“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body” Now you may have heard this several times before, but do you realize that the opposite is equally true? The brain controls everything in our body. The mind needs sound functioning in order to keep us going. Over the course of time, with our entry into a fast-paced, ever-changing world, the human mind has suffered the most when it comes to health issues. Mental health has been deteriorating on a global scale now. The problems like depression and anxiety have crossed all demographic boundaries and what began as progress is now turning into the downfall of our kind. The amount of health issues that arise because of mental health issues is endless. So, the need of the hour is “A healthy mind for a healthy body”. Here are a few ways to help you improve your mental health and live a fulfilling life.
Learn to Keep Stress Levels in Check
Having a great bond with your family and friends contributes a lot to one’s mental health. Being financially secure is also important for your mental health. Earning to your full capacity and having your savings and investments in place is a great way to ensure your mental peace.
I’m sure you can’t go to sleep every time something stressful happens. So, you need to understand and work out ways that can help control your stress levels when they go beyond normal. Everyone has their own techniques and no two people can work in the same style. However, even so, here are a few suggestions that can help.
Appeal to your senses by doing something that always gives you a good feel. Taking a walk in a park, watching a movie, or even smelling the aroma of coffee, anything that makes you feel good is worth a shot. Count your blessings as oft times we just can’t get over all the things that are wrong with our life. It will help you a lot to think of all the things that you have to be thankful for in life. Trust me, you will find some. Talk to your loved ones, for they will always know how to put a smile on your face. I believe you have an idea of what you should be looking for by now.
Eat Well
If you are reading this blog you are probably looking for something new and ground-breaking ways to help with your mental health. Well, guess what? Most of them you know already. You see the thing is that we so often try looking for new ways to do things that we forget that the real problem will not vanish till we don’t work on our daily routine disasters. Dieting has long been a problem among people who are fitness freaks. Not eating carbs, or fats, or this or that, or not eating at all, has turned us into a population of unhealthy people, physically as well as mentally. In all the blogs on health, that I have written so far, one theme that is consistent is the need for a balanced diet. Let’s move away from cutting nutrients ad organizing our diet in a way that helps build a better life. Three meals a day and plenty of water will help your mental health considerably. However, it cannot be denied that there are food items that affect your mental health adversely. These include Caffeine, Alcohol, Trans fats or anything with “partially hydrogenated” oil, Foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones, Sugary snacks, Refined carbs (such as white rice or white flour), and Fried food.
Sleep Enough
Another life-changer from the book of “Things you already know”, is getting enough sleep. Most of the time, stress, which forms the most basic cause of mental health illness, is caused by the lack of sufficient amount of sleep. A friend of mine, due to a lack of sleep and more workload than he could take, ended up in a coma for 2 months. I’m not saying that’s where you are headed for he had a few other conditions going against him as well, but if only he had given enough consideration to rest, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did for him. It’s important to know that insomnia, in many cases, is caused by our inability to separate ourselves from the screen. Every night before going to sleep, the brain needs time to unwind. This can be achieved by staying away from the TV, laptop, smartphones, or any other screens, 2 hours before going to bed. At least 9 hours of sleep is necessary for a healthy state of mind. If getting enough sleep is a problem, try taking a warm bath before going to bed, reading by a soft light, or listening to soothing music.
Meditate
One of the most important parts of a Yoga routine is meditation. It’s surprising how many of us either choose to ignore it completely or give it very little attention. Meditation is the key to a calm and content mind. And it’s needless to say that a peaceful mind can change the entire situation for you. Along with this, meditation helps lower blood pressure. It enhances focus thus resulting in a more productive and successful day. In today’s world, many of us suffer from an identity crisis. Be it the teenage crisis, the mid-life crisis, or just about any fancy term that we have come up with to tell the world that this fast-moving life is psychologically threatening, all find base in mental health issues or leads to it. Meditation is the first step in a healthy mind.
Exercise
The healthy body resides a healthy mind. So far, three out of the five tips I have given here have been generic and you are probably thinking of leaving this blog for something else. But you need to read all this and take it seriously. Exercising doesn’t mean putting yourself through strenuous activities that leave you never wanting to move a limb again. Anything that helps relieve stress from your muscles is the exercise that you need for your mind. Know that the exercise that you undertake to lose weight are very different from what is required to maintain a healthy body. Yoga is the best option to go for, for this purpose. If that isn’t something you want to go for, try Pilates or simply long walks. If none of this suit your fancy then you can always go for some fun alternatives like dancing. You see, the purpose isn’t to sweat like a pig to reap the benefits of exercise, it’s just to get your body moving the right way and keep your hormones balanced.
Make Social Connections
It’s strange how we now depend on dogs and cats to bring love and happiness to our lives when there are billions of people around the world. The need of humans to interact with other humans cannot be replaced by any other species on this planet. So, you may go on trying new techniques to help you with your mental and physical health, as long as you don’t have people to share all this with, there will always be something missing. You probably already talk to your best friend on WhatsApp or call your parents every day, it still won’t have the same effect as that of a face-to-face interaction. We need to appreciate the fact that nothing can replace the importance of one-on-one interaction. What you need to look for are good listeners who don’t have any pre-existing motives or ideas to impose on you.
