Healthy body, healthy mind. It’s a common phrase but not one you might have given much attention to. A lot of us are concerned with keeping up with the latest ab challenges, intermittent fasting schedules and protein shake recipes. But we often neglect to consider techniques and training to strengthen and enhance our minds.
That’s why, in today’s blog post, I want to give you 5 psychologist approved tips for making your minds stronger and healthier.
1. Do a spring clean to strengthen your mind
Think of all the clutter in your mind- maybe its bills to pay, relatives to call or odd jobs around the house waiting to be done. This is mental clutter! It clogs up your mind and weighs you down, just like physical clutter in a home. Start by organising yourself, writing those to-do lists and mentally committing to cleaning through them (read more on organisation here).
2. Cleanse the negativity
A characteristic of people with strong minds is that they are able to let negativity bounce off them. If you are strong-minded then you are less affected by negative energy, and better able to resolve pessimistic thoughts about yourself or others.
Weaker minds are less able to fight negativity. They are easily consumed by anger, resentment, jealousy and bitterness. If you feel you are carrying negativity in your mind, then find ways to cleanse it out. It may involve talking to a therapist, confronting or forgiving someone or reflecting on ways you can shift your negative thought patterns.
3. Brain training to strengthen your mind
Strong minds are calm, clear and make solid decisions. Weak minds are chaotic, racing with anxious or negative thoughts and disoriented. If you want to strengthen your mind, then try some brain training. It might involve greater awareness of the present moment, by practicing mindfulness (this app is a good place to start). Or challenging yourself to read a book and take in the information. You can try mental exercises like sudoku, crosswords or chess which have been proven to sharpen the mind.
4. Stay in the present
One trick our minds often like to play on us is ruminating about the past or projecting fears of the future (read more here). However, a strong mind is able to stay present-focused and lose the distraction of rumination. Ruminating can be an addictive behaviour and often our minds will take us down a rabbit-hole of thoughts and memories. But with greater awareness we can stop this spiral and stay in the present.
5. Challenge yourself
A strong mind is one that is able to adapt to unique experiences, challenges and take on new skills (more on this here). Most of our lives consist of doing repetitive actions on autopilot mode: driving to work, cleaning, cooking standard meals, talking to our friends and family and vegging out in front of the tv. One thing I’m passionate about is breaking up the monotony of the everyday and trying something new and challenging (this week I went camping for the first time!)
I hope these strategies inspire you to find ways to strengthen and challenge your mind!
