Tag: behavior change|lifestyle|Mindset|wellness

We’re very aware of the importance of maintaining our physical health by eating well, exercising, getting additional nutrients through quality supplements, getting enough sleep, and more. But mental and emotional health are just as important. Whenever possible, doing what we can to prevent something is easier than treating it.

Here are a few simple strategies for mental and emotional wellbeing:

1. Spend time with others. We’re social beings. Isolating ourselves can definitely ensure we get more done, but it’s not without a price. Spending time with others gives us time to connect, bond, share, and more. It also gives us the opportunity to show compassion, empathy and just laugh with others. So while we may not prioritize it as often as we need to, social interaction is a component of good mental health. 
2. Train your brain. Keep your brain active and healthy. If the last time you read a book was in high school, I’m talking to you. If reading isn’t your thing, anything that causes you to think, do or try something different will work. One of the best ways to preserve your brain health is to challenge it each day.
3. Take time for yourself. Between work, family, maintaining a home along with any other commitments you have, it can be challenging to find personal time. Nevertheless, spend a little time each day doing something that you enjoy. Even if it’s just sitting alone with a cup of coffee in the morning. While social activity is important, a little solitude is important, too.
4. Spend time with positive people. Your thoughts, attitudes, and expectations mirror those of the people around you. By spending time with positive people, you’ll be more positive, too. Who are you spending your time with?
5. Do work that you enjoy. Besides sleep, you spend more time working than you do on any other single activity. If your job makes you miserable, your emotional health is sure to suffer. Is your work rewarding and fulfilling? If you’re only doing that job for the financial reward, is there anything about it that would make the tasks you’re doing more enjoyable?
6. Get involved. Share your time and yourself with causes and communities that inspire you. Helping others floods your body with healing hormones and chemicals that help us heal. And, helping others simply feels good.
7. Spend more time doing things you love to do. What makes you happy? Spend more time doing it. Do you love animals, nature, sports? How can you not be happier if you spend more time doing things that make you happy?
8. Get sufficient sleep. Sleep is necessary for good health, both physical and mental. Your ability to manage stress, make smart decisions, and regulate your emotions are dependent on getting enough sleep.
9. Have a compelling future. For your emotional health to be at its best, you need something to look forward to. It can be a short-range plan or a long-range one but having something to look forward to gives us something to look forward to and be excited about. It doesn’t matter what it is, but you need something in the future that makes you smile when you think of it.

Give your mental health as much attention as you do your physical health (and, if you’re not giving your physical health much attention, let this serve as a reminder to take a few steps towards improving your physical health too.) With good mental health, you’ll be able to better handle the challenges that life throws at you. Of course, get professional help if you need it but most importantly, our emotional health is just as much of a priority as any other type of health we’re seeking.

Dr. Debi, Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute

We’ve learned to make our bed before leaving our room, tidy up the house before leaving for the day, straighten up our desk before leaving our workday…you get the idea. Well, have you considered that while we do these things on a daily basis, what would it look like if we decided to “clean up our year” before we leave it?

As the year comes to a close, I always like reviewing the year to see what worked, what didn’t, what I can change, what to let go of, what no longer serves, and what am I now ready for as a new year approaches. It’s a great way to continually grow and take an assessment of how things are going in any category that holds meaning. So as the year begins to wind down, how would you clean up some of the areas that are most important to you? Let’s take a few categories:

Health: If you’ve been lax about what you’re eating or how you’re moving, how can you clean that up? Can you decide to ditch the junk food, limit your drinking or commit to a fitness routine you can stick with?

Work: When you evaluate how you’ve been showing up at work, what needs cleaning up? If you lost your motivation, what do you need to do to get it back? If you stopped pushing yourself, doing those extras that brought about great results or stretching yourself to learn what’s needed to take yourself to the next level, what can you do to recharge yourself so you’re eager and ready as the New Year arrives?

Relationships: If you take an honest look at how you showed up in your relationships, what do you see? Are you still harboring grudges, anger, resentment, and bitterness towards someone? If so, it’s chipping away at your health and well-being. If forgiveness feels like too big of a stretch, can you move towards acceptance first? If you’ve been distant, neglectful, or aloof, how can you clean things up to be more present and available to those you love?

Self-Care: If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, neglecting your own self-care so that you can put in a few more hours at work, get a few more chores done or make sure everyone else’s needs are cared for, it’s likely you’re not showing up at your best. It’s virtually impossible when you’re burned out, exhausted, and depleted. So while you may be viewing self-care as selfish, what can you clean up so you treat self-care as self-preservation? Can you add in a short but meaningful morning routine? Do you need to say no more often?

Personal Development: We’re either growing or we’re dying. When you take a look at where you are, are you any different than you were at the beginning of the year? If you’re complaining or jealous of others about something (your health, work, relationships, etc.) it’s often because we know we can do something about it…and we’re not. What needs cleaning up here so you’re having a different level of conversation next year? What books, programs, thought leaders, or concepts are you ready to include in your life to clean up your year in the personal development category?

Spirituality/Faith: When you take a look into this category, what needs cleaning up? Do you have a practice that helped you feel grounded and centered? Do you want to explore meditation, mindfulness, journaling, yoga, breathwork, or some other type of practice to help you feel less stressed and more connected? If so, how will you clean that up so you move into the New Year with a plan that’ll help you move towards that?

When changes are deliberate and intentional (versus hopeful), we’re moving forward. I’ll never forget a mentor of mine saying: “You can’t steer a parked car.” Is your car in motion and if so, is it headed in a direction you want to go? If not, it’s time to clean up the year so we can intentionally show up more fully in the categories that hold meaning to us.

Dr. Debi
Founder and CEO, The PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute