MENTAL WELLNESS FOR 2019

 

” You have been given this precious life because you are strong enough to live it well. Do not disappoint yourself.’ – Marriam

A year has rushed by and we are almost on the threshold of a New Year – a New 2019.

As usual, we would want to plan making resolutions and stick by them. There would be a long list of things that we would want to turn over a new leaf for. A change in our habits, changes in attitude, more importance to physical fitness and less spending, saving more money and many other responsible things in a list. Individuals may aim to eat healthier, take up new social hobbies, spend more time with friends and family, do some gentle exercise a day or get outside into green space more.

New Year resolutions for self-improvement and intention setting doesn’t have to be unrealistic and disheartening – it can be a positive thing with great and varied benefits. Along with physical fitness, mental well-being should also be considered. It is important to look at how we approach self development and our mental health and wellness.

What is Mental Wellness?

Mental well-being encompasses a sense of feeling good about ourselves, as an individual and in relationships, handling life’s ups and downs, feeling connected to community and surroundings,  having ample control and freedom over our lives, and having a sense of purpose and feeling valued as an individual. To feel any sort of self-worth, we need to ‘think’ out things calmly and find out the factors that need our attention for our own selves.

“Thinking is the toughest kind of work which is why so many people avoid it.”
― Orrin Woodward

We are all now convinced, in today’s world, that physical activity is very important and forms an integral part of our lives. But so does mental health. The benefits of keeping fit in body and mind are that we are always tuned into a positive mood; relieves stress, increases our self-esteem and reduces our anxiety and depression.

So let us make up our minds to take care of ourselves just that extra bit. Usually looking after ourselves becomes a tedious affair when we sit down to it because, the fact is, we have never spent time with ourselves and we do not know ourselves well enough to do anything for us. We wouldn’t know where to start. If it was to detail someone else’s lives, then probably we would do a much better job of it. That is where the crux of the matter is.

We are often in a dilemma about our own decisions and our own mindset patterns because we are strangers to ourselves. Stressed out life habits, feeling bored with life, not knowing what to do, not getting anything done and feeling frustrated on that account, wondering sometimes as to why we behave the way we do…a total feeling of worthlessness and feeling cut off from ourselves.Wish we  could erase out the whole life lived so far and start all over again?

“Just because you think you’re worthless doesn’t make it true.” -Unknown

All that mental exhaustion we feel at times is because of the waging war of thoughts inside our heads. That is more than exhausting.

Here are a few tips to get our thoughts into a semblance of clarity and to get fresh for the coming year:

• Get enough sleep:

Sleeping for 7-8 hours is an essential ingredient to our mental fitness. Things look brighter when the body and mind has been rested.

• Exercise
• Pursue a hobby,
• Practice deep breathing,
• Connect with nature, Renew yourself with Nature
• Go for long walks:

Choosing any of these or all of these will do us a world of good.

• Spend Alone Time,
• Express Feelings Whether it be Happiness or Grief, (Crying is cleansing)
• Choose to Stay Happy, Find reasons to laugh and smile 
• Accept Oneself with Imperfections,
• Try to bring changes in Oneself, not in the others
• Forgive Oneself for any Mistakes
• Listen to gut instincts.
• Say no to alcohol or drugs
• Be thankful…develop the Attitude of Gratitude. Prayer and Meditation can also help

These are some of the things that can be sorted only by us. Learning to be friends with ourselves and being patient about it will help. Learning the art of breathing properly can sort out many issues within ourselves.

• Spend prime time with family and good friends 
• Spend less time in front of electronics.
• Be assertive. It is healthy to say ‘No’ sometimes.
• When needed, never hesitate to ask for help. We are only human beings, not super beings.
• Do not be burdened to do things out of obligation.

This is not an ‘overnight list’…it needs time and patience to take things slowly and become mentally fit and stable.

 Believe in Yourself. Be conscious of the Power within you. You are an awesome, fully charged and energized creation. – Marriam

(Read: The Power of Life Each Moment)

Wishing you the best for the rest of this year in preparation for a ‘FIT 2019’!