Health is not absence of illness. Health, especially, mental health means feeling good, functioning well during the day, rising up to face a challenge and using all opportunities. Robust physical health is maintained by exercises so could the mental health be boosted by the following:
Networking:
Friends will support and enrich your life. So, develop and maintain strong relationships with people around you. Taking time to make friends can bring great rewards.
Leisure activities:
Allot time for activities, hobbies and projects which allow your creativity to come out. Anything goes. A walk or a Sudoku; crossword or a book; playing with children or relaxing with a pet. Do whatever that absorbs you and makes you spontaneous.
Clubs:
Choose a group of people who share your interests. It enhances your good feeling by a sense of belonging and acceptance. It can be a bhajan group or a sports group or a social club.
Give what you can to your community.
Spare your time for a cause or issue that you are interested in. Be of help in some manner to the community by helping neighbours or being pleasant to improve the lives of others. The fringe benefit is that your life improves too.
Sound mind in a sound body:
Eat well; rest well and be active. To make oneself feel good is possible only when the body is fit. Physical activity is essential to keep the body healthy and mind robust too.
Raise your bar:
Meeting a goal and learning a new skill everyday help face crises and challenges. Learn a new skill or take on a challenge to meet a goal. Most unfamiliar and new prospects are much better than continuing the same routine everyday. It gives you a sense of progress and achievement.
Burst the bubble:
Try to understand how and why you get stressed out? Be aware of what causes stress and learn to cope up with it. If you have trouble in relaxing, you may find relaxation breathing, yoga or meditation useful.
Rest heals:
Sleep restores both physically and psychologically. Go to bed at a regular time each day. Don’t allow clock to be your master.
Don’t allow circumstance to twirl you:
Have unscheduled time for being yourself without being rushed. It’s OK to just sit, relax and daydream once in a while.
Sensual reality:
Take a moment to observe each of your senses every day. Enjoy the moment – feel the heart pumping and breeze floating by. Let not the past ruin the present; nor future invade the present.
Seek help:
Find a counsellor for a worry-free life. If the right kind of help is elusive, keep asking until you get.
Source: Betterhealth
