Get your head in the game with exercises for a healthier mind
From journalling to meditation, small actions can make a big difference, says
Hollywood star Selena Gomez has long been open about her mental health, and now she wants everyone to reap the benefits of working on their “mental fitness”. The 29-year-old singer and actor has launched a mental health platform, Wondermind (wondermind.com), and told Instyle: “We believe that exercising your brain and mental health is just as important as exercising your body.”
Mental fitness is all about small, daily things you can do to boost your psychological and emotional wellbeing. Gomez says she keeps her mental health ticking over by “reaching out to friends or family to talk through my feelings, and I also recommend working out – I’ve been doing a lot of high-intensity workout classes, like boxing, which allows me to release my energy!”
In 2020, Gomez revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and often gives glimpses into how she takes care of herself – including going to therapy and steering clear of social media. If you’re looking to work on your mental fitness and make some small, practical changes every day to help boost your overall wellbeing, there are some things you can try…
Practise gratitude
“Find ways to embrace gratitude every day,” says Simon Alexander Ong, author of Energize. “Write a letter to somebody telling them why you are grateful to them, send a voice note to someone to say thank you for their support, or bring a colleague aside to express thanks for their hard work. This way of living is guaranteed to elevate your mental energy and mood.”
Be kind
Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy says: “Being kind to others will increase your sense of worth and self-esteem, all of which lead to happiness and greater pleasure in life. You could sign up to be a volunteer or drop in on an elderly neighbour. You might decide to walk
a dog for a friend, start babysitting or even become a blood donor.”
Try meditating
“Just as you might lift weights in the gym, you can build mental fitness with tools like meditation,” says neuroscientist Anne-sophie Fluri. “By bringing your attention to the present moment and helping you observe your thoughts and feelings without letting them consume you, mindfulness is a great tool for building mental fitness. Meditation helps to facilitate real changes in the brain, helping you feel less anxious, improve your mood and concentration and become more self-aware.” If you’re new to meditation, try apps like Mindlabs or Headspace to get you started.
Schedule in rest periods
We all have hectic lives and it’s easy to get caught up with everything that’s going on – only to realise you’re burnt out when it’s too late. Ong recommends scheduling in time to rest every day, because this is “the space where our creativity blossoms, our wisdom rises to the surface and insights are born”.
Write down your feelings
“You can’t have self-development without self-awareness, because you simply can’t change what you are not
aware of,” says Ong. He calls regular journaling, “the cheapest form of therapy there is”. It helps to deepen the relationship you have with yourself. Fluri says journaling can help emotional regulation, adding: “Learning to deal with your emotions is an important part of mental fitness. Key to this is self-soothing: finding constructive ways to tolerate distress and comfort ourselves.”
Take a cold morning shower
It might not sound like the most appealing way to start your day, but there’s a growing movement advocating for the mental health benefits of cold water therapy. Be careful with this if you have any existing health conditions, but Lee suggests a cold shower can “elevate levels of endorphins, the natural chemicals released in the brain that give you a ‘high’.”
Practise good self-care
Fluri says: “A resilient brain is one that is well-nourished, well-rested and well-cared for. Practising good self-care is essential for showing up as your best self and guarding against stress and burnout. Find out what works best for you – whether that’s having a bath, going for a walk out in nature or listening to some music – anything that gives you an opportunity to focus on nourishing yourself.”