There is another thing I tell my clients- first we have to be aware there’s a problem, then accept it, and finally get to taking actions or finding solutions around it ( if we want to). So we could be in a space where we don’t want to deal with it, not watch the news, not talk much, just do the minimum(unavoidable) work and go to sleep. That’s perfectly okay too. All of us are in different phases of our lives anyways. But if you are wanting to take actions, make sure you’ve done step one and two before step 3 (action).
Once we reach a stage where we have basic awareness of our stressors and have decided to take some action to keep our mental health good, start with the basics , the big 4 S – sleep, schedule, sante, stretching (in no particular order). We all try and get results on other things while these basics are not working for us. Just like a plant won’t survive without strong roots, or a house without a strong foundation, it is much easier to succumb to pressure when our basic lifestyle isn’t healthy. Therefore stress, anxiety, depression are all partially triggered by the lifestyle we choose (read that twice)
The Four pillars :
- Sleep – try all the different tools that help with sleep ( most effective – leave your gadgets, practice gratitude before bed, breathing, music)
- Schedule – This is ancient wisdom – if no one explained why everyone says ‘subah utho’ is because your brain likes routine. Having some parts of our routines in place keeps us mentally fit and sane.
- Sante (health) – eat what suits ‘your’ body, research on it or follow some experts (food directly affects the brain, including mood boosting foods)
- Stretch – even 10 minutes of stretching can make huge changes to your overall health including your moods
We talked about the four pillars because the mind and the body are working together. They are school friends no one could separate, so no point trying. You could ignore it, but it’s true 🙂
Aditi Attri is a freelance Counseling Psychologist
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