MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
HOW DO YOU SUPPORT YOUR PERSONAL MENTAL HEALTH?
by Kathy Babula
It’s been 15 years since I began practicing mindfulness meditation and I daresay I have learned a thing or two about how I can actively support my mental health. After dabbling in this ‘n that along the way, I have discovered my best self on a daily basis by implementing these foundational “tricks”.
image shot at Ara Ha
Practice mindfulness. By training my mind to rise above my emotions and notice the thoughts behind them instead, I have saved myself countless daily angst. I see the origin of my stress quickly (fear? wanting more of what I don’t have? attachment to a result I didn’t get?) and that awareness helps me let go and relax. Time and time again, like magic! But, in reality, it only takes a consistent practice of awareness to make this part of a positive mental health lifestyle.
Add meditation to that mindfulness. Sit down and shut up. Let your thoughts come and go. I have tried the guided meditations, the music, the white noise, but for me, meditation is entirely about finding out what makes ME tick and so I invite the silence, watching my thoughts without other distractions. Those other styles have their place, but mindfulness meditation is my absolute bedrock for daily mental health through self-discovery.
Be with people who make you feel ten feet tall. Surely, someone has told you that! Did I believe it? Not when I wanted to keep saving and fixing people. Over time, I learned to replenish and maintain my healthy energy by noticing (through mindfulness) which of my relationships were maintained due to guilt and which due to joy and mutual support. Letting go of the guilt (and often the relationship) was another skill learned through mindful awareness and a huge step towards more consistent inner peace!
Eat mindfully and move your body. This has been my biggest challenge. While my 70-year-old husband plays ice hockey three times a week and stops eating when he is “full” (what is THAT?), I hate exercise and love sugar. However, I have discovered that if I am mindful of my food intake, extra sweets muddle my mind and make me grumpy. I am now aware that I need protein often and, if I listen carefully to my body, eating a Gala apple trumps a cookie (almost) every time! So, did I take up ice hockey? Heck no, but a daily 30-minute walk clears the cobwebs and keeps my negative thinking at bay.
Of course, see your therapist. Go for acupuncture. Stay in touch with your professional team. But also notice how much you can do for your own mental health on a daily basis by committing to the simple practices above. They are the cornerstone of my own positive mental health. Start building yours today!