The three equal sides of the triangle represent a well balanced lifestyle of healthy living.  Its purpose is to provide a visual measure for maintaining a balanced lifestyle, accomplishing an optimal life.  As our own health and wellness concerns increase, focus on healthy living and balanced lifestyles become popular topics of interest.

In a perfect world all three sides are equal to each other at all times.  In real life, daily adjustments are made as needed.  In order to maintain balance in our lives, the triangle requires symmetry between the three sides.  What are the three characteristics of the health triangle?  And how do we achieve stability in our lives using the health triangle?

The three sides of the health triangle signify the relationship between our physical, mental and social well-being

Physical Factors

The World Health Organization sees the physical factor as a major side of the health triangle. Genetics can play a role in the physical side as our habits and behaviors are learned and developed during our early stages of life. As we mature, circumstances or events in our lives trigger changes to our physical habits and behaviors.

Mental Factors

This side is about our mental capacity in handling how we feel and respond, how we reason and manage the situations that occur in our lives. This side of the triangle is especially important because this is where we learn to change our bad habits that aren’t working to our best advantage.  It's also the side where we learn to master our newly acquired ability to keep the new behavior.

Social Factors

The third side of the triangle is our social community. For some people it can be the most difficult side of the triangle to deal with, because it involves acceptances from the public, from our family and from our peers. The social support received from a trusted group or individual is the strength that helps us to work through difficulties. It is also where we share our successes.

Summary

Since we can’t control life’s challenges, we need to be conscious of the adjustments that put each side back into an equal balance. When any of the sides of the health triangle are out of balance, our health becomes compromised.

Here’s how you do that:

• A healthy diet should include proper nutrition with a lifestyle that includes both a regular routine of physical activities and mental challenges.
• Be sure to get enough rest and sleep so that your body can repair and heal from its daily schedule.
• Positive thoughts are part of healthy living that manages life’s stressful moments. They act as nutrients for our bodies to function with calmness and rationality.
• A strong social support group can be a life saver. They help to build our confidence and positive self-image during times of struggle.

Sources: World Health Organization

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