The Importance Of Mental Wellbeing
Mental wellbeing does not just end with the notion of happiness. It is truly essential to help fight the body’s physical troubles
“A sound mind and a sound body With the fast paced stressful lives that we lead nowadays, this simple phrase is very relevant in this era. We hear, see and read about multitudes of advice regarding our physical health and illness but how often do we ponder on our mental well-being?
Mental well-being does not just end with the notion of happiness. It is truly essential to help fight the body’s physical troubles. It involves the feeling of contentment, of enjoying the simple pleasures of life, of self-confidence, a sense of worth and high self-esteem.
Stress Busters To Rejuvenate Life
Laughter
A good laugh with a group of friends, a comedy film or a show, or pleasurable reading of classics, there is nothing like laughter to lighten up the mind. The effect is both immediate and long-term. Our facial and neck muscles relax and sorrows disappear. Laughter helps lower our BP, reduces stress levels by releasing endorphins which act as pain relievers and is also an immunity booster.
Physical Activity
Regular exercise, be it walking, cycling, swimming or aerobics is a potent weapon against stress. A sustained exercise regime is known to release endorphins from our brain. These feel-good neurotransmitters have a specific effect on improving our mental well-being. Yoga can also be practised for a disciplined mind and body.
Good Nutrition
A number of dietary deficiencies can insidiously affect our mental wellbeing. Obviously, a balanced diet with adequate complex carbohydrates, protein, low fat, vitamins and fluids is essential especially during the growing phases of life. Essential focus should be on certain substances like thiamine – a vitamin found in whole grain cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables, folate found ¡n greens, vitamin B 12 a useful constituent in meat, fish, sprouts and whole grain cereals. Tryptophan, a constituent of protein is known to boost mental health.
A good serving of protein either in lentils, meat, eggs, milk or nuts should be an essential component of every meal. Look for variety in your diet. This will help supply micronutrients, which we often lose out on. Fish or flax seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty oils and are essential foods known to improve mental health. Adequate fluid intake to compensate for an average daily loss of 2-2.5 litres per day is necessary too, as dehydration leads to confusion, poor mental reasoning and a general lack of energy. Avoid excessive caffeine as it is not recommended for long-term health.
Music
Listening to our favourite music calms us down, acts as a natural pain soother by releasing endorphins and is a simple stress booster. Music therapy is a well known tool in the treatment of various ailments and has a tremendous psychological benefit.
Enhancing Our Emotional Quotient
Feelings of sadness, facing a tragedy, a change in finances are occasional setbacks in everyone’s life. Our partners and immediate family are our support group at times like these and help us deal with things. Each bad phase should motivate us to come out and go ahead with the help of our family.
Learning a new skill or activity helps increase our self esteem and confidence. Learning to play a musical instrument, a new language or group activities like Ixain games, or revisiting a long forgotten hobby cheers us up greatly. It sharpens our mind and with improved reflexes, most problems can be tackled with renewed vigour.
Social Connections
Making new friends, renewing old ties with childhood friends, or revisiting memories with school chums help us refocus on what we have achieved. They increase our level of worthiness and the ability to face more challenges ahead.
These simple everyday tools should help us attain a sense of calm and contentment ¡n our life. Savour and live each moment with your family and friends. Simple pleasures of lite like admiring a sunset, the fragrance of flowers or a lovely piece of art; let us not miss out on life’s golden opportunities to be happy.
Our mental wellbeing involves not just living for ourselves but also for others. A sense of giving and sharing, being in a good relationship, a good home and work environment boosts our ability to take whatever life gives us and live it to the fullest.