Systems thinking and holism is at the root of my philosophy in health and life.
I’m fascinated by this foundational area of study because it teaches us how to think for ourselves and work with Mother Nature rather than against her.
Let’s get the definitions right first and create context.
What is a system?
It’s a set of interconnected things or elements and the relationship/interconnection between those things/elements.
One of the most interesting insights about a system is it has a life of its own. They have a purpose, are self-organizing, self-sustaining, and self-repairing.. while also responding to external stimuli in complex ways.
What is systems thinking?
This is a philosophy centered around the idea that human beings must study a system and understand how it works to best work with it rather than using naive manipulation tactics in an attempt to get what we want.
Here are some examples of a system:
A rainforest
The human body
An aquarium
A city or country
A soccer team
A corporation
The economy
Currencies
Universities
The U.S. military
Public education
Your business
The Self
The entire cosmos
As you can see, this is an incredibly important subject to master.
For this article, I’ll be covering how we can relate systems thinking into one’s health since the human body is a complex system.
A Quick Note on Holism & Holistic Thinking
Holism is the opposite of reductionism or atomism which is the idea that you can treat nature or any other given subject as a collection of discrete individual objects.
You’ll notice that both holism and holistic thinking intertwine with Systems Thinking because it seeks to understand the whole rather than the individual parts.
Most importantly, it seeks to understand the relationships within the whole.
The 18 Systems Thinking Principles (Applied to Your Health)
Bookmark this article and refer back to these principles.
These are the principles which guide System Thinking in all realms, not just health.
Problems are systemic, not personal
Refrain from putting the blame on doctors or Big Pharma for your health problems. In fact, only place the responsibility upon yourself because you haven’t studied the system of your body and holistic health.
Poorly designed systems create these problems, not the individual human beings or even collective groups. Stop casting blame towards others or calling them evil.See everything as a system
Do this as you go about your routine. Notice the elements within a given system and how they interact with one another. You’ll pick up on key insights.
Become aware of how your body responds to certain foods and food combinations, meal timing, alcohol/caffeine use. All the lessons are under your nose.Non-linearity
Systems have hundreds, if not thousands, of variables. Playing the game changes the rules of the game which makes it tricky. There’s a lot of unpredictability and you certainly can’t predict too far into the future.
One reckless lifestyle change can have drastic consequences for your well-being.Counter-intuitive
Systems don’t act how you think they will act.
Being naive will create a backfire effect.
You can see this play out in horror stories of people who did some wild detox or took supplementation to an extreme.Local actions have global impact
Understand that you are a part of a system. What you do affects an incredible amount of variables. See how you fit into the larger puzzle because your health (or lack thereof) not only impacts you, but the people around you.Become conscious of backfiring mechanisms
You are your own greatest enemy. Naive decisions have nasty health consequences which makes it ever more important to develop awareness around what you’re doing and how you can potentially respond.
This is why I have hesitations around the biohacking community. You can do all the research you want, but one wrong move can land you in a terrible situation.There are no easy, brute force solutions
Violent, disruptive change to a complex system (especially your body) will create disaster. Balance and harmony are fundamental principles a system relies on.
The vitamin/mineral complex is a great example Vitamin A, D, etc. in excess becomes toxic. Jumping into a new diet too fast can give you severe digestive discomfort. You get the idea.Intuition & holism versus reductionism
Reductionist philosophy only focuses on the materialistic, gross elements of the system rather than the relationships which define it as a system.
Holism means you see it as a whole and not just a bunch of different parts.
Take a look at how the medical system approaches prescriptions. They hand that shit out like candy and don’t take any unconventional approaches into consideration.Being aware of false boundaries
In reality, there are no fixed boundaries. They are subjective things. We have the power to redraw the boundaries which can create innovative solutions.
For example, shifting your mindset around acid reflux being a problem of too little stomach acid rather than too much of it goes to show the power of exposing false boundaries.The world is dynamic, not static
Everything is in constant motion, especially the state of your health as you age.
Many people unconsciously assume their health is static because that’s how it seems to them in the moment. Nothing happens, and then everything happens at once which is why it’s important to keep your eyes peeled and intuition strong.Value complexity, nuance, valuing wisdom and learning
This goes without saying. You should be obsessed with the subjects above and use them to improve your health.The power in working with systems is in understanding them, not by manipulating them directly
Your ability to become healthy depends on how much you understand the body, sleep, hydration, nutrition, movement, supplementation, and beyond.
If you attempt to brute force your way into good health, you’ll end up being worse off than before.Take preventative action rather than fixing problems when they arise
Having a long time horizon. Be forward looking. It’s not about next month’s physique, but the state of your health decades from today. It’s expecting unforeseen consequences for your actions and educating yourself on the most common forms of chronic disease.
See the ripple effect of your reckless and wise health choices.Admit the unknown
Systems thinkers admit that they’re dwarfed by the system and therefore plead ignorance and must learn more about the system. Take the humble road and become a voracious reader/learner of health.
I don’t understand everything about well-being, but I ground myself in my ability to be curious and find effective answers to health problems.Looking for root causes, not symptoms
Don’t get sucked into the symptoms of poor health such as heart disease, psoriasis, or gut issues. Instead, understand the root mechanism behind why they manifest and how you can eliminate the causes to heal.Prioritize balance
Systems thinkers appreciate the yin-yang balance of life.
An explosion of infinite growth is not good and otherwise known as a cancer
We must balance all things or else the system of your body will collapse. This includes knowing how your diet, body, and mindset shifts throughout the seasons.Appreciation of nature’s wisdom
Mother Nature knows best in this scenario.
She’s a master of creating finely tuned systems which work to perfection. Spend more time in nature and study what occurs to gain more insight on this. Learn about the hydrological cycle, seasonal cycle, so forth.Have a global, not local or tribal concern
As you heal yourself, shift your locus of control towards other people who need your help to do the same. The world desperately needs it.Prioritize sustainability
A systems thinker asks themselves.. “is this sustainable?”
If it’s not, “How do we make this sustainable?”
A balanced system must go on indefinitely.Changing paradigm is a huge leverage point for changing systems
Red team your own beliefs about health, nutrition, sleep, etc.
This will give you new tools to change your perspective which will then allow you to change your practical approach to all areas of health.Integrate multiple perspectives
Gather as many perspectives as possible and then integrate because all perspectives have a hint of truth to them. Paleo, vegan, carnivore, there’s a hint of truth to each one of these philosophies. Not just with nutrition, but into training and beyond as well.
Great news is that I apply systems and holistic thinking to my coaching program for gentlemen who want to upgrade their entire lifestyle so they can sleep like a baby, get stronger every single day, cultivate unlimited energy for work and family, and more.
I’m looking for three of you who want to get started on a health transformation asap.
Much love,