How important is mental health-Dr Harvandan kaur Bedi

Mental Health Hacks

They are tools which we can use to ease down psychological issues faced by us, by practicing them & making them a habit, to improve on our resilience, i.e.; to bounce back from setbacks in our lives.

The importance of these tools are that they are quick ways to deal with our stressors, improve our emotional wellbeing & resilience & thus prevent mental imbalance.

Every time we deal with issues in our lives, we need not run to a professional. We should first try to solve them ourselves. This self-awareness & self-observation will improve our quality of life. So first try to help yourself on your own & if not possible then go to the professionals.

The following are some hacks one can follow;

  1. Conflict Resolution: –

If we are stuck in a situation, the conflict will increase. Try to see the situation from other persons view point. You may even talk to a neutral person you trust. If you have made a mistake, admit it. With resolution of the conflict, your baggage will become lighter.

So, always remind yourself: –

“I may not be correct all the time”

  1. Work towards improving yourself: –

Make two lists; in one write down your positive points & in other, areas where you feel you want to improve. Once we accept our limits, we can go beyond them.

Remember not to compete with others. You are your own competitor.

Learn something new daily to be a little better than yesterday.

  1. Take a pause: –

Whenever you feel anxious or angry, take a pause. Don’t reply or behave immediately. Do deep breathing exercises for 5 times. Full your abdomen with air & hold for 8 seconds, then exhale & empty your stomach in a count of 9 seconds, (in between hold for 4 seconds). Do this for 5 cycles.

You will see a rapid fall in your anxiety / anger.

This technique will be very useful for kids facing exam stress.

  1. Mindfulness: –

Mindfulness means to anchor yourself to the current moment. Be in the present. Don’t think of past or future. Observe what is happening inside you. Once you are aware, then respond. Otherwise, if we are not aware, we may react in a manner, which we may later regret.

Actually pause, mindfulness, they help not only in knowing about our negative emotions & thoughts, but even the positive ones.

  1. Seeing the positive in the situation: –

The typical glass is half full or empty, like the “Missing tile,” situation. When we are going through a difficult situation, we see only the negatives in our life. We don’t see what positive things are also going on. Like if the floor is fully tiled & only one tile is broken / missing, we will focus only on that.

So, for every one negative thought, think of one positive thought, to break the cycle.

  1. Look at the bigger picture: –

Your perspective matters, if you focus only on the problem, your stress will go up & your ability to cope will decrease.

If you will see both good & bad, this will make your stress level go down. You will be able to think properly & the magnitude of the issue won’t worry you that much. This obviously will improve your quality of life.

  1. SERENITY PRAYER: –

GOD grant me the

Serenity

To accept the things, I cannot CHANGE;

         Courage

to change the things, I can; &

        Wisdom

To know the difference.

 

So don’t get stuck on things that can’t be changed. Acceptance is the key. Accept & move forward.

  1. Tracking your emotions: –

Make a table of emotions, both positive and negative, as many you can. Set an alarm on mobile at different times, daily twice & at that time observe what you are feeling. Do this daily for a month. Put a tick at that emotion.

At the end of the month you will know, which emotions are predominant in you & you can work on them.

At the time the alarm rings & you are in state of negative emotion, divert yourself for sometime by engaging in your hobby e.g. listening to a song, going for a walk, reading a page of a book etc. This will help you come out of the situation.

  1. FRIEND TECHNIQUE: –

When you are stressed due to some reason, try to do a role reversal. Imagine your friend is going through this, what would you tell her / him in this situation.

  1. CLOUD TECHNIQUE: –

For people who worry a lot, think of your thoughts as clouds. Then just observe them. Like clouds don’t stay in one place, they pass away, see them moving away.

You can also write down on a piece of paper whatever worries you and keep them in your purse & carry it all the time. Carry them means noticing them.

When you see you can carry them easily you will “not get carried away” by them.

The most important point is that all these things take time” to become a habit. So only motivation will not work. We need, to have discipline too, i.e.; even if we don’t feel like doing it, we do it as we know it’s good for us. The most important thing is however Consistency. Do not give up. Remember no one achieved anything without having to deal with their comfort zone.

Hope this will help & bring a smile on your face in dealing with your daily hassles. As we know a smile is very contagious, sprinkle it around.

 

Dr Harvandan kaur Bedi

MD Psychiatry

drhkbedi@gmail.com. M-8768188993, 9988556434.