We all know that to have a healthy body we need to exercise and eat good food. Well believe it or not, to have a healthy mind we also need to exercise it and feed it positively.
Exercising our mind means training it on a daily basis to think positive thoughts, practice gratitude and be mindful.
Here are five exercises to keep your mind healthy and fit.
- Write a diary: Research shows that keeping a diary can sharpen the brain. The action of putting pen to paper forces us to think through our thought process on a deeper level. A good start is to note down positive items and goals you would like to achieve.
- Change routines: Most of us have a daily routine, which is fine of course, however, by switching things around you force your brain to switch out of auto-pilot mode and pay more attention to what is going on. Nothing huge is needed but just small changes like taking a different route to the shop or changing your eating times can make a big difference.
- Learn something new: You don’t have to take up an Open University course or study a new language anything that stimulates your mind in new and exciting ways will help boost your self-confidence. It might be learning to cook, taking up a new hobby or simply reading about things that fascinate you.
- Be mindful: Practising mindfulness on a daily basis helps us manage our emotions at the same time decreases stress, anxiety and depression. Some may not find this as easy to do as others as training your brain to concentrate on nothing can be easier said than done. Take a look at our short video that will help get you started: https://nopanic.org.uk/a-moment-of-mindfulness-video/
- Practise positive thinking: Changing the way we look at things can be quite tricky, but it is a great exercise for your brain. A good way to start this is by concentrating on solutions instead of problems. Ask yourself questions; What can I do to make things better right now? What is one thing that is good about this situation?
