A Day’s Journey

South Africa— June 2022

South Africa was my first stop on my two-month Africa overland trip, which commenced with a trip to Zimbabwe then heading back down to South Africa. In one week driving from Zimbabwe to South Africa, I was able to see the Big 5 animals – lion, leopard, elephant, water buffalo, and rhino. In Cape Town, I began a new overland tour that passed through Namibia, Botswana, and back to Zimbabwe. Here I met my new friend group, which later earned the squad name “the Big Five.” So as you can see, the theme for South Africa was the near and dear term Big Five. Which brings me to my next post: What are the Big 5 of health?

I like to think of “health,” in the following big 5 categories: physical, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental. Let’s break down what each aspect of health entails:

Physical: Often what we initially picture health to be – our physical body. It is how we nourish our body, how we move it, and how we maintain it. Influenced by these external factors, as well as our internal body of hormones and the microbiome.

Mental: What we fill our mind with. The media we consume, the thoughts we have, our mood throughout the day.

Social: Who we associate with- whether it be our closest connections or casual acquaintances. People we confide in, bond with, and share experiences with. How we give and receive love to these individuals. Also includes “social determinants of health” – a broad category encompassing “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age,” (WHO). Examples include: education, finances, employment — all social factors that impact our health.

Spiritual: How we connect with ourselves, others, and the universe. What gives us purpose, values, and our “why” in life.

Environmental: Where we live or dwell. On the macroscopic level- our planet, country, city, neighborhood. On the microscopic level- our home and immediate living spaces. Keeping our environment clean and healthy too.

How, What, Who, Why, When?

A balance in each of the five categories brings optimal health into a persons’ life. On the contrary, an imbalance- meaning too much or too little- in each category can lead to sub-optimal health. The goal of my blog is to report about novel aspects of global health related to these big five categories – which I will be further breaking down into separate menus going forward.

In your own life… can you list at least three ways that you’re healthy in each of the Big 5? And are these balanced? What action steps can you take to improve the balance between the Big 5, thus optimizing your health? If you’re struggling to answer any of these- feel free to contact me! That is what a health coach is for, after all. 🙂

Here is my Big 5 list while I’m on the road!

1. Physical/How— at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day (HR over 130bpm), at least 7 hours of sleep per night, & eating 5+ servings of fruit/vegetables per day (30+ grams of fiber)

3. Social/Who — FaceTiming my family, checking in with friends, & being open to new friendships and connections on the road

2. Mental/What— consuming media(podcasts, books, etc.) that will contribute to my growth mindset, setting aside quiet down-time for myself, & journaling

4. Spiritual/Why— meditating at least 5 minutes per day, aligning my actions with my values, & keeping an unbiased curiosity when traveling to new places

5. Environmental/Where — minimizing my plastic consumption, getting to know the flora/fauna of a new place, & de-cluttering and cleaning my hostel space, tent, and/or backpack 🙂