Take Care Of Yourself: Mind Your Mind

Taking good care of yourself is not just limited to healthy diets, exercise and grooming — there’s also your emotional and psychological wellbeing to think about as well. A good state of mental health not only enables you to fully enjoy what life has to offer, it also provides you with the necessary resilience to hold your ground during stressful situations and turbulent times.

By: Melanie Lee

Writer’s note: This topic hit close to home when a friend committed suicide last month near Christmas. It was such a sad, tragic shock and at first, it seemed as if it had come out of nowhere. On retrospect, however, I remember that this kind-hearted and capable friend of mine who had so many things to look forward to in life also had unresolved issues and often lapsed into futile pessimism. It’s so easy to neglect your state of mind when there seem to be so many other things that need to taken care of, but really, it’s the first thing you should look into when you feel that something’s amiss.

According to the Singapore Association for Mental Health, one’s mental wellbeing involves the following aspects:
a) How a person feels about herself
b) How she feels about others
c) How she handles the stresses of daily living

Ponder over how you’ve been doing in these areas. Do you often go out of the house feeling ugly or fat? Are you resentful that your colleague seems to be receiving more favourable treatment by your bosses? Do you swear like a sailor during peak hour traffic? Do you often panic because you can’t seem to complete the things you’ve set out to do?

If there are alarm bells ringing at this point – no worries – for here are some suggested ways you can try building up your mental fitness.

1. Building awareness
Start observing or journaling what kind of things get you down or agitated and spend some time thinking through what thoughts go through your head at that time and why you react the way you do. Think about how pointless indulging in such pessimistic thoughts are and try to identify any root issues (eg, lack of self-esteem) that may be fuelling such negativity.

2. Restoring balance
When a particular aspect of your life (eg, work) becomes too dominant, very often, it’s your friends and family that are best able to sense that things are tipping over. Start taking note when other people tell you things like, “You look tired” or “You don’t seem to have time for anything anymore”. When this happens, make it a point to slow down, take stock and commit to altering your lifestyle to fit your priorities – not the other way round.

3. Practicing flexibility
The only certainty in life is uncertainty and life guarantees low points – break-ups, retrenchments, illnesses. Often, these curveballs really have a way of making you think that the rest of your life is ruined. However, you are a lot more adaptable than you think you are and often, it’s the attitude that determines the outcome and not so much the circumstances. This is not about being fatalistic, but merely coming to terms that there really are some things beyond your control, so you might as well enjoy the ride!

Visit the Healthy Mind website for more information and resources on how to introduce mental wellness practices into your life.

Have an experience with mental health that you want to share? Leave a comment or email editor@nanzinc.com.

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