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Visualize Mental Illness and Learn Preventive Cures
Physical health is vital for remaining alive. But mental health is absolutely essential for your social existence, well-being, happiness, workability and motivation. Know varieties of mental illnesses and their preventive cures. Your life and life of your family members will blossom to the full. Learn Mental Health- Preventive Cures, make your life precious.
What is the relationship between resilience and mental health?
Having strong mental health doesn’t mean that we never go through hard times or we never experience emotional problems. Every one of us goes through disappointments, loss, and change. Though these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. There is hardly any doubt that physically healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury; also, people with strong mental health are better able to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called strength of mind, integrity, resilience, sense of proportions.
It may be within one’s genetic composition or DNA that people with emotional and mental stability are more likely to cope with difficult situations and maintain a positive outlook in times of need. They remain more focused, flexible, and productive, in bad times as well as good. Their spirit and integrity also make them less afraid of new experiences or an uncertain future. Whether we’re looking or simply to feel more positive and energetic, there are plenty of ways to take control of our mental health.
The real world in the 21st century is so complex, so uncertain, so unpredictable that anyone at any time can suffer from mental or emotional health problems; moreover, most of us will suffer over a lifetime. We sometimes ignore the emotional messages telling us that something is wrong and we tough it out by distracting ourselves or by self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or self-destructive behaviors. Every society has become so much competitive, so much intolerant, so much fake that we always try to suppress our problems so that others must not notice these. But in the rumor-mongering world, nothing remains airtight. Eventually, everything gets open. We simply give up, telling ourselves that this is “just the way we are.”
There are practices that we can adopt to boost our mood, we can become more resilient, and enjoy our life more. But since as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is the same with mental health. We have to work harder to ensure strong and good mental health because there are so many ways that life takes a toll on our emotional well-being.
Why are we often unable to address our mental health needs?
We are unable to address our mental health needs sometimes, because of various reasons. In most of the underdeveloped societies, mental and emotional issues are given much fewer priorities than physical issues. They’re always seen as a sign of weakness or somehow as being our own fault. In this modern age, we’re obsessed with seeking simple answers to complex problems. The trouble with this Internet world is that most of the youth and senior people connect with dear and near ones only through social media rather than directly meeting talking with them; it is as unhealthy as a serious mental problem; to boost our mood and ease depression we take a pill, rather than address the underlying fundamental issues; we are always bothered about the proximate causes, that is the crisis.
Most people in this Internet age are a jack of all trades and master of nothing. They think that the only treatment of mental and emotional problems are medication and therapy which have long run side effects. Only the experts know that whatever may be your specific problems, there are certain tested and experimented steps for improving your mental and emotional well-being. If you have any such problems, start treatment and counseling today, but of course, with top experts, not with quacks.
No matter how much time we try to improve our mental and emotional health alone, we will still need the company of others to feel and function at our best. We, humans, are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive alone and let alone thrive, in isolation. There is no doubt that we have in our mind a social attitude that craves for companionship, friendship even if we have faced negative realities sometimes in backward societies. So please do not be shy and suffer within the self.
Why a face-to-face connection is so important?
Social networking, phone calls, text messages etc. may have some needs, but they cannot help you to come out of stress, depression. Meet people face to face, talk and share about the bad and good things of life, that is the best medicine. IN fact, most of us silently unknowingly becoming victims of mobile mania. The key is to interact with someone who is a “good listener”, someone we can regularly talk to in person, the person who will listen to us without their own conceptions of how we should think or feel. In this intolerable age, most people are talkers, not listeners. To be a good listener is the best virtue now. A good listener can make good friendships-neutral, impersonal, judge.
Reaching out to people is not a sign of weakness and it won’t make us a burden to others. Most people are flattered if we trust them enough to confide in them. There is still a great benefit to interacting face-to-face with acquaintances or people you encounter during the day, such as neighbors, wherever you go.
There are also other ways to communicate with people, become socially active and do social activities.
We can call a friend or loved one and arrange to meet up with them, have some gossip. If both of us are leading busy lives, we may offer to run errands or exercise together. We must try to make it a regular get-together. It helps one to feel refreshed and energized again. If we don’t feel that we have anyone to call, we can reach out to acquaintances. Many other people feel as uncomfortable in making new friends as we do and so we can be the one to break the ice. We can reconnect with an old friend, invite a co-worker out for lunch, or ask a neighbor to join us for a coffee in the evening.
We must get out from behind our TV or computer screen and come outside, come to Nature, enjoy Nature Forest Mountain River Birds Angling, play with the children. We should not neglect our real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction. We can also be a joiner. We can join networking, social, or special interest groups that meet on a regular basis. Social networking must not kill your time and energy. If it does, you are going to end your life in a blind lane. We should never be afraid to smile and say hello to strangers we cross paths with. Making a connection is beneficial to both of us and we never know where it may lead!
Is staying active as good for the brain as it is for the body?
Our mind and body are intrinsically linked. There is hardly any doubt that physical and mental health are inextricably linked: if you are in good physical health, your mental health also remains well, and vice versa. Sufficient physical exercise maintains an ideal balance of hormones and energy of the body.
For creating a successful life, you should do regular exercise, Yoga, Pranayama, walking. These will have a tremendous positive impact on mental and emotional health problems, relieve stress, improve memory, and help you to sleep better.
But what if we don’t like to exercise? Well, we’re not alone. Pounding weights in a gym or jogging on a treadmill isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time. But we don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits of being more active. We can take a walk through a park or garden or even in the roof in the evening, walk in an air-conditioned mall doing window shopping, play Frisbee with a dog, dance on our favorite song, play activity-based video games with your kids, cycle or walk to an appointment rather than drive.
We don’t have to exercise until we are soaked in sweat or every muscle aches. Modest amounts of physical activity can make a big difference to our mental and emotional health. It’s something we can engage in to boost our energy and help us regain a sense of control.
We can also do some exercises on a regular basis. We can aim for 30 minutes of activity on most days. Three 10-minute sessions can be just as effective. We can take a walk or dance to a favorite song. We can also try a rhythmic exercise that engages both our arms and legs, such as walking, running, swimming, weight training, martial arts, or dancing. We must add a mindfulness element to our workouts. Instead of focusing on our thoughts, we may focus on how your body feels as we move, how our feet hit the ground, for example, the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of wind on our skin.
How to keep your stress levels in check?
Stress can take a heavy toll on our mental and emotional health, and so it’s important to keep it under control. Though all stressors cannot be avoided, stress management strategies can help us bring things back into balance.
We can talk to a friendly face. Face-to-face social interaction with someone who cares about us is the most effective way to calm our nervous system and relieve stress. Interacting with that person can quickly put the brakes on damaging stress responses like “fight-or-flight.” It also releases stress-busting hormones, so we feel better even if we’re unable to alter the stressful situation itself.
We should appeal to our senses. Does listening to an uplifting song make us feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee or a favorite scent? Or maybe squeezing a stress ball works quickly to make you feel cantered? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so we can start experimenting now to find what works best for us. Once we discover how our nervous system responds to sensory input, we’ll be able to quickly calm yourself no matter where or when stress hits.
Making leisure time a priority is important. Taking part in your favorite activities for no reason other than that they make you feel good. We go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Sometimes, enjoy fun and hobby which regenerate energy.
We must make time for contemplation and appreciation. One can think about the things he or she is grateful for. Enjoy Nature, again and again, be amazed to see the creation of Almighty Nature- birds, forest, bee. Imagine that trees do not produce Oxygen for them, do not produce flowers and fruits for them. Ask the question of why. Why? Why? They do not suffer from anxiety depression stress. It is human who suffers because humans want more than they require to survive, so they suffer. While sensory input can relieve stress at the moment, relaxation techniques can help reduce our overall levels of stress—although they’re likely to take more time to learn effectively.
The greatest scientist Albert Einstein was once requested by journalists to define “Happiness”, he said in a single sentence: “Happiness is a function of 3 variables- Work, Play and Keeping your mouth shut.” Best definition ever. So practice Yoga, play whatever you like, make Gardening or Angling (Fishing) and talk less.
Managing emotions to relieve stress is good. Understanding and accepting our emotions—especially those unpleasant ones many of us try to ignore—can make a huge difference in our ability to manage stress and balance our moods.
Eating a brain-healthy diet to support strong mental health is good. Unless one has tried to change their diet in the past, he may not be aware of how much of what he must eat and what not and it affects the way one thinks and feels. An unhealthy diet can take a toll on our brain and mood, disrupt our sleep, sap our energy, and weaken our immune system and do many more things. Along with Yoga, Play and Work, a balanced scientific diet has a tremendous impact on your body, mind and soul. Avoid fast food, eat good nutritious food, sweat more and sleep well. That’s it. No doctor, no medicine.
Many people are the slave of their tongue regarding foods. They prefer rich, spicy, oily food. They suffer the most at the end of the day. So restrain yourself today, tomorrow will be better. Do not run by your tongue, run by your need of the body mind and soul. Above all, be 100% careful about eating fats. Some fats are dangerous for your body and mind, while others are good. Completely avoid animal fat as far as possible along with red meat.
Some foods unfavorably affect the body and mood. They are very harmful. Some such foods are Caffeine, Alcohol, Tran’s fats or anything with “partially hydrogenated” oil, Foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones, Sugary snacks etc.
See our Food & Nutrition section
We should never skip sleep as it is a very important part of our life. If a person is leading a busy life, cutting back on sleep may seem like a smart move. But when it comes to mental health, getting enough sleep is a necessity and not a luxury. Skipping even a few hours here and there can take a toll on a person’s mood, energy, mental sharpness, and ability to handle stress. In the long-term, chronic insomnia can wreak havoc on your health and attitude. I know, during student life it is difficult to follow strict routine about sleeping. But being an adult, be careful: sleep around 7 hours each night. It’s often unrealistic to expect sleep to come the moment we lay down and close our eyes. Our brain needs time to unwind at the end of the day. Maintain some casual hobby or Yoga or Meditation, or play with the kids, or play with a pet dog, or just relax by listening to some good classical music, which has tremendous long-run benefits.
What gives us meaning and purpose?
Engaging in work that provides meaning to yourself and others is necessary. Taking part in activities that challenge our creativity and make us feel productive, whether we get paid or not for them is effective. Some other ideas can be gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop or even just listening to favourite songs.
Try to talk or meet with people who have a similar wavelength; it relaxes a lot. Caring for a pet also helps. Pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes us feel needed and loved. Talking to your mother is the best source of motivation. Animals can also get us out of the house for exercise and expose you to new people and places.
Another one is Volunteering. Just as we’re hard-wired to be social, we’re also hard-wired to give to others. If possible, unconditional Social Work is a great source of inspiration; the same inspiration can also be derived from cultural programs. There’s no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities we can explore. Spend time with an aging parent, weak spouse, or a child gives Heavenly feeling.
