5 ways to start your journey to better mental health
What is it about the human mind that often causes us to experience such thoughts that (for a period of time) make our daily lives so miserable and sometimes seemingly unbearable.
When someone is in the cycle of a negative mindset it appears to them that they can never break this cycle and that’s “the person they are” now and always will be.
The fact is, that although it may seem impossible at the moment that you, yes you, can experience a rich and fulfilling life, you can and will do by changing your routine both by thought and lifestyle.
Let’s look at 5 things that will start your journey into a place where your life will become enjoyable again and benefit not just you but those around you.
Break the cycle of routine.
When you awake in the morning I am pretty sure those first thoughts are ones of dread, fear and even panic about what lies ahead in the day.
DO NOT lie there catastrophizing about what “might happen” during the day. Get up! And now start to break your morning routine, do things in a different order and break each activity down into small chunks and “be present” with that activity, so when getting dressed for instance, feel the fabric, look at the buttons/fasteners, feel how each item of clothing fits you.
It’s all about interrupting the pattern that your mind always follows each morning, every morning. Your unconscious mind (sometimes referred to as the subconscious mind) takes the path of least resistance, just like water.
So if you keep thinking those same thoughts each morning when you awake, the unconscious mind will obey and keep you in that same loop. So change the pattern of behaviour so that the new behaviour becomes the default program that the mind will follow.
Are you busy?
Have you noticed that when you have to really concentrate on something you are not aware of anxious thoughts? Why do you think this is? You may have put the label on yourself that you are an “anxious person” but you are not anxious all of the time so the label is not strictly true. When we get anxious thoughts they trigger a physical response, maybe tension in the chest, shallow breathing or just an unwanted physical feeling in the whole body.
We then go into the loop, the mind recognises the physical feeling of anxiety which triggers more flight or fight response and so it goes on. So what to do when this happens? Don’t forget you want to break the pattern and as you realise that you are in control a new program is installed into the mind.
Try these different techniques and see which is best for you, remember the unconscious mind responds to repetition, so keep on doing what gives you control.
When you feel the anxiety coming on, say to yourself “ ok this an anxious thought, just like I can have a happy thought, a sad thought, it’s just a thought” and let the physical feeling take place, it will pass. The KEY is not to attach importance to the feeling otherwise the unconscious will follow that path of least resistance and give you more of the same, back in the loop!
Say to yourself in a loud voice DELETE, DELETE, DELETE, or I’m EXCITED, I’m EXCITED, I’m EXCITED.
Or, start to internally recite say the 12 times table backwards or 100 backwards or sing your very favourite song to yourself, choose the one that gives you the best feeling, the best memory. Music is very powerful as trigger to “take you to a different place”.
The key to success here is to be repetitive, accept that feeling which is initially uncomfortable, then you will re-write the program that your unconscious mind will continually follow.
Getting down and dirty!
There is increasing evidence that being close to nature brings significant benefits to one’s wellbeing, either the peace and tranquillity of being in a quiet forest or on a canal walk for instance. I recently posted this short video of a peaceful spot near to my home which illustrates the way just a simple walk can be so beneficial to alleviate stress and anxiety.
Again more evidence is mainstream that gardening is providing clear benefits to the mental wellbeing of many, who gain great pleasure in being “in the soil” and seeing plants grow that they have planted from seed.
The social interaction which takes place in a community garden also delivers lots of benefits for those who may have become isolated due to certain mindset issues. You may want to read this article by the RHS on the benefits of gardening on mental health and wellbeing.
Do you drop the anchor?
When we approach a situation that causes us to be anxious we have an unwanted mental and physical response to that place or situation.
One of the interventions used in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a technique known as anchoring. To use this successfully you need to “prepare” your anchor in advance in a safe environment, usually the home where you won’t be disturbed.
This is done in the following way.
Close your eyes and think of a situation where you were at your happiest or most successful, remember in detail what it was like, the place, the people you were with, sounds, music,(in particular) colours, smells etc. Recall that situation and relive it in your mind, vividly.
When you have that memory and when the joyous feeling is at it’s optimum press together your index finger and thumb for about 15 seconds and hold that feeling. (The feeling will begin to subside after this time.)
This is your anchor. As stated earlier, the unconscious mind responds to repetition so practise this regularly so every time you press the finger and thumb together it places you in a resourceful metal state.
So when you are about to approach a situation that may cause stress, giving a presentation or entering a room full of people for example, use your anchor to change your mental state to become more resourceful!
The Breath- free medication without side effects.
Much has been written about how breathing properly can have a massive impact on our physiological state. The late Dr Michael Mosley produced an excellent podcast illustrating true benefits of breathing properly.
Practising the technique of slow breathing often referred to as “belly breathing” where you push out the abdomen whilst inhaling activates our parasympathetic nervous systems which stops our fight and flight response from taking over and thereby reducing our panic responses.
Making this technique your regular pattern of breathing will help to relieve stress and enable you to remain calm in potentially stressful situations.
It really is a free hit.
