One in four people in the world is afflicted with some mental health illness at some point in their lives and women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed. It is estimated there are 970 million suffering from mental illness worldwide. Our mental health affects how we feel, think and act. It is our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing and it is important at every stage of life.
We need to make our mental health our priority and normalise conversations around it. Practicing Wholistic Wellbeing can help you enhance your mental wellbeing by enabling us to live with greater joy and health.
Prakriti Poddar, a devoted mental health advocate and Global Head, Mental Health and Wellbeing at RoundGlass, a Wholistic Wellbeing company often says that "it's okay to be not okay". We don't need to brush our mental health challenges under the carpet but be open about them and learn to navigate them by living a life of Wholistic Wellbeing. Cultivating a daily practice of meditation and mindfulness is one of the most trusted pathways to achieving Wholistic Wellbeing but it's not the only one.
Here are several more practices that will enable us to open our minds and power them with positive thoughts, purpose and wellbeing:
Gratitude: Acknowledging and appreciating the gifts we receive, and counting our blessings is a powerful positive emotion that enhances wellbeing. In a series of studies, Robert Emmons — a leading scientific expert on gratitude — found that people who practice gratitude experience a host of benefits including a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, and higher levels of positive emotions. Don’t hold back — let your gratitude flow through your words, actions, and expressions.
Self-compassion: It pays to be kind to our own mind and body. Sometimes, it’s surprising how unkind and harsh we can be to ourselves while treating complete strangers with more kindness! Now research has shown how being kind to ourselves is associated with greater optimism and happiness. Don’t shy from expressing your emotions and wellbeing needs. If you feel you need help, ask for it. Choose from any number of safe digital tools and portals available today that offer credible wellbeing care and help.
Movement: Physical exercise and meditative movement can both help you experience greater wellbeing and happiness. Meditative movements are a category of exercises that focus on breathing and a cleared state of mind to achieve a deep state of relaxation and awareness. Yoga, Qigong, and TaiChi are examples of meditative movements and will help you feel better mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Nurturing Social Connections: Cultivating a large social circle and taking active part in our community has been linked to lower levels of anxiety and depression, and greater empathy. In an 80-year-long study of adult development, close relationships were found to delay mental and physical decline among the participants and proved to be better predictors of long and happy lives. So, pick up the phone and call up your friends/family, and make plans for the weekend.
