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The term “holistic” literally means being whole, and that term represents a comprehensive approach to something. The purpose of holism is physiological, psychological and social balance.
How to practice a more holistic approach to life?
The key thing is not to leave everything to logic, even though we want to at first. The advice is: Don’t turn off your emotions, even if it’s business. A holistic approach, that is, connecting all our wholes, including the BRAIN AND HEART, makes us more aware, satisfied and motivated, and so we succeed in all challenges! It is a true holistic approach to life.
What is holism and a holistic approach?
The term holism was adopted by Jan Christian Smuts [who lived from 1870 to 1950]. In the book “Holism and Evolution”, written in London in 1926, he defined holism as a theory, according to which the whole [“holos” in Greek means the whole] is more than the sum of its constituent parts.
Holism is a comprehensive approach, in which man is seen as a unity of body, soul and spirit. According to the holistic approach to health, the human organism is not a sum of individual parts, but a complex interconnected and interdependent system of life processes. A holistic approach is the key to wholesome life.
A holistic life for beginners
To live a holistic life, you should take care of all parts of yourself – not just the body, or just the mind. A holistic approach means that all parts of you are connected. Living a holistic life is much easier than most people think.
A holistic view of life comes down to healthy choices, for your body and mind, and taking the time to focus on your health. A holistic life is a lifestyle and way of thinking.
Include healthy foods in your diet and strengthen your immunity
Eating healthy, organic foods is an important part of a holistic approach to life: include healthy foods in your diet, not industrially processed, full of refined sugars and trans fats. Instead, choose foods rich in nutrients. You should eat a complete, balanced meal, several times a day.
By choosing the right food, which provides the whole package of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to receive, you will start to feel better both physically and mentally. It is holism in life, which will help preserve your health, strengthen your immunity and you will definitely feel what positive changes a holistic approach do your diet brings.
Increase physical activity to raise serotonin and dopamine naturally
Several research studies have shown that daily physical activity is one of the best ways to improve dopamine and serotonin levels. Regular exercise can help you get rid of stress, frustration and chronic fatigue, it just has to be an activity you really enjoy.
Take advantage and enjoy every moment
For many things, we need examples of successful people, who with their work and their own style, prove that they do the right, valuable things in life! You will surely believe this man:
“A holistic approach to life allows me to get the maximum potential out of my being, not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Exercises try to achieve peace and happiness and feel good. After all, the purpose of life is to create inner peace and enjoy every moment of your life” said Novak Djokovic.
Practice gratitude
Often due to the ever-faster pace of life, we don’t have time to be silent and think about the blessings of life. The word “thank you” [Serbian: Blagodarim] derived from the word “treasure” [in Serbian language] in the most beautiful version of thanks, evokes not only the beauty of the one who utters the words of gratitude, but also ennobles the one who receives the treasure of thanks! Most people are not aware that the art of living is in fact gratitude for life and all that it brings us.
Gratitude in a spiritual sense actually means awareness of the value of life. Practice gratitude, because when we are grateful, for what we have: gratitude for life, its lessons and gifts, it multiplies with the good in our lives. This is a wonderful way to practice a holistic life.
Control stress and exercise to reduce anxiety
For stress to occur, there must be a trigger. It is usually an external circumstance: family problems, deadlines at work, an overly demanding boss, or worries about a medical examination. Constant stress grows into anxiety – constant tension of the body and the body, which can deepen into mental illness. How to practice a holistic life in such situations? First with physical exercises.
The body thus recovers from the rush of adrenaline and cortisol. Be aware of what you can change and what you have no control over. Then focus your energy on solving what you can do, and come to terms with what you have no control over. Or listen to relaxing music, go for a quick walk in nature, or invite friends, who will relax you with laughter, witty conversations.
What are the benefits of a holistic lifestyle?
A holistic approach to life gives people the opportunity to live a complete, complete, harmonious life and to take greater control over it and their own health, because it empowers a person to take responsibility for the development of their abilities.
The holistic approach invites people to the spiritual awakening of humanity, in accordance with the partnership of the brain and heart. Why? The root of the main environmental problems on Earth are selfishness, greed and apathy.
To deal with that, we need to change spiritually and culturally. The main cure for this is HOLISM, in which science and spirituality work together! The wise believe that HOLISM is the key to human survival on Earth! This means that we need to raise our consciousness to the consciousness of unity and shift the focus from ME to US! Only then can we look with optimism at the future of the human species.
What is a holistic approach?
Having a holistic approach means looking at something as a whole interconnected entity; understanding the bigger picture, not only thinking outside the box but removing the box completely. The holistic approach to wellbeing has been around since the 4th Century BC, taught by Hippocrates who encouraged people to look at them themselves as a whole person rather than just focusing on a specific body part or illness. Although holistic health has been around for years, and still growing in popularity, having a holistic approach within companies is relatively new. Despite being a fresh concept, the approach is increasing in popularity among small and large companies worldwide.
What are the benefits of a holistic approach?
There are many benefits to companies using holistic approaches. It allows them to see which sections of the company are failing or are weaker compared to others.
For example, when looking at departments individually, it may seem that the two departments are failing or falling behind. However, when looked at as a whole, it may then appear that only one department is actually falling behind which, in turn, is impacting on the next department.
Even though the approach looks at the company as a whole, this doesn’t necessarily mean companies merge departments, it simply means they align a company to see and analyse the overall company aim. This approach gives equal importance and an overall shared purpose to every department and therefore can ensure a company is running to its full potential.
Companies such as Apple have successfully used a holistic approach when adapting their designs. Originally Apple’s products showed little resemblance to each other because each department worked separately with its own heads of design. By using a holistic approach, Apple looked at all their products as a whole and designed them to have an overall synthesis. This, in turn, powered their brand image. Customers now buy Apple products to own a piece of the brand, as well as the product itself. Other big-name companies such as Heineken, Nike, and Nespresso have also taken on holistic approaches, all of which have resulted in substantial growth and exposure.
Looking at markets and audiences holistically
Companies adopt a holistic approach for different reasons. However, one overall goal is usually growth - being that in a current local or international market, or when expanding globally.
As well as approaching companies and products with a holistic view, the holistic approach can also be used to look at a company’s market and audience, being that their current or potential.
It is important for companies to understand a market with cultural context so they can pursue growth with the specific needs of the culture at the forefront of their expansion. Using the same marketing techniques and structure in each country won’t make every growth or expansion venture successful.
For example, to look into the financial sector of India, a company wouldn’t just want to look at banks, but instead the financial environment as a whole. How people use banks in relation to their location, do they have access to banks directly? How do they save their money? How do they invest? All these factors - environments, accessibility, economy and values - build a country as a whole and by looking at only one or a few will not give a company the necessary overall view of the country.
It is vital for companies to not only understand how people use, spend and lend money, but why. For example, cash has always been the predominant payment method in India because paying in cash is easy and quick, unlike online payment methods which require a computer and a lengthy amount of time. As well as this, India has huge family values which means sending money to family members is important, and it is even more important that they can pick the money up in cash if they live rurally. This reliance on cash would be important for a company to know and understand.
Looking at the market as a whole is important. It gives the complete contextual story, not only allowing companies to tailor their marketing, business propositions, product features and shape to a specific culture but also to plan for the future. It helps to get the most out of the potential growth within a country, being that a current one or future expansion.
Understanding and implicating the cultural context of a specific market holistically ensures every aspect of a product or service is appropriately targeted, accessible, and desirable to the customers within it. This will not only help growth, but also retention and conversion.
What does this mean?
Developing holistic views on markets, businesses, companies, and products increase the likelihood of success and growth within a country. The more a company knows about the country and culture they’re in or expanding into, the better their global advances will be. The easier a product/service is to access and consume in a country, the more trust customers will have in that company. There is no such thing in knowing too much about a market.
These approaches also bring together the overarching purpose and mission of a company. They allow companies to get real insights into their current and future markets. With the proven success of holistic approaches undertaken by big-brand companies, it’s clear why the approach is increasing in popularity and recognition, with more companies taking on this approach to get the most out of their expansion, growth, retention and conversion ventures.
If you’d like to hear more about how we help other businesses view their current or future markets and audiences holistically, get in touch with us: .