This entry is part 6 in the concluding series on the seven dimensions of wellness, which discusses intellectual health. This, I find most stimulating and also challenging. Mental stimulation is often confused or misrepresented, as are other facets of stimuli or actions. For instance, visual and audio stimuli often replace mental stimuli. We spend more time listening to music or engrossed in screen time, instead of reading, writing and researching. To which there is nothing wrong with the aforementioned in moderation, intellectual health is vital for us to feel whole or engaged cognitively. This, in turn, provides us with mental food (if you will) that sustains our cognitive development. Just as food sustains and provides nutrients to our body, mental stimuli provides nutrients to our mind and energy to strengthen our cognitive development.
I often say, "We will never be, what we never think.", and this is true. The question here is, do we allow or challenge ourselves to think? Of course, I know we think everyday; often about what to wear, what time to get up, things that define our mundane routines. However, I'm talking about thinking about matters and occurrences that define us, the work we do, and the people we impact. Intellectual health and stimulation is largely impacted by those one associates with. As the old cliche reminds us, birds of a feather flock together... Though the caliber of person we would like to associate with be of a feather, we would do well to find those who challenge our thoughts.
Our intellectual health can be and is vital to our overall health, and of course most would whimsically and systematically draw the simple (and at times puerile) conclusion, that information unlearned is not acted upon. Though, this over simplified correlation has truth written in it, it's just not comprehensive.
So, let's think about this a little deeper, shall we? Our health is based off numerous factors (many of which have been discussed in this blog under The Seven Dimensions of Wellness series) and are all related in one way or another. Our intellectual health can impact our ability to socialize, by our limited exposure to information or our own poor cognitive development. Also, by not challenging ourselves intellectually, we may choose poor environments that affect our health, or undermine the importance of spiritual health and give no attention to our own inner peace; this in turn could lead to forms stress, and affect our emotional health. By drawing more comprehensive lines through intellectual health towards all other matters of health, gives us an ability to think collaboratively about how all aspects of our life are impacted and vital to one another.
Our health is important, and addressing only one aspect (health, through diet and exercise) can only lead to lapse in our overall progression. Think of it this way, if diet and exercise encompass one aspect of health (physical health) out of seven total sections, that is only 14% of the complete person. This from any perspective proves to be inadequate, at best.
Having a healthy intellectual existence, bodes well, and continues to ask us to persist in challenging ourselves in both thought and action. We can improve the way we understand concepts, position opposing views, and aid others in comprehending vital points necessary to meeting objectives. Our ability to be cognitive, or present in thought demands for us to be intellectually healthy.
This may be one of the areas of health that require the most external support. Creating environments, groups and activities that could strengthen us in this area could open so many more opportunities that impact far more of us than intended. So, as we look at intellectual health, keep in mind that the more we invest in this area the more we can impact others.
"The measure of your health is in your ability to do..., but the measure of your intelligence is showing your wisdom." - Jason Gillette
