Ever feel consumed with thoughts that you can’t sleep? Have trouble prioritizing your day-to-day responsibilities that you feel ill-accomplished? What about have to decide whether you should hit the gym, catch a power nap or work another 8 hours to earn side cash for monthly bills? If you have said yes to any of the above, then you my friend, are perfectly alright. As the famous words have been echoed over and over in my mind that ‘this too shall pass’.
Outside of going to your bi-annual check-up with your general practitioner to ensure your health is in check, the one part of our bodies we neglect is our mind. Imagine an air control tower and the people inside are making critical decisions and directing what planes can land and what planes can depart. The same goes for our mind as it is the air control tower of our bodies. Throughout our evolution of time, we move from underdeveloped to developed to deteriorating — all throughout the length of whatever time we are allowed on this planet. So, in this short period time, I find it fit to write about ways to take care of our mind and what we can do to promote longevity in our livelihood.
For starters, the things we expose our minds to on a daily basis shape our thinking. For example, if you watch the news every morning, then nine times out of ten you will start your day off with disgust. If you wake up, take a shower and eat a hearty breakfast while playing some of your favorite tunes, you will most likely go into work or school with excitement. You have heard the statements before that kids who are exposed to violent games and shows are more likely to be violent themselves or act out behaviors because the exposure to this content has been normalized. But then again, not every child exposed to violence or first-shooter games will turn out to be serial mass murderers. So please be cognizant of what you expose yourself to and how you start your day.
Second on my list is exercise and diet. Of course you are thinking to yourself: “I know he was going to write about exercise and diet!” and you would be correct! Truth be told, practicing daily exercise regimes and eating a balanced diet will prolong your health and life in unimaginable ways. One of the leading causes of disability in the United States is clinical depression and sure enough, over 300 million people suffer from it worldwide (Koskie et al., 2018). More so, a healthy diet can protect the human body against certain types of diseases, in particular noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some types of cancer and skeletal conditions (WHO et al., 2020). Eat your colored veggies, pack on protein, add in some delicious fiber and grains, exercise 30 minutes three times a week and don’t forget to reward yourself for a job well done!
Lastly, take time for yourself to relax and wind down because with all the hustle-and-bustle, you can neglect self-care and self-love. One simple way to do so is plan out one day a week that you dedicate to yourself to do whatever you choose — whether you attend a concert, sporting event or go for your favorite ice cream. The most common questions I ask my patients are: (1) What coping mechanisms do you practice? (2) What hobbies and interests do you have? Surprisingly, 90% respond with “I don’t have any”, “I don’t have time for that” and “I don’t know.” We must not work to live nor live to work; instead we must create our own journey, love and respect ourselves and take care of our minds. I wish you well…
Namaste!
Sources:
Koskie, B. (2018). Depression: Facts, Statistics and You. Retrieved from :
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/facts-statistics-infographic#2
World Health Organization (2020). A Healthy Lifestyle: Benefits of A Balanced Diet.
Retrieved from: euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/a-
healthy-lifestyle/benefits-of-a-balanced-diet
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