4 ways to improve the quality of your mental health
Mind matters. In fact, it matters more than matter. Seemingly opposing forces, science and spirituality, have come together via the concepts of quantum physics and consciousness respectively to uncover one of the longest held secrets from mankind. It’s what I call the mind-body unity, and it means that in order for our body to perform to the best of its ability (for the individual as well as the species), it must be governed by the powers of one’s own mind. Think of the body as the ship and mind as its captain. The sheen gloss and general titivations look good on the ship before it sets sail. Once it leaves the comfort, and certainty of the shores, its fate lie in the hands of its captain. The journey, thus, is defined by the captain’s discretion, experience, and knowledge.
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Here are four ways to keep your mind, the captain of your ship, hale and hearty:
Watch out for what you watch
The TV, internet, radio, and newspaper have one thing in common – the power to generate influential content. And they do so via two kinds of content. First, there’s the content that guides and thus influences one to think and act right. The second type of content is misleading and manipulating, and as a result, can lead one into the maze of chaos and confusion.
Since human beings are a sum of their information, it is but common sense to be careful as to what we feed our minds via what we read, whom we listen to, and whom we follow. This alone is the most important step humanity needs to take collectively if it hopes to have a chance at originality and authenticity. When we switch on our TV or turn on our computers, we are opening ourselves wide to the ideas, opinions, and belief systems of those we watch and listen to. And this a travesty, because our inability to think for ourselves often turns us into parrots of political enthusiasts, or celebrities or sportspersons or writers, leaving our own mind paralysed and utterly incapable of moving according to its own will.
Today, everyone wants to, and many claim to be, self-dependent. And where do they say their self-reliance comes from? The bank balance. Unfortunately that’s not true. One will never be truly self-reliant till one learns to think on their own. If you don’t educate yourself in the powers of objective judgment and discernment, you cannot call yourself self-reliant. And only true self-reliance is the hallmark of a healthy mind – a mind that’s capable of thinking for itself. In short, be careful of what you believe in, why you believe in it, and the source of your beliefs.
Be with yourself
Most of us have heard of and yearned for the elusive ‘me-time’. But we haven’t been very successful in finding it. Perhaps we are looking in the wrong direction. What if, me-time was actually ‘I-time’? Then in order to find some I-time, you’ll be required to find the ‘I’ first. Once you start the quest of looking for the ‘I’ that you are, you will find the journey most thrilling and alive with possibilities. Luckily, there are many ways to find time in order to find the ‘I’ and they are all as efficient as you are willing to make it.
Eating right is eating well
According to Helpguide.org, “An unhealthy diet can take a toll on your brain and mood, disrupt your sleep, sap your energy, and weaken your immune system. Conversely, switching to a wholesome diet, low in sugar and rich in healthy fats, can give you more energy, improve your sleep and mood, and help you to look and feel your best.”
In the end, it all comes down to how you used your time here on time. Diabetes, fluctuating BP etc. are symptoms of unnatural stress and food-related anomalies. In order to keep your body in good shape, ensure you care for it mindfully.
Cut down social media
Bad habits die hard. And with the increasing number of cases of FB- triggered depression and other mental disorders, it’s clear to see that the internet is becoming much more than a tool that made researching and learning easy. According to an article on The Huffington Post, “Research suggests that people can feel depressive symptoms from scrolling Facebook, likely due to the internal social comparison that's taking place. The antidote? A break. Ditch those devices every so often for the sake of your mental health.”
The time has come for you to unplug completely. A mental detox is the need of the hour and the only thing that can come between you and the health of your mind is you.
