Health and wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all. In a recent article in Pure Living Nashville, Level’s Director of Integrative Wellness Joey Flamm explores the increase in holistic health approaches, concierge medicine, and why Nashville is a healthcare powerhouse.

But do you know the basic factors that make your health unique to you? Biology, psychology, lifestyle, and environment impact our wellness on a daily basis.

“Together, they paint a picture of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go on our health and wellness journey.” said Flamm.

And just like any ecosystem, the smallest change can have a large impact. Let’s break down these factors and the parts they play in our health and wellness.

Biological Factors

• Genetics is the biological study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity. Chromosomes affect traits like height, weight, hair and eye color, and predisposition to certain conditions or diseases. They also play a significant role in how our bodies respond to food and exercise.

• Hormones are chemical messengers in the body that impact everything from metabolism, growth, and sexual function to stress responses, appetite, sleep quality, and energy levels. Hormone imbalances can contribute to weight gain, mood swings, and persistent fatigue.

• Metabolism breaks down food into energy and uses that energy to sustain the body. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of calories used for basic daily functions, like breathing, cellular repair, circulation, and digestion. Factors that influence it include age, height, weight, gender, health conditions, diet, and activity. Knowing your BMR can help with weight management, exercise goals, and longevity.

But biology is only the beginning of the story. Psychology is how we interpret the world around us.

Psychological Factors

• Personality traits like optimism, resilience, and conscientiousness can positively influence health behaviors and coping strategies. Being an extrovert or introvert impacts the types of environments you’ll thrive in most. Understanding yourself and your natural tendencies is key to establishing healthy routines and environments.

• Mental health affects everything from decision-making to emotional regulation to lifestyle habits. It’s normal to feel “blue” from time to time. Negativity in the news and on social media is so prevalent that it can be hard to see the good in the world. Finding a therapist who understands you, an exercise routine that challenges and rewards you, or art that inspires you will make a world of difference. And you can always stay grounded in the present moment with a mantra like "you are ok, right now."

• Social media can help build relationships, but it can also compound the effects of loneliness. Doomscrolling and excessive screen time can result in a greater sense of isolation. In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared a loneliness epidemic. Loneliness has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, and overall cognitive decline. In the digital age, building community and meaningful human connections is vital to our mental health and well-being.

Lifestyle is where nature meets nurture. The sum of our consistent behaviors, habits, interests, and values constitute our unique way of life.

Lifestyle Factors

• Nutrition helps fuel our lifestyle. Growing up, we all heard "you are what you eat.” While that may have been our parents’ way of getting us to eat vegetables, it’s still good advice. Eating healthy provides energy and longevity. And eating healthy is different for everyone.

• Sleep restores us—body and mind—so we can face another day. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Anxiety, stress, age, diet, and even fatigue can interfere with healthy sleep patterns. Whether you need complete darkness or a cool environment, finding the sleep pattern that works for you—and sticking to it—helps increase brain function, strengthen the immune system, and improve mood.

• Exercise exists in all forms and all locations. Adults should get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity) each week. In a gym, your home, or outside, add strength training to build and support muscles, or yoga to improve flexibility and balance. If you have a desk job, schedule breaks to take a walk or stretch. Put it on your calendar so a meeting won’t interfere. Getting outside will help clear your head, too!

Speaking of outside, our environment—natural and built—has a profound impact on our health and wellness.

Environmental Factors

• Stress is, unfortunately, part of life. Jobs and families come with responsibilities and to-do lists that can wear us down. Prolonged stress can result in trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, manic emotions, and damage to your immune system. You may not be able to quit your job or your family, but managing stress—through therapy, meditation, or recreation—will help you find calm in a frustrating world.

• Community is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Having strong relationships with people you can rely on helps with mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness. People with close connections tend to enjoy better overall health. Get an exercise buddy, join a book club, take a walk with family; whatever works for you!

• Nature is simultaneously calming and energizing. Creating a space with clean air, an abundance of natural light, and living plants promotes both physical and mental wellness. Small changes—like owning an air purifier, spending time in nature, or working near a window—can make a huge difference in our health and well-being.

These factors are the foundation of Level’s five pillars—mind, body, beauty, nutrition, and community. Visit us for a tour or consultation to learn more about the factors impacting your health and how to create lasting wellness.