Mental health is often talked about, but even less discussed. Before you stop reading this article thinking it’s just run-of-the-mill gibberish, take a break. If you have a mind, then you have mental health. And if you have mental health, then you might have mental health issues. Regardless of your previous physical state, mental health issues can arise. We are all constantly bombarded with depressing news day after day. With a war raging at one end of the spectrum against social media addiction at the other end, our minds need to be proactively guarded.Read also – Avian Flu Explained: Symptoms, Risk Factors & More by Dr. Ankita Baidya Manipal Hospitals
In this piece, Dr. Farah Adam Mukadamfamily doctor, Kauvery Hospitals Electronic City (Bengaluru)
Author of Newborns and New Moms: An Urban Woman’s Guide to Life After Giving Birth will discuss five ways to take care of your mental health, which is just as important, if not more so, than your physical health. Read also – World Hypertension Day: 5 Lifestyle Changes You Must Make to Control High Blood Pressure
When you wake up in the morning, make sure you get your daily dose of sunshine.
Set your alarm to go off 15 minutes before your usual wake up time and enjoy the sun. Be sure to do this self-care activity without your phone or a newspaper. It should be just you, your thoughts, the fresh air and the morning sun. This exposure to the sun in the morning will adjust your biological clock and your hormonal cycle. Your pineal gland, which gets confused by daily and nightly exposure to bright blue light from your phone screen, will get a boost. Once the glands present in your brain start responding to natural light, your entire body will function smoothly and your metabolism will also increase. This new wave of energy will leave you feeling rejuvenated and with a happier mind and body. Read also – World Hypertension Day: Diet plan recommended by nutritionists to control high blood pressure
Vitamin D from sun exposure will help lower your blood pressure, leaving you feeling calm and the sun’s effect will last into the night and allow you to sleep better when it’s time to sleep.
work from home rules
Despite the covid pandemic warning, there are many sectors that are still working from home (often following US times). Set a limit for how hard you work and draw the line. Log into your system in the morning, make sure to take a lunch break and tea break, and make sure to log out of your devices. Employers often don’t consider working from home as work. If you are a manager and have subordinates, make sure that work schedules are respected and that your employees are given due consideration.
Being social and anti-social-media
We live in a strange world. We want to be present everywhere, to be connected with everyone and to update our acquaintances on each of our movements. However, we are more alone than ever. Social networks have turned us into antisocial beings that are doing us much more harm than expected. Isolation from their family and community affects a person at the level of the brain cells. Parts of the brain shrink when one is isolated, contributing to further damage to mental health. Cultures that promote nuclear families and live in isolation have higher rates of depression, as seen in the West and now in the evolving East.
Meditation
It is as difficult as you imagine. Meditation, connecting with your higher self and spiritual self is easier said than done. If you are interested in learning how to meditate, there are apps like Deepak Chopra Meditation app, calm, and headspace to name a few. But if your mind can’t or won’t sit still (like mine!), there are other ways to hit the pause button in the chaos of life. There are beautiful coloring books for adults. I would recommend getting a fresh pack of drawing pens and a Mandala art coloring book and start filling in the beautiful and intricate patterns. If you want to be productive when you meditate, start knitting. If cooking is relaxing for you, do it without music and listen to the sounds of your pots and pans. Our brains are bombarded with too many stimuli throughout the day and all the time. Let cooking be your private activity of just you with your ingredients.
Exercise
There is no end to how good exercise is for your mental health. Help your mind relax while your muscles take center stage and increase the production of endorphins and serotonin. These hormones are the happy hormones of your body. A feeling of calm and fullness after your exercise session will leave you tired for a great night’s sleep. Also, your body takes care of itself when you exercise, and our bodies appreciate any form of self-care. It will increase your confidence levels and also give you the opportunity to interact with your neighbors in person.
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