Mental Fitness - What is it? How Do You Achieve it?
Ever find yourself staring into your closet, unable to recall why you're there or what you needed in the first place? Or do you sometimes jumble your kids’ names or misplace your keys? Don't worry—despite occasional glitches, it's possible to sharpen your mind and improve brain fitness.
Like physical fitness, which keeps us healthy and vibrant, mental fitness is equally important. In fact, the two are intertwined – both help you increase your stamina and ability to tolerate difficult experiences and move through life effectively. Neglecting our mental health can make you less resilient to life’s ups and downs, leaving you more likely to make poor lifestyle choices. So, what is mental fitness? There are 4 components:
Emotional: this includes self-acceptance, self-esteem, resilience, and the ability to manage strong emotions.
Social: friends are important because they bring companionship, support, and enrichment to our lives.
Financial: its not about having a certain amount of money at your disposal; it’s about feeling in control of your finances, being able to handle financial setbacks, and staying on track to achieve your financial life goals.
Physical: you can improve both (mental + physical) via a healthy diet, regular exercise, and enough sleep
Steps to improve your mental fitness:
Get physical exercise: working out can relax the mind and relieve stress and tension.
Eat and drink smart: stay hydrated as your brain needs water for optimal cognitive functioning and eat a variety of multi-colored fruits and vegetables to support gut and brain health.
Meditate daily and practice mindfulness: create a routine that works for you and commit to it. Just ten minutes per day is enough to see significant changes over time.
Practice gratitude and savor positive experiences: cultivating an "attitude of gratitude" helps to develop more positive emotions and shift our thinking toward optimism.
Defuse negative thoughts and emotions: This is a mindful strategy that involves stepping back from unhelpful experiences and putting a layer of distance between yourself and that experience.
Socialize and connect with others: building a strong sense of community, in whatever form that may take. This is a powerful way to improve mental fitness and our ability to navigate stressors as well as help us experience joy.
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