What is Deep Health?
Key Idea 1: Your life is interconnected
Analogy / Story
In some schools they showed that those who exercise before class. Score better in the SATs
Idea
We mistakenly think that different aspects of our life are separate
We tend to think that we can compartmentalize the aspects of our lives.
So when I go for a run, I feel “I’m benefiting my body.” Not my mind. Or when I’m reading a book, I say, “I’m improving my mind” Or now I’m going to spend time with friends, I’ll say “I’m working on my relationships.”
We think of things like boxes. Or like apps on a phone.
We click one app and we do that one things. And then when we close the app it’s done.
Workout is one app. Relationships is another app. What we eat is a different app.
This approach is too compartmentalized
Instead, I want you to think of health as something else altogether. What if health is more like trying to fall asleep.
I’m going to sleep!! I need to sleep!! I want to sleep!! You’re never going to fall asleep. That’s never going to work.
But you have to tackle it indirectly. Instead of willfully working on something. You have to work around it. And you’ll improve it.
Pulling on one string to move another (Leverage)
I can’t force my health to move in the right direction. But I can tweak things around it. And make things move it.
Rue goldberg machine Gears Leverage
This works because unlike APPS on a PHONE, being healthy is not separate things like your body, or your mind, or your food.
Everything is connected. The secret to understanding health is to realize that everything is connected. What you eat has an effect on how you feel. And how you feel affects your motivation to workout. Working out affects your mood which affects your friendships.
It’s a lot to take in, but I think you’re already part way there.
The Mental Health Examples
We’re living through a mental health revolution.
Take for example mental health. May people today understand that mental health is an important part of our wellbeing.
Ways to improve mental health
Look at this list It’s different strategies to improve mental health But they’re not just focused on the brain or the mind They’re focused on different aspects of your life.
If you care about mental health, then you’re already on your way to understanding health very well.
You already understand, that to take care of your mental health, you work on every aspect of your life.
You can work on your mental health directly, but you can also work on it by exploring other aspects also.
Same Idea expanded. Everything in your experience is connected
Take that idea from mental health, and blow that up, and you have this concept called deep health.
The truth is, all things in your experience are connected. Your body is connected to your mind. And also your body is connected to your relationships, and to your environment. That is the main idea for today. What makes you healthy is not just what you do in the gym. Or what you eat on your plate.
How much time you spend with people that care about you and support you makes you healthy. Having a connection with something larger than yourself is part of health. The city or place you live in is part of you’re health.
So when I say, I want to be healthy. I usually mean, I want to exercise more, and I want to eat better food. But it should also mean, that I want to cultivate supportive relationships, and I want to live in an environment that’s good for me.
Everything goes well at the same time
Everything goes wrong at the same time
Example
Look at this example. Michael sleeps late, and he doesn’t get a good night’s sleep. He wakes up and feels cranky. Because of that, he’s mean to his friends. Sarcastic and sassy. Then he works out, he’s more likely to get injured.
On the other hand
You eat a good meal before your exam. And you’re able to perform well.
If you relax. you don’t have indigestion.
This is what is called Deep Health
(Show the deep health diagram)
What I’ve just described above is what I like to call Deep Health. It’s an idea that I borrowed from other health coaches and some counselors.
Deep health is another way of saying that being healthy is more than being physically fit. Deep health covers all dimensions of your life, including physical fitness. And if you want to be healthy for a long time, you can try to approach it from a deep health perspective.
What health researchers know is this:
- Everything in our lives are connected.
- If you are thriving in one area, then other areas of your life will get “propped up”
- For example, if you get a good night’s sleep (physical), you’re more likely to do well in an exam or presentation (mental), you’re also more patient and kind to people around you (relational)
- Conversely, if one area is struggling, other areas can be affected as well
- For example, if someone is judgemental or unsupportive of your goals (relational), it might affect your eating habits, and sleep (physical). It may even make you doubt yourself deeply (existential)
Answer the survey
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/deep-health
Here’s another footnote
I hope you have a basic understanding of deep health now. The next step is to go over each area, and try to understand- what areas am I doing well in? What areas come naturally to me? Where do I have inherent strengths? Where do I have inherent weaknesses?
This will give you some idea of how to design your health pratices well.
Going over each area
Getting a “Deep health” snapshot (at this point, I’ll ask them to draw the diagram, and we’ll fill it up togehter)
Physical Health
Physical health is what everyone thinks of when they think of being healthy. That’s exercise and diet.
Ask yourself here,
- How do you feel about your exercise and movement right now?
- And how do you feel about the food that you’re eating right now?
Score yourself higher here if:
Score yourself lower her if:
Do you have the physical freedom to do the things you want to do? Or is something holding you back? Like a bad back, or rickety knees?
If you’re happy with your physical health, the way you move and eat, then give yourself a higher score here. If you’d like to improve things, you can place yourself where you think you are.
Emotional Health
Emotional health focuses on the question: How well can I handle my emotions? Am I able to express my emotions appropriately?
Score yourself higher here if:
Score yourself lower here if:
These days, how is your emotional health?
Mental Health
Mental health over here is different from the mental health we talked about above. Here, the question to answer is, “Does my brain feel engaged by the things I am doing in my day?”
Score yourself higher if:
- These days, I feel really engaged with my work and hobbies.
- I like the problems that I’m encountering now. I like trying to solve them
- I feel stimulated during my day.
Score yourself lower if:
- These days I feel quite bored and uninterested
- I feel like I’m mostly doing things mindlessly
- I can’t even remember how I spent my day
Existential Health
Existential Health talks about your sense of purpose. Do you have a goal and clear motivation for yourself. Do you know why you do the things you do?
Score yourself higher here if:
- I feel like I’m building towards my future
- I can imagine
Score yourself lower here if:
- I feel like I’m stuck
Relational Health
Relational Health has to do with the people around you. Are you supported by close friends and relatives? Do you have people in your life that can help you with your goals?
Score yourself high
- You have someone you can talk to when you’re in distress
Score yourself low if:
- You feel more disconnected and isolated
- You feel like you’re struggling alone
What do you need from your loved ones in order to help you work on your health
Environmental Health
Environmental Health has to do with the space you find yourself in. This can be many things. Are you surrounded by green and life where you live? Are you happy with your home? Your city?
Score yourself higher here if:
- Your environment makes it easier for you to be health
Score yourself lower here if:
- You feel unsafe or insecure with where you live
- You feel restricted by factors that are outside of your control.
Is there any way to change your environment, to help you meet your goals?
Breakout rooms will go here.
(How is this going to happen)
Bringing it back and getting ideas in
Is it Overwhelming or Empowering?
The challenge is that problems are connected. The good news is that solutions are connected too!
Focus on your strengths! Don’t force yourself, “trick” yourself.
Relational is strong for you? Instead of forcing yourself to exercise or eat well Recruit some friends to do it with you.
Mental is strong for you? Instead of forcing yourself to exercise Why don’t you do some research- Study and see what you learn. This may motivate you more (I have booklists)
Key takeaway for me here: But the perspective I like to take is that there are many things you can do! If you can’t exercise right now, because it’s the pandemic, that’s okay. You can spend time with family- and you’re still taking care of your health by doing that.
Pull your health by focusing on different things.
Key Idea 2: It looks different for every person
Analogy
Who’s the healthiest here
Bodybuilder-
Father who spends time with their kids
Student who hangs out with friends, volunteers at a hospital.
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The fish swim thing from Einstein the image of the test? Something that talks about best fit.
Idea
Deep health looks different for each of us. What it means for you to be healthy is very different than what it means for me to be healthy.
The best example that we’re all familiar with here is the different between introverts and extroverts. An introvert will spend their night chatting with a friend online, and they can feel that their relational score for deep health is good. But for an extrovert, that might not be enough. So they would score themselves lower in that situation.
But for some people. It makes them self conscious. They feel awkward. They can’t focus on their movements.
So for different people, the social support for them to be healthy looks different.
But this is true for all dimensions!
Maybe for physical exercise- you like to go on long runs. And that’s really motivating for you. But another person like to swim. Someone else likes yoga.
There’s no one best workout. There’s just the best workout for you.
Key Idea 3: Try running mini-deep-health experiments.
Analogy
I’m going to go to the gym everyday FOR THE WHOLE YEAR
Exploring and being surprised The best travel stories CISV - You don’t know what to expect
Idea
Becuase different things work for different people, you’re going to have to try out things for yourself. And to make it much less overwhelming, I found that doing small mini experiments through the year are much better to learn.
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Consider your deep health
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Think about what you’d like to work on
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I follow this template
For the next 10 days, I’m going to work on ((pick an area)) by trying to ((pick an activity)). ((Pick a person)) is going to help me by ((some specific way))
Two weeks later: After trying to ((activity)) for two weeks, I noticed that ((What worked well)). I also noticed that I struggled with ((what was difficult)). If I do this again I would consider ((some alternatives))
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10 days, so that it’s not such a big commitment.