Kevin and Roshan lived in a beautiful house facing the sea. Each had an expensive car and amazing friends. To outsiders, their life seemed great, but nothing is as it seems, remember? Kevin had major anger management issues and Roshan was on medication for depression. Financial freedom cannot be the only objective of our lives. One must be wealthy in the true sense… Inner wealth of mind, body and soul will lead you to enjoy external abundance.
Shirin gets anxiety attacks every time her parents fight… Maniar suffers from insomnia and Jal has not yet gotten over the death of his aged mother for three years now… Dilnaz has body image issues and suffers panic attacks… All of us have emotional cobwebs that reside in our mental cupboards. Some have become better at pushing them to the back of our mind. Pain, anger, grief, hatred, jealousy or depression – all negative emotions can be addressed if we are ready to face, accept and work on ourselves. Some develop cold feet because it’s too painful.
On the auspicious occasion of PT’s 11th Year Anniversary, here are 11 Remedies to help you overcoming those mental hurdles to bring about synergy between body, mind and soul:
- There are no specially marked out days to start working on yourself. Start NOW. The moment you realize that certain issues hinder you from being your actual self, begin the journey.
- Do not live with fear or shame. Roshan never told her friends that she was depressed for fear she would be labelled weak or a basket case. But not reaching out to friends, who would have been more than willing to help her, made it only worse!
- Play a sport, if you are healthy and physically fit. It helps release pent up energy and is a great stress buster. Be it volleyball, football, squash, badminton, table tennis… every sport brings joy and an adrenaline rush. For those who prefer to do something gentler and relaxing, Taichi and qigong or yoga work wonders.
- Get help when needed. If you have tried to work on yourself but realize that it is not enough, seek professional help. An acute problem is easier to solve than a chronic one.
- Hobbies encourage ‘me time’. It is like a self-indulgence or pampering. When you are in the zone, doing what you like, you forget about the rest of the world and do just that. Writing, reading, singing, dancing, painting, pottery, embroidery and needlework, modelling are all therapeutic.
- If you have the time, volunteer with an NGO. Being of help to those who need your support – be it children, the aged, the specially abled, or animals – can be very rewarding. Become a part of their world for a while – they have so much love to share.
- There will be some very good days and not-so-good ones. So what? These are setbacks only when you allow them to be. Else, these are opportunities for your growth and progress towards better mental health. Every day is a different day that you own and go through. Make it yours.
- Hang in there. Crush that unnecessary self-pity and bin it. Remember that you love yourself the most. If you do not care about yourself, no one else is going to bother.
- Laugh. A lot. That child within should not be hidden or lost. Laugh at yourself and in general. So many people will want to share your space.
- Take care of yourself. It is a must. Neglect due to various reasons just won’t do – be it sick parents, tight budgets, sickness or other commitments. Looking after yourself and keeping yourself well-groomed is a mood-upper and makes one feel healthy and in a better frame of mind.
- Reach out and talk to people and interact with friends and relatives. Be with people who you share a common space with, are like-minded and who bring a smile to your face or joy to your heart.
There are loads of tips that people will give and loads of self-help books that one can look at. But the questions that need to be answered first are: DO YOU WISH TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE? DO YOU WISH TO TAKE ACTION NOW AND BE RESPONSBILE FOR YOURSELF?
Everything can work like magic and be a miracle if you surrender to a process and believe in it. Do not doubt yourself. Self-belief goes a long way. Lonely paths can be very beautiful as well, provided you look at nature and the beauty around you.
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