Whether we travel to explore new countries or enjoy healthy eating at home, our lifestyle choices shape our lives. It is important to live a lifestyle that is good for our health and wellbeing, and this means staying active, eating well, and abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. It is also important to protect our mental health by reducing stress and being mindful of our thoughts.
The term lifestyle is used in a variety of ways, from describing the type of clothing or furniture that a person has to their views on politics, religion, health, and intimacy. It is a concept that is becoming increasingly popular, especially due to the proliferation of lifestyle blogs and magazines. It is a way of life that defines how people choose to spend their time and money.
There are a number of different definitions and theories of lifestyle, which have been developed from sociological, psychological, and health perspectives. Currently, the main definition of lifestyle in health psychology is a pattern of behavioural choices that people make, influenced by their social circumstances. However, the majority of research and studies based on this definition focus solely on the behavioural component of lifestyles, without considering other dimensions such as identity, context, and life span.
A second approach defines and analyses lifestyles on the basis of a psychological analysis. This has its roots in Alfred Adler’s work, where lifestyle is understood as a style of personality. Adler argued that the framework of guiding values and principles that individuals develop in their first years of life define the system of judgement that governs their behaviour throughout their entire lives. This approach has been further developed by Milton Rokeach and Arnold Mitchell through their VALS research and Lynn R Kahle’s LOV research.
The third theory considers the external dimension of lifestyles. This approach focuses on the cultural and historical context within which people are exposed to particular lifestyles, as well as on the influences that this environment exerts on them. It is also associated with the notion that lifestyles are shaped by the interactions of different cultures and that they are the result of complex, dynamic processes.
These various models and theories are still at a stage of in-depth debate. The challenge is to build a model of lifestyle that takes into account the different aspects of this concept and the way in which they interact with one another. This can be a critical step towards developing a more effective theoretical and explanatory model that would serve as the foundation for health promotion interventions. A multidisciplinary approach to the study of lifestyle is necessary, which could help to reach this goal. This narrative review of the various models and theories of lifestyle has highlighted that the main components of lifestyle that have been identified are: a daily life dimension, levels of internal and external analysis, and a temporal dimension. This can help to create a conceptualisation of healthy lifestyle that is more holistic and meaningful than the current models.