speaks to one’s capacity for managing the stress and difficulties that come with daily life. Your mental health also depends on you accepting and believing in who you are. It takes awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behavior to maintain mental stability. If you have good mental health, you’ll learn new things and develop new skills. Individual growth is facilitated by the development of abilities, attitudes, and knowledge. Self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-perception all improve with learning.

At some point in their lives, almost everyone experiences anxiety and depression. You may need to focus on this aspect of the health triangle depending on how you respond to and handle challenging circumstances or setbacks. As antisocial behavior and extreme exhaustion can result from mental illness, it is possible that it will have an impact on your physical and social wellbeing. You might want to look for professional help if you’re having trouble managing your feelings and emotions, dealing with stress and anxiety, or both.

But some examples of mental health resolutions include scheduling regular therapy or counseling sessions, starting a gratitude journal, practicing mindfulness while dealing with anxiety, and discovering a hobby that relaxes you. 

Phys­i­cal Health

The ability and effectiveness of the body’s physiological functioning are referred to as physical health. As an illustration, this includes the food and nutrition as well as getting enough exercise and sleep to be ready for the next day. Hygiene, which includes brushing your teeth and maintaining a clean body and hair, is another aspect of your physical wellbeing that you might not be aware of.

A vital component of maintaining good physical health is to make sure you participate in yearly fitness examinations and screenings. Making this a habit will also make your daily life easier. Health professionals can evaluate your physical health by confirming that you engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day and that you maintain a healthy body weight.

A few examples of physical health resolutions include scheduling appointments for all necessary checkups, screenings, and vaccinations in the coming year, regularly attending fitness classes or exercising, limiting alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per week, increasing the amount of vegetables you eat each day, and so on.

Social Health

Your social wellbeing depends on how comfortable you are in social situations. Socially stable individuals are able to adapt to new circumstances and feel at ease engaging in conversation when they are faced with them. The capacity of each person to make new friends and to uphold long-standing, solid friendships is a key component of good social health.

Social health remedies include talking to your neighbor if you see them and giving one hour of your time each month to a charity of your choice. Additionally, aim to socialize with a new person once per month, or perhaps make sure to call a friend at least once per week. Check in with your doctor or make sure to ask for advice from one when you are making a decision regarding your health.

Relationships with other people are a part of our social health. Along with coworkers, it could also be family, friends, or associates. How a person interacts with others in their environment or community is referred to as having a positive social health. They must have the capacity to relate, care about others, ask for and offer help, and establish and maintain relationships. These connections can take place at social gatherings, at work, at school, or elsewhere.

Interaction Between The Sides Of The Health Triangle

The Health Triangle depends on each of its three sides. For instance, a person who is extremely sociable and stays up late partying might not be getting enough sleep. Her physical health, as well as possibly her mental health, will be compromised if she also uses alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Think about someone who is meticulous about their diet and exercise. This person frequently forgoes hanging out with friends out of concern for skipping a workout. Due to strict dietary requirements, he might shy away from dining with others. Even though this person’s social health is lacking, his physical health is excellent. Loneliness can result from this, which could ultimately harm mental health. Now picture a senior citizen who has Alzheimer’s disease. This is a physical condition that could lead to learning difficulties, which could be detrimental to mental health. See more about Is Oat Or Oatmeal Good For Gut Health?

What Makes The Health Triangle Important?

Your overall health can be determined using the health triangle. You must maintain a balance among all three aspects of your wellbeing.

All three sides of the health triangle are linked. If one is out of balance, the other two might also be. As a result, those who have ongoing medical issues are more likely to experience mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

It’s acceptable if you believed that the only thing that matters is your physical well-being. This is very general because we learned to maintain our health by putting all of our attention on our diet and exercise in school or from the media.

Individuals’ overall health is significantly influenced by their mental and social well-being as well. Neglecting one of the three facets of health can have an impact on the other two as well.

How Health Triangle Affects You?

Health depends on a variety of factors. One thing you cannot control is your genetic makeup. You can change your behavior, for instance.

Time and energy are wasted trying to keep up with people you can’t control. To promote your health, concentrate on those things you can control.

Some elements that influence health include:

The environment

• Affordability and accessibility of health care
• Having access to fresh water and nutritious food
• The living conditions must be acceptable
• Financial stability is the key to meeting your needs

The attitude

• Illness, pain, and misfortune are viewed as an attitude
• Beliefs, perceptions, and perceptions of diet and body image

The behavior

• Maintaining personal wellbeing
• Eating a nutritious diet on a daily base
• Being physically active regularly
• Smoking and drinking are high-risk activities that should be avoided

The technology

• With fitness trackers, you can get insights into your physical activity and be motivated to stay active
• Eye strain (headaches and dry eyes) can be caused by too much technology use
• Electronic devices can also lead to sleep problems and mental health issues

Network for social support

• Family and friends’ support
• Support programs at local levels

The biology and genetics discipline

• The inherited condition of one’s health determines the biological responses one experiences throughout one’s life
• Health care can be inequitably accessed based on age and gender

How Could The Health Triangle Be Out Of Balance?

The health triangle may also be thought of as a structure. It is crucial to take social, mental, and physical factors into account if one wants to achieve optimal health. A balanced health triangle is triangular in shape and has equal angles on all three sides.
If one side of a triangle is inconsistent, the triangle is said to be unstable. In other words, if you ignore one side of the health triangle, it may result in issues on the other.
Two sides may experience health issues if one side is neglected or is weakened.
To prevent an imbalance in your health triangle, it would be best if you worked on all facets of your well-being. You must take care of all three in order to achieve optimal well-being.

How To Maintain A Balanced Health Triangle

Once you’ve determined where you fall short in the health triangle evaluation, concentrate on the area that requires the most improvement. Maintaining a successful health triangle and a healthy lifestyle depends equally on all three of its components. If you’ve been concentrating only on your physical well-being, think about how you can improve your mental and social well-being.

Maintain Physical Health

There are many aspects to keeping up your physical health. Here are some strategies you can use to enhance your physical well-being: 

Regular Exercise

Regular physical activity is necessary for leading a safe lifestyle. It is advised that you work out for at least 30 minutes each day. It doesn’t have to be a strenuous workout; a simple stroll will do. Make an effort to rotate your body throughout the day. Even just regularly getting up from your desk to get a drink or use the restroom can help.

Being Mindful About Your Nutrition And Diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential for energy and development. As a result, you become less prone to illness because your immune system is strengthened.

Keeping In Mind To Stay Hydrated

Men need 11–15 cups of fluids per day while women need 9–12 cups. Your body will function more efficiently and your sleep will be of higher quality if you stay hydrated. Additionally, staying hydrated helps to control mood, keep you cool, flush toxins out of your body fluids, and regulate body temperature.

Getting Used To A Sleeping Pattern

Your body will receive the proper amount of rest it requires if you get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. It also helps to develop sound sleeping habits to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Stay away from activities that will keep you up until bedtime, such as using mobile devices.

Skincare

Put on sunscreen if you’re going outside to protect your skin. Skin cancer risk is decreased, the aging process is postponed, and the skin is protected by sunscreen.

Ensuring To Shower

You can keep up good hygiene by taking a shower and washing your hands. It contributes to maintaining bodily cleanliness and limits the spread of germs.

Making A Habit To Brush Your Teeth

To maintain good oral health, brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. This helps maintain oral hygiene and prevent gum disease.

Doctor Checkups

You can make sure you’re in good health by going to the doctor frequently. The doctor typically keeps track of blood pressure, physical exams, and all other healthy-signaling procedures.

Maintain Mental Health

Stress from relationships, jobs, or education can lead to poor mental health. Because of this, it’s crucial to learn healthier stress-reduction methods. Here are some suggestions to help you enhance your mental health:

Practice Self-care

Increase your level of self-care by becoming more aware of your thoughts and emotions, and increase your self-awareness by learning to control your emotions and behavior. This can entail keeping a journal, talking to someone about how you’re feeling, and facing up to stressful or anxious situations.

Practice Mindfulness

A method for focusing and calming your thoughts is mindfulness. Consciousness results in a more upbeat outlook. in being present in the moment, more approachable, and welcoming.

Treat Mental Illnesses Seriously

The same methods used to treat physical illnesses should also be used to treat mental illnesses. Ask your family and friends for help, or if you can, seek out professional help.

Build Resilience

Put relationships first, encourage self-worth, and lessen guilt to boost resilience.

Increase Happiness

You can release one of the four pleasure chemicals by participating in hobbies and activities you enjoy. Taking in the fresh air, creating art, or simply listening to music are a few examples.

Physical Activity

In addition to its physical advantages, exercise can also help to reduce stress, anxiety, and any tension that has accumulated within the body. Yoga, stretching, or your preferred physical activity will all lift your spirits and help you feel better.

Maintain Social Health

Families should cooperate to reduce conflict and negativity. Strong, hospitable friendships can reduce stress and raise one’s self-esteem as well as their level of satisfaction. Listed below are some suggestions for improving your social well-being:

Building A Support Network Around You

You’ll be able to keep up your social wellbeing if you’re in a loving, responsible, respectful, and balanced relationship.

Bonding Over Common Interests Of Others

A great way to meet new people is to join a group or club that shares your interests or a hobby. Developing friendships with people who share your interests is a great way to meet new people.

Being A Part Of Volunteering Services

A great way to volunteer is to take part in group activities. Being more sociable also helps. Volunteering is good for your mind and body and enables you to interact with the group and make connections. New job opportunities may also result from it.

Taking Part In Social Events

Do not be hesitant to attend a social event if you are invited. Accept and make sure to show up. You’ll feel better about yourself and be more resistant to the damaging effects of stress if you socialize.

Conclusion

To summarize, there are three sides to the health triangle:

1. Physical Health: Your bodies ability to function normally
2. Mental Health: Your ability to manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
3. Social Health: Our relationships and how we communicate with those around us

Following these steps will help you maintain your health triangle:

1. Perform health triangle assessment with the printable worksheet
2. Identify areas of the health triangle you are lacking and doing well
3. Identify a few ways to maintain the aspects of the health triangle you are doing well
4. Identify a few ways to improve the aspects you are lacking in
5. Continue to maintain those aspects regularly

The amount of work necessary to maintain all three aspects may overwhelm you as you read through this list, but you are not alone. When promoting two or three things at once, think about combining your efforts.

Consider joining a running club, for instance, if you enjoy running. You’ll be able to interact socially with people who share an interest with you while also preserving your physical and mental wellbeing.

As a starting point, check out these excellent articles on mental health. Please feel free to distribute this worksheet for the health triangle assessment to friends and family so they can use it and reap the benefits for themselves.