Give Yourself a Mental Makeover
Although you might take great care of your body, you may not give much thought to your mental self. It’s time to ask yourself, “What do I do to take care of my mind and keep it in excellent shape?” For some excellent mental makeover techniques, read on.
1. Know what makes you happy and do it every day. Take time each day to immerse yourself in something that brings joy to your life. Watch a movie, take a walk, do some crafting, build a shelf, or paint a picture. Make it a point to derive some pleasure from every single day.
2. Laugh a lot. Read jokes online. Make up funny stories. View your favorite situation comedies on TV, old and new. Call a friend that always makes you laugh. Spend time with children and babies. Experience humor as often as you can.
3. Cultivate new interests. To keep your mind working on several different levels, try new things often. Learn a new language. Visit museums. Study a topic of interest on the internet. Make it a personal goal to learn something new each day.
4. Play some healthy mind games. We’re talking about the ones that put your brain through some mental calisthenics. Do word searches. Work some Sudoku puzzles. Get into crosswords. Work a few math problems occasionally.
- Encourage your mind to get exercise by trying out different kinds of interesting, challenging mind games from time to time. Find some new apps for your smartphone that will challenge you and make you think.
5. Recognize your own stress responses, inside and out. Knowing yourself will help you identify how you behave when exposed to stressors. Maybe you get a fever blister on your lip, eat too much, or become grouchy.
- If you can train yourself to recognize when you’re stressed (early in the process), you can then proactively take steps to abolish the source of the stress or to beef up your coping strategies.
6. Express yourself. Although it might be difficult for you, do what you have to do to express your feelings to others. Whether they’re happy and fun feelings, or sad and scary feelings, develop ways to share your emotions. Holding in how you feel is rarely the path to a calm and secure mental state.
7. Stay on top of your feelings. In the event you’re in a situation where you can’t express your feelings to someone else for a good reason, employ your writing skills to write down on paper or in your computer how you’re feeling.
- Expressing your feelings through the written word can be both freeing and effective. Keep a journal and write regularly in it.
Take part in activities that bring joy and laugh frequently. Constantly find new interests and play games that give your mind a work-out. Know your own reactions to stress and do whatever’s necessary to express yourself.
When you concentrate on following through with these suggestions, you’ll give your mind a fantastic work-out. And when your mind is in peak condition, so are you!
