Te Whare Tapa Whā provides a Māori perspective and a useful way for us to think about health as a whare. The whare, known as Te Whare Tapa Whā, has four walls and each wall represents a different dimension of health. All four walls are needed and must be in balance, for the house to be strong.
By nurturing and strengthening all four walls, you support your health and wellbeing, as well as the health and wellbeing of your whānau and community. If an aspect of your life is challenging the wellbeing of one dimension, you can draw on the other walls to help strengthen that wall again.
So taking care of your physical health is important, but to live life to the fullest it's crucial to also pay attention to your mental health, spirituality and the strength of your whānau.
There are lots of daily things you can do to build health in these four areas, many of which you might already do – it’s just a case of recognising their value and making them a priority. Check out the resources we’ve put together, to help you with maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing, especially during these trying times.
Te Whare Tapa Whā model
