Mind the Mind: Towards Robust Mental Health
Mental health is an integral part of your well-being and you may have unknowingly neglected it. Holistic wellness expert, Angeli, shares five simple steps you can start with right now to give your mind some tender loving care.
By Angeli Jagota
This article was first published in the October 2018 issue of BAMBI Magazine and was updated in March 2022.
Articles, newsprint, videos, and online forums advise galore on what you should do to tone up your physical body to be a healthy individual. Gyms, fitness centers, protein powders—health products are aplenty to aid you in that quest. All these may seem a great proposition in a world where health consciousness is direly needed, but what they aren't telling you is that health isn't just about physical well-being. Intangible aspects such as emotions, thoughts, and belief systems also comprise an essential part of our overall health and unfortunately, tend to be in a state of constant neglect, even if unknowingly so.
So, how can we as health seekers be ‘health keepers’ of our mental balance and steer clear of developing anxiety, stress, impulse control, mood and addiction disorders?
The rigors of a modern lifestyle, including work stress, societal pressures, conformism, the social media-driven rat race, and crass consumerism have contributed tellingly to the declining mental health of humans, particularly women. Across the globe, the societal setup is such that women are more stressed—even in a familial milieu, where they are expected to play a sheet anchor role with a deluge of responsibilities and challenges. No surprise then that studies in the US have shown that females are approximately twice as likely as males to be diagnosed with depression. The research also reveals that women living with depression often need support for other mental health conditions such as eating disorders and unhealthy use of substances.
So wherein lies the remedy? As a holistic wellness expert, I envisage a five-pronged approach to keeping mental health in check.
1. Curb your virtual footprint. Start enjoying life, start being there physically instead of thinking about selfie moments, Instagram stories, or Facebook check-ins at any place you go. Let your body, your mind, and your soul bask in the vibes. It is not important to tell the world where you are. It is important for you to experience the moment. And no gadgets an hour prior to sleep! Gadgets emit blue light radiation which impairs the rhythm of sleep and disrupts the body clock.
2. Find time to meditate for at least half an hour a day. The internet is full of DIY meditations. Use them. If possible, chant a peaceful rhythm, too. A seminal study on this topic found that a meditation-based stress reduction program helped quell symptoms of anxiety in people with generalized anxiety disorder, a condition marked by hard-to-control worries, poor sleep, and irritability. So, the efficacy of meditation has a scientific endorsement.
3. Make a habit of penning your thoughts and journaling your feelings. This is the best outlet for your emotional self. I say this as I know you can't share everything with everyone. So be your best pal.
4. Practice yoga. Embrace the poses, unlock the power of locks and breathe a fresh lease of life into your senses through pranayama. When you do yoga, the stillness and retention of poses teach you patience, calming your mind.
5. Write a gratitude diary every day. This way you will inadvertently end up 'counting your blessings'—a surefire way of keeping stress at bay and finding happiness.
Photo from Canva.
About the Author
Angeli is a Yoga Alliance-registered versatile yoga professional, holistic innovator, life coach, wellness counselor, and a certified kids yoga specialist. For her unique women empowerment initiatives like Fertility Yoga and for holistically simplifying problem-solving, Angeli is addressed as ‘Eve-Angelist’.
The views expressed in the articles in this magazine are not necessarily those of BAMBI committee members and we assume no responsibility for them or their effects. BAMBI News welcomes volunteer contributors to our magazine. Please contact editor@bambiweb.org.