Reflections of a psychotherapist about the 10 healthy habits for mental fitness of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
Schedule “me-time” daily: Do not underestimate the power of spending a few minutes by yourself doing what you love, cherishing who you are, enjoying your own company, loving and caring for yourself. If you wish to be loved, start by loving who you are. Then, others will automatically love you.
Reward yourself: Choose things that bring your mood up. Keep a record of things that make you happy. Reward yourself by doing them or getting them when you feel that you deserve a reward.
Play to your strengths: Be realistic with who you are. You are a unique human being. Respect your uniqueness by allowing yourself to be just you and play to the strengths that you have, not that you wished you had.
Ask for help and offer to help: Helping others can be very healing, but some of you may need to stop helping others and start asking for help. If your energy is depleted or you have a chronic condition, it is time to ask for help.
De-stress your diet: Eat a balanced diet and find pleasure in food. Feel the pleasure of choosing your own food, smell it, pick it up, bring it home and cook it with your own hands.
Choose a positive attitude: At times, this may feel extremely difficult. Try to stay present to what is in the moment you are living. A positive attitude is easier when you take one issue at a time, not all of your issues, past, present and future at the same time.
Practice relaxation techniques and get enough sleep: One thing will bring the other. If you have difficulties sleeping, try relaxing your body with relaxation exercises. Our bodies are often working on overdrive. We need to relax to let ourselves be replenished.
Set goals and stay on target with a journal: Be gentle with yourself. If you do this, start by setting goals that you are sure to be able to achieve.
Get regular physical activity: If you don’t like sports, do you like walking in nature? Dancing? Bouncing? Swimming? Anything that makes your body move will make you more active and improve your mental, as well as physical fitness.
Press pause once in a while – Downtime is good.
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