Photo Credit: Benjavisa
Being healthy requires moving from suffering to strength through reducing physical, emotional, and social or spiritual suffering to experience a fuller life.
What does being healthy mean? Many think of eating well, exercising, or avoiding illness, but those goals only scratch the surface. Dr. Kenneth Zweig, a colleague of mine at Northern Virginia Family Practice Associates, suggests it’s about something more: freedom from lingering physical or emotional distress. Life naturally includes setbacks, but ongoing suffering—whether rooted in illness, social connections, or past events—can prevent us from truly thriving.
The Three Pillars of Health
Health is often viewed through a narrow lens, but it encompasses three key areas: physical, emotional, and social/spiritual well-being. Addressing each is vital to reducing distress and achieving a fuller life.
- Physical Health. This includes what most people associate with being healthy: exercise, sleep, and diet. However, physical health is not simply about working out harder or eating the “right” foods. It’s about creating habits that minimize strain on the body over time, supporting endurance and vitality.
- Emotional Health. Emotional health involves more than avoiding stress or sadness. It means having the tools to navigate challenges, recover from setbacks, and sustain a sense of purpose. Prolonged emotional strain can weigh as heavily as physical ailments, so tending to mental well-being is just as essential.
- Social and Spiritual Health. The connections we maintain—with others, our beliefs, or a sense of greater meaning—play a quiet but significant role in health. Isolation or unresolved personal struggles can deepen distress, while meaningful relationships and reflection can offer comfort and strength.
Suffering Beyond the Body
In his landmark 1982 article, Dr. Eric Cassell described suffering as a severe unease that threatens a person’s sense of wholeness. Suffering isn’t limited to physical pain. It often stems from experiences, social disconnection, or spiritual concerns. Sometimes, all it takes is asking the right questions and offering support to uncover suffering.
Bridging the Disconnect: A Case Study
Dr. Zweig’s patient came in for a checkup, driven by intense workouts but weighed down by poor eating and sleep habits. When asked what he hoped to achieve, the patient struggled to define “healthy.” This disconnect is common—many chase physical goals without understanding their purpose. Dr. Zweig helped him create balance and keep his motivation alive by reducing the patient’s long-term strain.
Beyond the Biomedical Approach
Traditional medicine often divides the body from the mind, overlooking the interconnected nature of well-being. Dr. Cassell’s rejection of this division reinforces the importance of considering the whole person when addressing health concerns. Reflection and support in personal or spiritual areas can ease suffering and promote healing in ways a strictly physical approach cannot.
Dr. Zweig’s philosophy aligns with these ideas. By addressing lingering physical and emotional burdens, he encourages people to embrace habits that offer lasting relief. Whether it’s modifying workouts, adjusting routines, or finding strength through social ties, the goal is to avoid illness and feel supported and free from the strains that hold us back.
Healthy living is more than just checking boxes for exercise, diet, and disease prevention. It’s an ongoing effort to reduce physical, emotional, and social or spiritual suffering so that we can experience a fuller, more purposeful life. By recognizing how these pillars influence others, we empower ourselves to address distress more holistically. Ultimately, being healthy isn’t just about avoiding illness; it’s about feeling supported and free to pursue what truly matters for us and those we care about.
