This is the last day of Mental Health Week, but perhaps for you it could be the beginning of a different way of handling your mental fitness.  Walking, attending exercise classes, playing sports are all ways we pay attention to our physical fitness.  The benefits are noticeable such as renewed energy, improved sleep and stronger muscles.  If we look at well-being from a holistic point of view, it includes both physical and emotional health. What if we devoted the same attention and energy to nourishing our mental health?  

 

What does mental fitness involve?  Mental fitness helps us to achieve and sustain an emotionally healthy state.   Good mental health enables us to more fully enjoy and appreciate our environment and the people in it.  We can better resist stress and tackle our challenges in a positive frame of mind.  It allows us to be creative, to use our mental abilities to the fullest extent and make the most of opportunities.

 

People’s responses to stress, and difficult events, are as individual as the people experiencing them.  Everyone will assess and measure their mental fitness in different ways.  There are common factors which facilitate good mental health.  By considering some of these factors, it is possible to identify how we can improve our mental fitness.

·                      Realistic attitude - When we are able to feel and draw on optimism, a sense of perspective and flexibility, we gain the resilience needed to endure shock, hardship or change, and to carry on with our lives.

·                      Self-esteem and confidence - Instead of focusing on what we are lacking, we need to focus on the qualities we do have that make us a good friend, a valued colleague, a loving parent or family member.

·                      Emotional support - Close ties with family and friends build support networks through which we receive help and, in turn, help others.

·                      Mental agility - Giving our minds and bodies a workout by engaging in a variety of mental activities - such as reading a book, solving crosswords or playing a musical instrument - enhances mental agility and promotes overall wellness.

 Think about your emotional well-being.  Consider the particular demands or stresses you are facing and how they are affecting you.  Give yourself permission to take a break from your worries and concerns.  Recognize that dedicating even a short time every day to your mental fitness will reap significant benefits in terms of feeling rejuvenated and more confident.  Here are some simple ways to practice mental fitness:

·                      Daydream - Close your eyes and imagine yourself in another place.  Breathe slowly and deeply.  Whether it’s a beach, a mountaintop, a hushed forest or a favourite room from your past, let the comforting environment wrap you in a sensation of peace and tranquility.

·                      “Collect” positive emotional moments - Make it a point to recall times when you have experienced pleasure, comfort, tenderness, confidence, or other positive emotions.

·                      Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts - Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud.  Learn to interrupt them.  Don’t try to block them (that never works), but don’t let them take over.  Try distracting yourself or comforting yourself, if you can’t solve the problem right away.

·                      Do one thing at a time - for example, when you are out for a walk or spending time with friends, focus on the moment by taking in all the sights, sounds and smells you encounter.