The seeds of health are sown at birth and unfold throughout life. Both – genetic predisposition and the environment play a significant role in shaping and moulding us. Most of the time one takes health for granted. The topic of mental health is perceived as taboo. We rarely own up and respect our health. Our inner thoughts affect and influence our behaviour. What is visible to us is our behaviour that is anger, fear, sadness, depression, joy and pleasure. This is just a tip of the ice berg. What lie beneath are our feelings, thoughts, values and beliefs. Just like a plant we keep growing and evolving. In order to keep ourselves emotionally healthy and fit one needs to nourish and nurture noble thoughts from within. Man is not just a product of the past. One can add value to the self and create new possibilities of better living. A good discourse or a inspiring book can make only feel good for a while, but would not change the course of our lives. One has to invest in the self, value and love oneself for being what one is. You can make a beginning today. There are certain ways to reach emotional well-being. The article focuses on 10 steps towards building emotional wellness and positive attitude. The aim is to sensitize oneself towards attaining mental health and emotional well-being.
The 10 steps in attaining Mental Health and Emotional well being are:-
- Know yourself realistically and be aware of your strengths and weakness.
- Be self reflective and self introspective. Eastern therapies like yoga, meditation, vipasana are helpful to reach the true self.
- Accept one self as a unique and distinct individual and do not compare yourself with anybody else.
- Work on all aspects of life. Attain a balance between various aspects of your life the self, education, career, finance, family, social, emotional and spiritual.
- Communicate, express and discuss your concerns with significant people. Do not hold yourself back. Be your own friend and extend yourself to others too.
- Be generous and forgiving towards yourself and others. Rather than looking at an action from the “what “level look at it from the “why “level. This will make you empathies and accept rather than evaluate and judge the self and others.
- Develop and hone hobbies and interests and make them a part of your day to day activity.
- Learn to de-stress from time to time.
- Co-hold both role and identity in simultaneity. Life is no ‘either or’ it is a multiplicity of roles and relationships. Love, acknowledge and value yourself as you ‘are’ and not for what you want to ‘become’.
- Keep learning, growing and evolving. Life is not a problem to be solved but life is a mystery to be lived.
Remember your health is in your hands. Think healthy and feel healthy
– Dr. Nimrat Singh