Dental -Mental…..sounds funny. Replace one alphabet and the entire meaning is changed. Have you ever wondered how words are so powerful?
Words create a thought, thought creates an action/feeling and this could really change your destiny. In today’s world we all are told to speak well, behave well and present ourselves well. The most important aspect to be gentle with yourself, accept yourself, love yourself and bless yourself is not taught anywhere in any school.
The 2022 World Mental Health Day theme ‘Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority‘ provides us with an opportunity to re-kindle our efforts to make the world a better place.
Mental health is the foundation of a happy life. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental illnesses can affect people of any age, race, religion, or income. It affects how we think, feel, and act in daily functioning. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life.
More than 43 million Americans struggle with mental illnesses. 1 in 5 young people (age 13-18 years) has or will develop a mental illness in their lifetime. Youth depression rates have risen from 5.9% to 8.2% since 2012. Depression symptoms can impact performance in school and interfere with personal relationships.
Common signs of mental health issues include:
- extreme mood swings
- changes in eating habits
- excessive worrying or fear
- problems concentrating and
- avoiding friends or social activities.
Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone was brave enough to share her own struggle with depression. Her message is loud and clear – that we really do need to take care of our mental well being.
Getting a Medical/Dental seat in Government College requires lot of consistent hard work. Competitive exams do bring lot of stress for teenagers and parents.
I would like to share 7 simple ways to stay mentally fit. Adopting them in your life style can help you cope up with daily challenges we meet at home or work place.
1. Diet
Our Indian culture has always placed a great importance on the food we eat. Its said – as is the food, so is the mind .So we should carefully choose not only what type of food we should eat, but also how it is cooked as that is also very important.. Blessing the food and thanking for it makes a difference. These small acts change the vibration of food and we feel good.
2. Visible reminders
Gentle reminders to stay healthy, focussed and happy are very useful to kick start your day on the right note. Out of sight, out of mind they say – so keep these reminders in your field of vision daily. For example, I have kept one small momento on a shelf which says:
3. Kindness and Mental Health
Kindness doesn’t just help other people, but it also improves our own physical and mental health. Whether we’re giving, receiving or even just witnessing it, kindness can have a great effect on us!
This is because when we experience kindness, a hormone called dopamine is released in our brain which gives us a feeling of elevation – it’s often referred to as ‘Helper’s High’. Kindness can also improve relationships. Our evolutionary ancestors had to cooperate with each other for survival. This means we now have ‘kindness genes’ etched into the human genome. So, when we’re kind to each other, we feel a connection that strengthens our relationships and helps us to create new ones. How great is that! Teaching children about the effects of kindness will empower them to take charge of their own well-being.
4 Yoga
Yoga’s physical benefits to the brain and body are known to all of us. Yoga has been shown to lower stress hormones in our bodies while simultaneously increasing beneficial brain chemicals like endorphins and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). These feel-good chemicals help decrease anxiety and improve mood. With its emphasis on breathing practices and meditation—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work better.
When you lift weights, your muscles get stronger and bigger. When you do yoga, your brain cells develop new connections, and changes occur in brain structure as well as function, resulting in improved cognitive skills, such as learning and memory. Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. Think of it as weightlifting for the brain!
Studies using MRI scans and other brain imaging technology have shown that people who regularly did yoga had a thicker cerebral cortex (the area of the brain responsible for information processing) and hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in learning and memory) compared with nonpractitioners. These areas of the brain typically shrink as you age, but the older yoga practitioners showed less shrinkage than those who did not perform yoga. This suggests that yoga may counteract age-related declines in memory and other cognitive skills.
- It builds confidence.
- It makes you more aware of your posture at all times
- It makes you more mindful
- It boosts your strength and endurance
- It helps relieve stress
Do we really need more reasons to make it part of our daily routine? In addition to yoga, I highly recommend Sudarshan Kriya, a breathing technique efffeciently designed to keep us healthy at physical,mental and spiritual level.
5 Try Out These 5 Hand Mudras To De-Stress Anywhere, Anytime
There’s a thing about yoga which is unlike gymming or doing any other form of exercise – it helps you connect with your inner self. Our inner selves are in a perpetual blissful state and yoga can help you reach there. A thing as simple as hand gestures, known as mudras in yoga, can help you relax and unwind. Mudras are done in conjunction with breathing exercises and help regulate the flow of energy throughout your body.
5 such mudras that have many benefits and can be done anywhere, at the bus stop, in cinema or while you are stuck in traffic or may be just when you get free time between scheduled appointments:
GYAN MUDRA: This is the most common mudra and is believed to help increase one’s concentration, knowledge and memory. You can be sitting, standing or lying down to do this. However, you must make sure that your back is straight. To do this, you need to touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger while the other fingers are stretched out but relaxed. While doing so, focus on your breath.
PRANA MUDRA: This mudra is about prana, that is life. It concentrates on one’s energy and boosts their immunity. It can help improve the health of eyes and help with fatigue and insomnia. To do this, touch the tip of your thumb with the tips of your ring finger and little finger while you stretch out the other two fingers. This mudra must not be done while lying down.
PRITHVI MUDRA: This mudra helps you connect with prithvi, that is the earth. It helps one with achieving a balanced and fulfilling life by strengthening his body, reducing fatigue and keeping one grounded and free from irrational thought. To do this, touch the tip of your thumb with the tip of your ring finger while keeping the other fingers extended. This mudra, like prana mudra, must not be done while lying down.
VAYU MUDRA: This mudra helps regulate air inside your body. It is very helpful in relieving pain and painful joints. It is extremely helpful for people suffering from arthritis, gout, rheumatism and cervical spondylitis. It can even help relieve pain for polio and Parkinson’s patients. This can be the mudra which helps you perform other asanas as well if you suffer from bodily pains as the mudra will alleviate them. To do this, roll your index finger towards your thumb so that its tip touches the mound of your thumb. The other three fingers should be stretched out.
SURYA MUDRA: Also known as Agni Mudra, this one helps regulate the amount of heat in your body. This mudra helps in boosting the metabolism of your body, leading to weight loss, helping in obesity, improving eyesight, relieving constipation, indigestion, common cold and other metabolism-related problems. To do this, fold your ring favour so that its tip touches the base of your thumb. Gently apply pressure with the thumb on the second phalanx of the ring finger. The other fingers should be stretched out.
6 Colour therapy
The green ribbon is the international symbol of mental health awareness. Adding green colour in our clinic set up ,wearing green colour clothes or watering green plants can activate our heart chakra.We just feel happy.
- Green – Quiet and restful, green is a soothing color that can invite harmony and diffuse anxiety.
- Blue – A highly peaceful color, blue can be especially helpful for stress management because it can encourage a powerful sense of calm.
- Purple – In many cultures, shades of violet represent strength, wisdom and peace.
7. Acupressure
Acupressure is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that may provide temporary relief from anxiety symptoms. It involves stimulating pressure points in your body, either on your own or with the help of a professional. A simple acupressure routine may help to manage some of the effects of stress and anxiety on the body.
The hall of impression point: The hall of impression point lies between your eyebrows. Applying pressure to this point is said to help with both anxiety and stress.
To use this point:
- Sit comfortably. It can help to close your eyes.
- Touch the spot between your eyebrows with your index finger or thumb.
- Take slow, deep breaths and apply gentle, firm pressure in a circular motion for 5 to 10 minutes.
The heavenly gate point: The heavenly gate point is located in the upper shell of your ear, at the tip of the triangle-like hollow there. Stimulating this point is said to help relieve anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
To use this point:
- Locate the point in your ear. It might help to use a mirror.
- Apply firm, gentle pressure in a circular motion for two minutes.
Last but not least, we all know so many things but actually putting it into practice will only help!
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