Physical, social, mental, and intellectual health are all components of a health and wellness lifestyle, but there is one aspect that many seem to overlook- cultural health. Cultural health is a combination of our social and physical health as it is influenced by our belief systems, community, values, and behaviors that can influence other aspects of our health and well-being. Cultural health and wellness is also the act of accepting those who come from different belief systems through interaction, education, acceptance, and participation.
- The role of Culture in health and wellness: When we hear the word culture we think of tradition, and don’t really think about how it can play a role in our health and well being. But in reality, it plays a significant role in other aspects of our health, and a part of achieving total wellness. Being able to connect and accept more than one culture can result in a positive feeling of belonging and identity, resulting in a promising impact on your mental health and a sense of well being.
- How to improve your Cultural health: Being able to embrace one’s own culture is just one way to improve your cultural health. Allow yourself to be taught about the different cultures that are out there and be accepting of opportunities and others with different cultures to become more knowledgeable and open-minded. Share your culture with others and allow them to share theirs to build diverse friendships. This not only enhances cultural health but social health as well.
- Benefits of being culturally healthy: Having cultural resources like art, music, and other creative teaching tools can improve health, safety, and well being. A study done in New York concluded that low-income communities and neighborhoods with cultural resources are healthier, safer, and smarter than areas that have less cultural tools. The study also concluded that culture is a significant part of a healthy community due to the perspective it gives.
- The culture of health and wellness: Living a healthy lifestyle and improving one’s overall well-being is a type of culture we suggest everyone to take part in. Many businesses encourage their employees to join into a corporate health and wellness culture to improve their effectiveness and happiness, but you don’t need a company to get on board! The culture of health and wellness can be obtained by anyone who wants to live a healthier and happier life. The culture of health goes beyond the workplace as it should be practiced everywhere within communities, households, and individuals.
- How culture influences health: Everyone has different beliefs and traditions that make life meaningful. Culture consists of many aspects of life such as ethnicity, gender, income and educational level, and values that play a role in your health status. Take nutrition- many different cultures can offer what another culture doesn’t in terms of healthy eating. Thus, knowing a variety of cultural cuisines can be beneficial in understanding and incorporating the positive aspects of different cultures into one’s own lifestyle.
