There are loads of books one can find in today’s day and age that are around the topic of Self Help. It has become one of the most trending topics all over the world. The question we must ask is why so? Why is there a need for so much Self Help? Is one book not enough? Are we making ourselves happier by only reading the books without wanting to actually put the theory into practice? Are most of the books even worth reading?
Like all things, the answer falls in the middle. Why do the readers of Self Help keep complaining about materials being recycled? The answer is simple – that is all the material is about. Self Help is a very basic thing only made complex by our minds so as to distract us from actually engaging in Self Help. So rather than publishing and marketing a whole book on our approach to Self Help, we will take you through its process quickly and in simple terms, so that you can start applying what you have understood right after finishing this blog. We will look at Self Help holistically so that we don’t deal with the situations only superficially.
One must be able to ‘Self Help’ oneself on all three levels of the human complex, that is the body, the mind and the spirit. A balance between the body and the mind complex is the most necessary thing and most of our problems can be attributed to the disharmony between these two complexes. Read ‘A Story Of Disharmony’ to understand more. Here we shall talk about how to bring them in alignment.
We should start with the most known complex the body –
There are three steps in taking care of one’s own body – Exercise, Diet and Rest.
Exercise – One must exercise regularly, at least thrice a week. Exercise keeps the body strong and disciplined so that it can follow mental instructions without friction. It also keeps the body young and happy. There are a lot of mental benefits associated with exercise as well. It stimulates and releases various brain chemicals that are associated with the feelings of happiness. It helps one be self-confident in his own skin and personality. It is also the foundation to increased energy levels, making the bouts of procrastination less often. It also promotes sleep quality.
Diet – Exercise is great to discipline and push the body. Diet is the other part of it, the maintenance of the body. Without a proper diet exercise only means so much. If you fill your gut with junk you know will make your stomach upset, the stomach won’t be the only thing that will be upset. As we have seen, physical changes bring about changes in mood, so if the changes are not good, the effect on your mood will also not be good, which will then spill over into different activities only to worsen the spoiled mood. It is a vicious cycle that must be avoided at all times. But when a proper diet is taken, the effect on mental health is also healthier. The mood remains joyful and light and exercise starts showing its benefits on the body.
Rest – The last one is kept for the most important factor. Rest – physical relaxation and sleep are one of the most important factors, if not the most important in overall health management. One cannot get far with an unhealthy sleep routine. A healthy sleep routine includes a fixed time to go to sleep and a fixed time to wake up. One must not look at screens an hour before they go to sleep since they mess with the brain’s circadian rhythm which is what controls sleep routine and cycles, and sleep in a room as dark as possible. One must sleep for at least six hours a day and not more than nine hours, depending on what is required by the body. Sleep might seem insignificant but it is the foundation of good health.
Now we move on to the mental complex –
Again there are three things here that are required – Positive Self Talk & Gratitude, Meditation and Rest. (yes, again)
Positive Self Talk & Gratitude – They seem like two different things but they work on the same mental phenomenon, that is, the mind is like a reflective substance. It takes on the colour of the object it is reflecting on. Not only that, it saves the impressions made upon it by the object, so it never truly loses, the colour of the object reflected. Now knowing this one must understand by default that the more positively we reflect the “objects” of the world, the more our minds will become positive. Therefore we must not think low of ourselves, we must think that we are worthy, and we must try to reflect that quality of joy and worthiness even in the most mundane and negative situations. That is how we train the mind to see positivity even in the worst of situations. Gratitude is also a ‘technology’ which helps in the same way. Gratitude is said to be nourishment for the soul. Being really thankful about something takes away feelings of self-pity, unworthiness and more.
Meditation – Only thinking positive thoughts is not enough for everyone. One must be able to dissociate with the thoughts, knowing that these thoughts are not myself, that they will rise and dissolve, I will remain intact. This will help us not get attached to the things that are not worthy of attachment. This will help us maintain a sense of inner peace and calm even in the most tense situations. It will also help us develop the ability to concentrate, which when developed is no less than a superpower. A man’s ability to understand and think clearly depends upon their ability to maintain concentration. That is the difference between geniuses and the average person. The techniques of meditation always incorporate methods to improve concentration.
Rest – Yes, once again, we will talk about rest. It really is the basis of good health. Rest here means mental rest, which is an absolute need of the modern world. We rest physically for a lot of time compared to how much we rest mentally. Social media has become the modern-day opium and the masses are constantly stimulating themselves with the small doses of appreciation and validation they receive from social media. Even the intellectual falls in the fangs of the literal onslaught brought by the unending flow of books, essays, etc. There is so much to choose from that we want to consume all, leaving none untouched. Nowadays, our minds only get rest when we fall into a deep sleep. No other time do we let it go off the stimulation. This is highly unhealthy and must come to a stop. Include times in your day when you will have a blackout, that is not look at your devices no matter what. Keeping gaps in your schedule for mental rest will only boost your productivity and you will be able to see clearly what kind of content you want to consume. Rather than being a slave to the whims of the mind caused by external forces, you will be able to really enjoy the content you choose to consume.
We at LetsGetHappi recognise these factors necessary for Self Help and can help you get on your journey with it. More advice on how to integrate the body-mind complexes can be taken directly from our psychologists by downloading and booking an appointment with us today using the app. Let us know how we can be of help. If you know anyone who will be benefited by reading this, share it with them and join us in the battle against mental illnesses.
– Nihar Laljani
– Content Writer For Veda Rehabilitation and Wellness