September 8, 2026 — In August, we recognized National Wellness Month by providing advice on how to assess your physical health and take a functional fitness approach to building strength. This month, in Part 2, we discuss methods for monitoring other essential pillars of personal wellness, including cognitive, social and environmental health.
After all, a holistic health mindset means accounting for every aspect of wellness, physical and otherwise.
Physical health is only one branch of the holistic wellness tree. It’s important to keep track of and actively work to improve other aspects of your healthspan as well. You must also consider ways to assess and strengthen brain (cognitive) health, emotional and social (mental) health, and environmental (community) health.
Measure your cognitive health.
A cognitive test is a brief assessment to evaluate “how well your brain is functioning,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. A healthcare provider or hospital can perform formal cognitive tests to measure overall cognitive health. Although they're not used to diagnose specific conditions, they work by identifying cognition challenges and the need for additional testing.
In terms of measuring your own cognitive health, BrainHQ offers numerous online brain games and quizzes to assess and improve brain health. It offers specialized exercises — all backed by science — for memory, attention, brain speed, people skills, decision-making and navigation to sharpen cognitive performance. HumanGood is gradually introducing the BrainHQ assessment, designed to give residents a better understanding of their cognitive wellness and ways they can improve brain health.
Measure your well-being and social health.
Overall well-being can be assessed both objectively (using indicators that measure various aspects of community and economy) and subjectively (based on individual cognitive judgments). Social determinants of health (SDOH) speak specifically to the conditions in which you live, such as your access to quality healthcare and education.
One commonly used measure of SDOH is the Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool. This clinical assessment helps providers screen for unmet needs in areas such as housing instability, food insecurity and transportation barriers. According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), “Providers can use the results from the HRSN Screening Tool to inform patients’ treatment plans and make referrals to community services.”
Additionally, the UCLA Loneliness Scale is a “20-item scale designed to measure one’s subjective feelings of loneliness as well as feelings of social isolation.” Included in the HumanGood Social Health Assessment (SHA), it’s considered the gold standard assessment tool that psychologists, medical researchers and public health officials use to measure subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Learn and practice new skills to improve cognitive health.
To protect your brain’s cognitive reserve (its resilience to damage), your brain needs engagement that is both new and mentally demanding. Mindless puzzles you’re already good at don't cut it. As with tracking physical fitness, make a conscious effort to set specific goals and track your progress using a journal or mobile app.
Recognize and acknowledge your feelings to improve mental health.
A huge part of emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and understand your own emotions and state of mind. Practice putting feelings into specific words and drill down to the exact nuance.
Instead of “I’m angry” or “I’m stressed,” specify with statements such as "I feel unappreciated" or "I am experiencing time-scarcity anxiety." UCLA brain imaging research shows that translating emotions into specific language downregulates the amygdala (the brain's fear and threat center) and activates the prefrontal cortex to reduce emotional intensity.
Prioritize meaningful, distraction-free interactions to improve social health.
The depth of your support network is critical to good social health. Research from Harvard’s Study of Adult Development shows that the quality of our relationships is the single strongest predictor of lifelong health and happiness.
HumanGood’s SHA offers effective ways to measure your mental, social and emotional health. You can also audit your calendar regularly to monitor how many fulfilling conversations you've had recently.
Bring live plants into your living space to improve environmental health.
Not only do plants enhance indoor humidity and air quality, but simply having greenery in your home can also help you think more clearly and reduce stress. Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, this design philosophy — known as biophilic interior design — can actually be therapeutic.
For more specific ways to track your personal health progress, consult a clinician or qualified healthcare specialist to receive an individualized action plan tailored to your capabilities.
HumanGood residents are encouraged to inquire about participating in a healthspan assessment at their local community to assess various aspects of their personal health, identify areas for improvement and create a plan for healthier living.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more healthspan tips in the months to come!