Wellness

March 13,2012

You know, I was just thinking that a lot of you are tired out, after  the week-end Blogathon!!! I saw some amazing posts.

I would like this week's post to be interactive. I have noticed that the  title Mental Health seems to connote negative and kind of scary emotions in people and they tend to just avoid it. Now, here's the plan.  I would like to change the name and I need your help.  I will let you know some ideas I have but I would truly like to know what YOU think,,,,,,, can't help the play on words here!!!
I thought about Mind Health, Mind Musings, Thought Wellness....that's about it.  But I know you have great ideas. Just drop and idea in the "comment" box as I would really appreciate it.  Sorry, don't have a prize!

Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood.
 
Some of  the things one can do to accomplish this are listed here.

• Get enough rest. To have good mental and emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally.
• Learn about good nutrition and practice it. The subject of nutrition is complicated and not always easy to put into practice. But the more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you can feel.
• Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk. To get the most mental health benefits, aim for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day.
• Get a dose of sunlight every day. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun per day. This can be done while exercising, gardening, or socializing.
• Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These are stimulants that may unnaturally make you feel good in the short term, but have long-term negative consequences for mood and emotional health.

With spring almost here, or we hope it is anyway, it is a time of new beginnings and perhaps we can begin to put the time and effort ( yes, it does take effort) to be mindfully well.

Take care.



Information for this site was obtained from HELPGUIDE.org.  A TRUSTED NON-PROFIT RESOURCE

Disclaimer

The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.                                                           

 

March 6,2012

In last weeks blog on Mental Health, a scenario was described where the issue of.... no, make that the actual words of "mental illness" were spoken  as if they were synonymous with words like "plague" or "leprosy"
It would be interesting to see if the terms "mental health" or "mind wellness", which ever you prefer, produced the same effect on the hypothetical "listener"!!!
.

Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.

Being emotionally and mentally healthy doesn’t mean never going through bad times or experiencing emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress.
 
The difference is that people with good emotional health have an ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called resilience. People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good.
One of the key factors in resilience is the ability to balance stress and your emotions. The capacity to recognize your emotions and express them appropriately helps you avoid getting stuck in depression, anxiety, or other negative mood states. Another key factor is having a strong support network. Having trusted people you can turn to for encouragement and support will boost your resilience in tough times.
Now, perhaps we can't change how others think, but we can TRY to change how WE think and who knows  where it will go from there???


Information for this site was obtained from HELPGUIDE.org.  A TRUSTED NON-PROFIT RESOURCE

Disclaimer

The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.