Mind Alive Blog
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
11 Mental Fitness tips
Again taken from the Canadian Mental Health Association. The tips are great reminders on how to keep mentally fit. If your mind is healthy your body automatically will be as well. Better health = better lifestyle. At Mind Alive we strongly believe in this philosophy and want to support our clients to pursue the same goals.
Give yourself permission to take a break from your worries and concerns. Recognize that dedicating even a short time every day to your mental fitness will reap significant benefits in terms of feeling rejuvenated and more confident.
Here are some simple ways to practice mental fitness:
1. Daydream – Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a dream location. Breathe slowly and deeply. Whether it’s a beach, a mountaintop, a hushed forest or a favourite room from your past, let the comforting environment wrap you in a sensation of peace and tranquility.
2. “Collect” positive emotional moments – Make it a point to recall times when you have experienced pleasure, comfort, tenderness, confidence, or other positive emotions.
3. Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts – Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud. Learn to interrupt them. Don’t try to block them (that never works), but don’t let them take over. Try distracting yourself or comforting yourself, if you can’t solve the problem right away.
4. Do one thing at a time – For example, when you are out for a walk or spending time with friends, turn off your cell phone and stop making that mental “to do” list. Take in all the sights, sounds and smells you encounter.
5. Exercise – Regular physical activity improves psychological well-being and can reduce depression and anxiety. Joining an exercise group or a gym can also reduce loneliness, since it connects you with a new set of people sharing a common goal.
6. Enjoy hobbies – Taking up a hobby brings balance to your life by allowing you to do something you enjoy because you want to do it, free of the pressure of everyday tasks. It also keeps your brain active.
7. Set personal goals – Goals don’t have to be ambitious. You might decide to finish that book you started three years ago; to take a walk around the block every day; to learn to knit or play bridge; to call your friends instead of waiting for the phone to ring. Whatever goal you set, reaching it will build confidence and a sense of satisfaction.
8. Keep a journal (or even talk to the wall!) – Expressing yourself after a stressful day can help you gain perspective, release tension and even boost your body’s resistance to illness.
9. Share humour – Life often gets too serious, so when you hear or see something that makes you smile or laugh, share it with someone you know. A little humour can go a long way to keeping us mentally fit!
10. Volunteer – Volunteering is called the “win-win” activity because helping others makes us feel good about ourselves. At the same time, it widens our social network, provides us with new learning experiences and can bring balance to our lives.
11. Treat yourself well – Cook yourself a good meal. Have a bubble bath. See a movie. Call a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in ages. Sit on a park bench and breathe in the fragrance of flowers and grass. Whatever it is, do it just for you.
Give yourself permission to take a break from your worries and concerns. Recognize that dedicating even a short time every day to your mental fitness will reap significant benefits in terms of feeling rejuvenated and more confident.
Here are some simple ways to practice mental fitness:
1. Daydream – Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a dream location. Breathe slowly and deeply. Whether it’s a beach, a mountaintop, a hushed forest or a favourite room from your past, let the comforting environment wrap you in a sensation of peace and tranquility.
2. “Collect” positive emotional moments – Make it a point to recall times when you have experienced pleasure, comfort, tenderness, confidence, or other positive emotions.
3. Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts – Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud. Learn to interrupt them. Don’t try to block them (that never works), but don’t let them take over. Try distracting yourself or comforting yourself, if you can’t solve the problem right away.
4. Do one thing at a time – For example, when you are out for a walk or spending time with friends, turn off your cell phone and stop making that mental “to do” list. Take in all the sights, sounds and smells you encounter.
5. Exercise – Regular physical activity improves psychological well-being and can reduce depression and anxiety. Joining an exercise group or a gym can also reduce loneliness, since it connects you with a new set of people sharing a common goal.
6. Enjoy hobbies – Taking up a hobby brings balance to your life by allowing you to do something you enjoy because you want to do it, free of the pressure of everyday tasks. It also keeps your brain active.
7. Set personal goals – Goals don’t have to be ambitious. You might decide to finish that book you started three years ago; to take a walk around the block every day; to learn to knit or play bridge; to call your friends instead of waiting for the phone to ring. Whatever goal you set, reaching it will build confidence and a sense of satisfaction.
8. Keep a journal (or even talk to the wall!) – Expressing yourself after a stressful day can help you gain perspective, release tension and even boost your body’s resistance to illness.
9. Share humour – Life often gets too serious, so when you hear or see something that makes you smile or laugh, share it with someone you know. A little humour can go a long way to keeping us mentally fit!
10. Volunteer – Volunteering is called the “win-win” activity because helping others makes us feel good about ourselves. At the same time, it widens our social network, provides us with new learning experiences and can bring balance to our lives.
11. Treat yourself well – Cook yourself a good meal. Have a bubble bath. See a movie. Call a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in ages. Sit on a park bench and breathe in the fragrance of flowers and grass. Whatever it is, do it just for you.
Labels: Mental health
Monday, March 28, 2011
Mind Alive Monday
Dave didn't send me any photos of him doing things so it's my turn again. One of the hobbies I took up to help heal my right shoulder and deal with the stiffness in my hips was pole dancing. Pole dancing challenges the mind and body in a number ways. First is getting over the stigma that only a certain type of person can do it. Second using your own weight for your workout tones you up quickly and encourages you lose those few extra pounds.
The photo was taken a couple years ago at a Pole Dance Camp in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where people from all over the world would come to learn about different techniques from world class instructors and meet other dancers. We all have varied backgrounds. Myself I have a degree in chemistry and currently work in marketing for Mind Alive among my other projects. The funniest thing for me is outside of the lab pole dancing is where I meet the most chemists.
One of my close friends whom I met at camp has double degree in marketing and psychology and is going for a Master's in Management Information Systems. Others have Master's degrees in physics, BSc in Evolutionary Biology, BSc in Nursing, BSc Geology etc. Talk about keeping your mind alive! Nearly all the girls have degrees in something and a lot of them are sciences believe it or not. More so than other types of dance I've done, it's about solving problems as to where to put your weight to balance yourself and best places for friction! Sure there's the trial and error aspect, but you just can't help bringing in some math to create nice lines.
Dave always mentions about keeping the dopamine levels up by being part of social group. Pole dancers definitely support each other to the best of their abilities whether you've been at it for years or just starting out nor is it all about dancing. I've been through so many changes lately that my friends in the pole dance community have helped me smooth over.
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| Taken September 19, 2009, Talk like a pirate day, hence the pirate costume:) |
Labels: dance
