What is World Health Day?
World Health Day is on Sunday 7 April. It’s a day specifically dedicated to raising awareness about health issues that affect people worldwide. One of the main goals of the day is to raise awareness about the importance of good health. Each year the WHO (World Health Organisation) announce a theme, this year’s theme is ‘My health, my right’.
The World Health Organisation stated that this year’s theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination.
What is meant by the term health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Did you know that the 3 states of health make up your health triangle?
The 3 states of health explained:
Physical – Is defined as the normal functioning of the body. This doesn’t just relate to participating in physical activity, in fact physical health includes your diet and nutrition, getting enough sleep to recharge for the next day, right through to taking care of your teeth and keeping your body and hair clean.
Mental – The ability to manage thoughts, emotions and behaviours which enable us to cope with the daily stresses of life, realise our abilities which help us learn and work well. Mental health underpins our abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.
Social – The ability to form and maintain healthy relationships with others. This can include family, friends or peers and co-workers. Social Health is also about how we communicate with one another, react to people in their environments, be that at home, college or in social gatherings, as well caring for one another and seeking/lending support.
Why is your health triangle so important?
Your health triangle helps you measure your overall health, all 3 components contribute to your overall wellbeing, therefore it is important to have all 3 areas equally balanced. If one element of your health triangle becomes unbalanced this can impact on the others areas too. Each area is interlinked and it’s important to focus on each area to maintain overall wellness.
Can my health triangle become unbalanced?
In one word, yes!
When one area of your health triangle is neglected and becomes weakened these impacts on the other two areas, potentially causing you health issues within these areas. You can prevent this happening by focusing on all 3 health states equally to maintain overall wellness.
There are a variety of factors which can impact the 3 states of health, these include:
- Biology and Genetics
- Environment
- Attitude
- Behaviour
- Technology
- Social support network
Want to know what your health triangle looks like?
Why not complete a health triangle assessment worksheet
Top tips for maintaining a good health triangle:
Physical
- Keep hydrated and maintain a balanced diet
- Exercise
- Sleeping 7-9 hours a day gives your body the rest it needs
- Take care of your body
Mental
- Practice self-care
- Practice mindfulness
- Build a support network
- Start a gratitude journal
Social
- Get involved in social events
- Build a solid support network around you
- Bond over common interests with people
Feeling worried about your health or wellbeing and want some advice or guidance?
You can speak with the Student Services Team here at Confetti who can signpost you to support.
The Student Services Team are available Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm (excluding bank holidays). If you’d like to contact them you can do so online at https://confetti.ac.uk/sstreferral/, visit them in person on campus or call 0115 952 2075 to book a meeting.
Another good source of information can be found on the NHS Website.
