Taking care of our health should be a priority during any stage of our lives. This will help us to have an excellent quality of life at all levels and ages.
According to the definition developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Thus, it is clear that beyond pathologies, health encompasses various factors that intervene in the quality of life of each person. A healthy person, therefore, would be one who enjoys a full and happy life at all levels.
How can we take care of our physical health?
Enjoying a good state of health can be achieved through various actions and maintained for a long time or lost due to various reasons.
To be healthy, a person should:
- Follow a healthy and balanced diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid the consumption of toxic or addictive substances such as tobacco, alcohol or any type of drug.
- Perform the pertinent medical check-ups or control possible complications. Here it plays a fundamental role to have a good health insurance that can support you in case of any disease with the best professionals and coverage.
The WHO states that it would be enough to maintain a healthy diet, a normal weight and a certain amount of physical activity throughout life to prevent a third of cancer cases. At the other extreme, we find that inadequate eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle and tobacco consumption cause up to 80% of premature coronary heart disease.
How to take care of our mental health?
The importance of taking care of our health also includes the psychological aspect and emotions. Having a positive attitude towards life, establishing healthy personal relationships, limiting stressful situations and promoting optimism are practices that we cannot lose sight of, as they will help us to improve our health.
Health effects of periods of crisis
Health is a state that can be achieved, but many of it is not easy to attain and many of it is easy to lose. The latter has become clear in recent months, as the current economic crisis has had an impact on the health of citizens. According to a study by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, a group backed by the WHO, the crisis has led to an increase in mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
It is also having an effect on infectious diseases, which are spreading, favored by the poorer living conditions of people with few resources, but also by the difficulties in accessing treatment and by the fall in the quality of the public health system. This is the case of the appearance of new outbreaks of malaria in Greece, a disease that is extinct in Europe, or the increase in HIV infections among drug addicts in that country.
World Health Day is celebrated every April 7 and reminds us that the importance of taking care of our health will be the key to face our day to day life with energy, vitality and a smile. It is in our hands to reach an optimal state of health or, on the contrary, to lead a life full of depressive episodes, fatigue, decay, etc. Do not forget to take care of your body and mind, and above all, try to relativize all the problems that surround you.