The 10 types of health and their characteristics

Our health depends on a multitude of factors, and not all of them are limited to physical well-being.

When we talk about health, it is common for many people to think about physical health, about whether or not a person is suffering from an illness. However, the concept of health is much broader, the concept of health is much broader and encompasses other areas of our lives..

There are different definitions of this concept, but one of the most accurate is that of the WHO, which was made public in the Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization, which was approved at the International Health Conference held in New York in 1946. This definition, which has not been modified since then, states that health is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being".

Types of health, explained

Next we will see what are the characteristics of each type of health.

Physical health

Physical health refers to the general physical condition of people at a given time. It is the well-being of the body, and the optimal functioning of the body. It is the absence of disease and the good physiological functioning of the organism.. Viral attacks or injuries have a negative effect on our physical health, which is also altered by other factors. That is why it is necessary:

• Rest and sleep properly, as well as how to rest when necessary.
• Eat well and ingest nutrients appropriately.
• Do sports and maintain a good physical condition.
• Take care of personal hygiene to avoid infections and diseases.
• Visiting the doctor regularly to detect illnesses.
• To be in emotional harmony, since emotional health affects physical health. For example, when a person suffers from stress, his or her immune system is weakened..

Mental health

Mental health, also often referred to as emotional health, is a complex concept. not only refers to whether or not a person suffers from a psychological disorder.. It is characterized by having a high level of self-esteem, feeling good about oneself, being motivated about life and having life goals that help you live your days with optimism and hope, the ability to be resilient and to cope with problems and to enjoy emotional balance, autonomy and a life free of stress and excessive worry.

To improve emotional health, it is possible to follow tips such as these:

• Take an Emotional Intelligence workshop to improve the ability to manage emotions.
• Doing sportsBecause it not only improves the appearance and physical condition, but also facilitates the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin or endorphins, which cause a feeling of pleasure and happiness.
• Doing activities that make us enjoy and give meaning to our life.
• To have vital objectivesthat are realistic and strive for them.
• To promote positive interpersonal relationships.
• Live in the present and practice acceptance..

You can learn more about these tips in the article "Emotional health: 7 tips to improve it".

3. Social health

Human beings are social beings, and much of our well-being is determined by the conditions that surround us, i.e. our environment.that is, our environment. In fact, even our own identity is constructed and developed in interaction with others.

However, social health is not simply the fact of having friends or not, but has to do with our living conditions, such as having a stable job, economic stability, having access to health care, access to recreational and leisure activities, etc.

Other types of health

In addition to the types of health mentioned in the previous lines, and which are part of the WHO definition, there are also other classifications of health, as we will see below.

1. Sexual health

Sexual health is a state of physical, mental and social health that is related to sexuality, that is, to enjoying one's own body and having healthy sexual relations. Sexual health problems can be varied. To learn more, you can read our article: "The 8 most common sexual problems and how to treat them".

2. Eating health

Eating healthy is an important part of our organism. Dietary health is related to the nutrients we ingest and the amounts we eat, as well as the times we eat. and the amounts we eat, as well as the times at which we eat.

3. Environmental health

Environmental health is health that is linked to the environment in which a person lives.. That is, it is the external factors that affect a person. For example, the work environment can cause stress which, in turn, can cause psychological problems such as anxiety, insomnia and depression, but also physical problems such as diarrhea or constipation.

The noise pollution of a place also refers to environmental health, because exposure to harmful noise can cause physical health consequences to a person.

4. Public health

It is the collective health and the influence of political political decisions in ensuring the health of a given population.. It is related to the protection managed by governments.

5. Economic health

A type of health based on having good economic stability and a balance between income and expenses, whether of a person or of a financial project, that is not negative.

6. Family health

The family is important in the development of a person and his or her health, but there are families that are considered toxic because of their harmful influence due to their harmful influence because of their relational patterns.. Good family health positively affects its members.

7. Occupational health

Occupational health has to do with the application of measures to maintain a positive work climate measures to maintain a positive work environment and to promote the well-being of employees.. In our article "12 signs that indicate that you are in a toxic work environment" we go deeper into this topic.