Here are five ways to look after your mental health which is as important, if not more, than your physical health.

Mental health is spoken about often but dealt with even less. Before you give this article a miss thinking it is just a run-of-mill mumbo jumbo, pause. If you have a mind, then you have mental health. And if you have mental health, then you could be having mental health issues. Irrespective of your previous fitness, mental health issues can crop up. We all are constantly bombarded with depressing news day in and day out. With a war cropping up on one end of the spectrum to social media addiction on the other end, our minds need to be looked after proactively.

In this piece, Dr Farah Adam Mukadam, Family Physician, Kauvery Hospitals Electronic City (Bengaluru)

Author of Newborns and New Moms- An urban woman’s guide to life after childbirth is going to speak about five ways to look after your mental health which is as important, if not more, than your physical health.

When you rise in the morning make sure you get your daily dose of sunshine

Set your alarm to 15 minutes before your usual waking time and bask in some sun. Make sure you do this self-care activity without your phone or a newspaper. It should be just you, your thoughts, fresh air and the morning sun. This sun exposure in the morning will set your body clock as well as your hormone cycle. Your pineal gland, which is confused by daily and nightly exposure to the bright blue light of your phone screen will get a boost. Once the glands present in your brain start to respond to the natural light, your entire body will function smoothly and also boost your metabolism. This fresh surge of energy will leave you feeling rejuvenated and with a happier mind and body.

The Vitamin D because of the sun exposure will help in bringing your BP down, leaving you with a sense of calm and the effect of the sun will last well up to night time giving you better sleep when it’s time for sleep.

Work from home rules

Despite the covid pandemic warning, there are many sectors still working from home (often following US timings). Please set a boundary to how much you work and draw the line. Log into your system in the morning, make sure you take a lunch break and a tea break and ensure you log off from your devices. Often employers do not regard work from home as work. If you are a manager and have subordinates, please ensure that work timings are respected and your employees are given their due regard.

Being social and anti-social-media

We live in a strange world. We want to be present everywhere, stay connected to everyone and update our acquaintances about our every move. Yet we are lonelier than ever. Social media has turned us in anti-social beings which are doing us way more harm than anticipated. Isolation from their family and community affects a person at the level of the brain cells. Parts of the brain shrink when one is in isolation which contributes to further damage to mental health. Cultures that promote nuclear families and living in isolation have higher rates of depression as witnessed in the West and now in the evolving East.

Meditation

It is as difficult as you imagine. Meditation, connecting with your higher self and being spiritual is easier said than done. If you are keen to learn how to meditate, there are apps such as the Deepak Chopra Meditation app, calm and headspace to name a few. But if your mind cannot or does not want to sit still (like mine!), there are other ways to can press the pause button in the chaos of life. There are beautiful adult colouring books. I would recommend, getting a fresh pack of sketch pens and a Mandala art colouring book and start filling up the beautiful intricate patterns. If you want to be productive when meditative, take up knitting. If you find cooking soothing, then do it without music and listen to the sounds of your pots and pans. Our brains are bombarded with too many stimuli all day long and all the time. Let cooking be your private activity of just you with your ingredients.

Exercise

There is no end to how good exercise is for your mental health. It helps your mind unwind as your muscles take centre stage, and it boosts the production of endorphins and serotonin. These hormones are the happy hormones of your body. A sense of calm and fulfilment after your bout of exercise will leave you tired out for a fantastic nighttime sleep. In addition, your body is cared for when you exercise and our bodies are grateful for any form of self-care. It will boost your confidence levels and also give you the opportunity to interact with your neighbours in person.