Mental Wellbeing
5 Simple Habits To Keep Your Mental Health in Check
In this digital era, where everything is just a click away. we’re always bombarded with tonnes of information.
Never in the history of mankind, it has been possible to see what the person sitting 1000 miles away is having for dinner.
Today, we know more about others than ourselves.
how many of us are really comfortable spending time with ourselves? the answer is very few.
we constantly look out for distractions to escape reality. That’s one of the reasons why most of us feel lonely, and hollow inside despite being surrounded by people.
On top of that, we’ve work commitments, family, and homes to look after.
we live in a world where we’re connected like never before, yet so disconnected from ourselves and others at the same time.
It’s easy to become misled by seeing smiling pictures and shiny lives of others on the internet. Bringing dissatisfaction and desire to follow the same lifestyle. somewhere all of this negatively impacts our mental health and becomes a key reason for an unhappy and unfulfilling life.
it’s never been this crucial to keep our mental health in check.
Sharing with you these 5 simple habits to keep you mentally healthy
1. Have a strict AM routine
Morning routine gives a structure to your day. No matter what you do, or who you are, beginning your day with the right intention sets a tone for your entire day. that’s why it’s important to incorporate simple morning habits to get yourself started.
for me it’s chanting, yoga, reading for a few pages and preparing a list of 3 important tasks for the day, on the basis of priority. I’m currently reading Tonny Robbins: Awaken the giant within.
I make it a point to avoid having screen time in the morning, at least not before 90 minutes of waking up. The reason is simple your mind is like a sponge in the morning what you feed yourself, will persist all day long.
A morning routine should be designed to go inward and find balance and peace. It’s your time to be thankful to the lord for all the blessings and abundance in your life.
A little breathwork( anulom-vilom), meditation, and 30 minutes of physical activity of your choice is a good way to get started with your day if you want to keep yourself sane in this digital era.
2. Incorporate spirituality into your life
We are not human beings having spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having human experience — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
To keep yourself mentally healthy, you’ll have to bring some aspect of spirituality into your life. I’m saying that from my experience.
Last year when I went through some serious anxiety issues, I know how difficult that phase was. and it was spirituality that brought me back to my normal life.
I’ve had sleepless nights and spent hours worrying about something that wasn’t in my control. Racing thoughts, sweating, with my heart pounding, Ahh! I’ve had it all.
I now believe it was all part of the grand plan, to pull me towards that supreme power. spirituality came into my life after this intense period of anxiety. It was also the time when I was getting weird dreams and I would often find myself waking up around 3:30–4:00 am almost every other day.
I believe this phase of anxiety was an awakening period that came to connect me to a higher consciousness.
As souls, we are all on our journey to be the best versions of ourselves.
my life has taken a total 360-degree turn, where spirituality is at the center.
Now my mornings generally look like this — chanting( 1 hr), reading scriptures( 30–45mins) yoga(1hr) offering obeisance to the deity ( lord Krishna), and then going about my daily routine.
3. Set Boundaries —
I’ve always been an overthinker, I still am. but the inner strength that spirituality imparts in you keeps all the negative thoughts and feelings at bay.
I remember how easily I'd get affected by others. little things would sink deep and my mind would get trapped in a vicious cycle of never-ending thoughts. I used to ruminate to the point where it made me boil with anger, or sometimes so helpless that I’d cry.
yes, my spiritual journey has been helpful in this but what also helped me was setting clear boundaries.
staying away from people who bring you down, the ones who feed off your energy. and others who don't add value to your life.
Do not overcommit yourself to work, say no more to maintain the quality of your life and others around you.
If there are any such people around you, immediately shield yourself mentally or physically. if it’s not possible to completely cut off, try maintaining a distance and prioritizing your mental health.
4. Reflect —
A quite simple but effective habit to keep yourself mentally sane and healthy.
I make it a point to write down the key events of my day. any conversation I had or something that impacted me differently. It’d be much better if you go old school and use pen and paper to note down your reflections for the day.
the idea is to spend some time alone with yourself to gain more self-awareness and perspective. Generally, those ideas and musings become topics for my next article so it’s a win-win.
5. Don’t neglect physical activity
walking, running, lifting, yoga or any form of physical activity of your choice can keep your mental health issues at bay.
According to the research exercising regularly releases a good dose of happy hormones like serotonin, and endorphin and significantly decreases the number of stress hormones like cortisol in the body. Long walks can boost your mood instantly. It also improves your focus and overall cognitive functions.
I have been walking for over 4 years now, there is something meditative I find about walking. it clears my mind up and brings in fresh ideas. you can try it for yourself.
Quick Recap-
- Have a strict AM routine- targeting your mind, body, and soul.
- Bring some aspect of spirituality into your life.
- Set boundaries- say no more often,
- Reflect
- Do not neglect physical activity
Bottom line-
Mental health was never something we talked about so openly. It’s only after COVID hit and more people faced this, that it caught the attention of everyone around. we still don’t know the exact reason as to why it occurs but we must know and have the tools to protect ourselves from the disease.
