"A mind is a terrible thing to waste." That slogan goes back decades, but it’s still an iconic message and so much more than a catchy phrase. Taking care of our mental and emotional health is important. Our minds are capable of so much, but we often take them for granted. Let’s do a little workout today as a part of developing a healthy mental fitness routine.
Take this blog for instance. Right now, the mind is formulating words and fingers are typing specific keys to move the letters into words and sentences that you’re reading. It all takes place in nanoseconds without much thought (pun intended). In fact, thoughts come faster than fingers can type. Neurotransmitters are firing on all cylinders to put this message together and for you to understand it.
Here are a few tips to build your own mental fitness routine.
Tip 1: Be thankful.
First, stop for a moment and just be thankful for your mental strength and ability.
Tip 2: Relish in your memories.
Second, close your eyes and go somewhere that brings fond memories of a place or experience.
We remember our lives. And we can remind ourselves of events at any time. Like right now, you could be remembering a trip to the Redwoods of California, standing in front of the most amazing awe-inspiring forest on earth. You can “be there” in no time at all. And, you can take yourself back to the hospital delivery room where you experienced the birth of your grandson. Or maybe you’re remembering your 60th birthday cruise with all 9 members of your family laughing, eating and dancing.
You just improved your mental and emotional wellbeing. And that was an easy one to develop your mental fitness!
Tip 3: Turn it off.
Our brains are functioning at the speed of light, day in and day out. They receive, store and recall so much information that it’s often overwhelming to our mental or emotional health. So, turn it off. Change the channel. Walk away. Step outside. Feel the wind in your face. Listen to the birds in the trees. Take some deep breaths.
Tip 4: Change your attitude.
Only you can take care of yourself. No one can do this for you. A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go far until you change it!
So learn to change a bad attitude quickly. It’s said that children learn to smile from their parents, so smile a lot! It actually raises your feel-good hormones. Even if isn’t really funny. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. So let loose and dance a bit…shake it off! Sometimes, this can be difficult. But if you keep at it, it’ll pay off in improving your mental fitness.
Tip 5: Stick to three little words.
Stick to the Three-Dimensional (3-D) Question. What do I need right now? By putting emphasis on “What”, “I”, and “Now”, you can coach yourself through overwhelming feelings.
Try this:
Tip 6: Use the AAA.
Become aware of your own feelings as they come up. Acknowledge the feeling by naming it and calling it out. Then act. And finally, take action to do what you need to do to move through it in a healthy way.
Tip 7: Celebrate!
We accomplish SO much each day, but we tend to focus more on what we have left to do. Sometimes, we don’t even know what we got done in a day. And we certainly don’t celebrate it. Pat yourself on the back every once in a while!
First Stop Health coaches are here to help you reach your health goals, including for exercise! Let your health coach know if you need support around goal setting or share feedback from your own experiences with digestive walks! Schedule a visit with a First Stop Health coach to get started!