The 5 Dimensions of Health: Mental Health
As humans, we are complex, multi-dimensional beings. I believe we all have 5 dimensions or layers that affect our well-being. An imbalance or weakness in one dimension or layer can cause an imbalance or weakness in any of the other layers.
The 5 dimensions of health are:
Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual
Energetic
Last month, I dove into the factors that have the most direct impact on physical health. Now let’s dive into the dimension of mental health.
A person’s mental health can have a major impact on their physical health, and vice versa. It’s a two-way street.
Beliefs and thought patterns can fall into three general categories. They can be fear-based, love-based, or neutral in nature. Fear-based thought patterns are generally focused on the past or the future, and are often linked to emotions like worry, doubt, anxiety, regret, guilt, or shame. These thought patterns can feel like they are stuck in a never-ending loop - replaying a conversation that went wrong and ruminating on what you could or should have said or done differently. Feeling worried about all the unknowns that lie in the future, and trying to sort through all of the “What ifs”.
Love-based patterns are generally more focused on the present or have a reflective quality of intentionally remembering with gratitude. Love-based thought patterns often have an “I am” component to them. “I am loved. I am at peace. I am calm.”
When a person’s thoughts are running in a fear-based pattern, it triggers a stress response in the body, most importantly in the nervous system. It can put their body into a full-fledged fight/flight/freeze response. Thoughts left to run amok dysregulate the nervous system, triggering a cascade through the rest of the body’s systems that can throw the immune system, endocrine system, digestive system, and more out of balance.
This is why trying to heal the body without addressing mental health can be a futile attempt. For the nervous system and body to feel safe enough to engage in healing, the mind must also feel safe and be in a calm, peaceful state.
Some of my favorite tools for cultivating mental health include:
I use these tools personally, and recommend them frequently to my clients as part of their journey toward health and wholeness. If you are interested in addressing all five dimensions of your health in a heart-centered way, contact me at Sage Wellness Center to schedule an initial consultation or book an appointment today!