5 Pillars + Thinking Outside the Box for Mental Health by Erin Griffiths

I believe strongly that everyone is on their own individual path to wellness. For us to achieve health and balance, we must think “outside the box” in how we live our lives and in our treatments for health and wellness.

In holistic medicine, there are 5 pillars of healing that all must be addressed to achieve true, balanced health. I believe that pregnant women or new moms can explore the 5 pillars guide as a way to incorporate optimal self-care in this new phase of life.

1. Social: surround yourself with non-judgmental people who will support and uplift you and give you energy rather than draining it.
2. Intellectual: read an interesting book, draw, write in a journal, keep your brain active.
3. Spiritual: practice 10 minutes alone, quieting your thoughts and focusing your attention on things for which you are grateful – these can be the simplest things like the light coming through the window, the feel of warm water on your hands.
4. Physical: do some activity at least 3 times a week like yoga (go to Jane’s yoga classes!), walking, dancing. Let go of the “I have to exercise” and let in the “I GET to exercise.”
5. Mental: find a good therapist who can help you manage your stress, and give you tools to walk your path so that you feel content and powerful. Challenge the “shoulds” that you and others may tell you about how you are parenting and talk about any feelings of being overwhelmed even if it seems like you are the only one feeling these feelings; I assure you, you are not. Reach out to people who are supportive and loving.

Using these holistic approaches to think outside the box about mental health can help guide new moms (and everyone else) to a more open, content and balanced life.

Dr Erin Griffiths is a doctor of osteopathy (a DO) who practices holistic psychiatry in the Stonestown Medical Building in San Francisco . She is proud to offer alternatives to medications, including TMS treatment, as a holistic approach to mental health.
Erin believes firmly that we are defined not by our diseases but by our life experiences and that transformational change is brought about by working with the 5 pillars of holistic wellness. She leads her life with intention, love, and a sense of wonder and keeps the following quote close to her heart, “just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it turned into a butterfly.” Learn more about her work.