Daily Habits Impact Mental Health
By Roanne Johns

Too often, the stigma around mental health leads to unhelpful silence. Many people recoil at the mention of disorders like depression or anxiety, as if even mentioning a troubled condition puts one at risk of acquiring it. Yet it must be understood that, especially in this day and age, mental stability is cultivated, not assured, and talking about mental health is far more productive than letting the subject fester in secrets and painful quiet. It’s time to admit that everyone struggles with mental health sometimes and we all must find routines to maintain our psychological equilibrium. Here are four daily habits that can contribute to improving mental health.

Nurture Proper Posture

The way you physically hold yourself can affect your mental well-being. If you’re often hunched over and caved in on yourself, not only will your bones, back, and neck ache—the bodily discomfort will spike your stress and anxiety. In contrast, sitting and standing straight can boost your energy and mood. Your posture might be difficult to improve by yourself, however, so consider investing in ergonomic furniture—equipment designed to optimize your body’s comfort and position. The best ergonomic chairs should be durable and sturdy, with customizable seating to give your back excellent support. For example, the Steelcase Gesture Chair has a 3D Live Back support that adapts to your spine’s curve and movement, allowing you to stay in a healthy ergonomic posture no matter how you sit. Nurture a proper posture to boost your mental health.

Eat Intuitively

Today’s photo alteration tools that divorce image from reality, make the ideal body type more unrealistic and ridiculous. Yet still, many try to diet their way to that ever-elusive beauty standard, deteriorating their physical and mental health in the process.

Complicating your relationship with food that nourishes you can harm your internal well-being. The more healthful option overall is to let go of aesthetic ideals and simply eat when you’re hungry. That doesn’t mean indulging in every appetizing whim, of course. Instead, intuitive eating means paying attention when your body tells you what it needs and giving it sustenance freely.

According to a 2021 study, doing this predicts better psychological health and lower disordered eating. If you’re having trouble adjusting to this mindset, you can leverage a healthy eating app like Way, which encourages you to be mindful of your eating habits. You’ll be able to reflect on your attitudes toward eating and organically shift your behavior. Eat intuitively every day for better mental health.

Take up an Art

Art fulfills an essential function in our lives, and taking up a method of self-expression can help boost your mental well-being. This is backed up by research. For example, a 2021 study found that singing in a choir is associated with better mood and quality of life in healthy older adults. Those who regularly participated had the added benefit of better verbal flexibility. Choir singing provides an accessible way to unleash your creativity and communicate your thoughts and feelings, as well as opportunities for health-giving socialization. If the thought of performing in front of a crowded room doesn’t sound appealing, that’s alright—your art can be anything. Pick up any creative hobby that inspires you, such as painting or baking. Practice it consistently and watch your mental health improve.

Connect with Your Faith

Your mental health is related to your spiritual health. A 2020 study found that spirituality is positively related to psychological well-being and linked to health-related behaviors, demonstrating that undertaking spiritual practices—especially for those already invested in understanding the human mind and spirit—benefits your mental state. How you apply this is up to you and your faith practice. The crucial aspect is that allocating time for prayer, meditation, or your faith’s equivalent will bolster you mentally.

Your mental health is important and should be cultivated with care. Follow the four daily habits above to keep your mind healthy.

Roanne Johns is a stay-at-home mom training to become a licensed planning family consultant. She loves to help others through her writing, whether it be through advice or real-life experiences. Outside of her work, she does volunteer work in her community and caring for her grandfather who has looked after her since she was young.

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Mary Brewster’s Love Life and Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures: available wherever books are sold. Bookshop.org/Mayflower; Mary Brewster
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Amazon.com/Mayflower-Chronicles
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Autographed copies are available on my website.

The post Four Small Steps to Mental Health appeared first on How Wise Then.

Unlock the Benefits of Forgiveness: How to Improve Your Mental Health

by Michelle Strickland

Forgiveness is a powerful tool that can improve mental health, reduce stress and anxiety levels, and increase our overall well-being. For senior citizens who’ve experienced loss or hurt in the past and are ready to move forward with their lives, forgiveness is a crucial tool. Forgiveness benefits cannot be understated. Forgiveness has also been linked to improved physical health and increased happiness.

What is Forgiveness?

Forgiveness has always been part of human history. It can be defined as the act of pardoning someone or something as an intentional decision to let go of negative feelings such as resentment, bitterness, and anger towards another person or situation. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting what happened; rather, it means understanding why it happened and choosing to move forward without holding onto grudges.

There are two types of forgiveness. One is interpersonal forgiveness, which involves forgiving another person. The other is self-forgiveness, which involves forgiving oneself for mistakes made in the past. Interpersonal forgiveness requires both parties involved to come together with mutual respect and understanding in order to heal any wounds caused by the conflict. Self-forgiveness, on the other hand, requires that a person recognize their faults, accept responsibility for them, let go of guilt or shame associated with them, and learn from them so they don’t happen again.

How to Practice Forgiveness

According to the American Psychological Association, forgiveness is an essential tool for healthy relationships and personal growth. By understanding the process of forgiveness, we can learn how to practice it in our lives and experience its many benefits. Forgiveness is an important part of healing and growth, helping us move forward without holding onto grudges toward others or ourselves.

Forgiveness can help us cope with difficult emotions and situations. By letting go of anger, resentment, and hurt we pave the way to move forward with a more positive outlook on life. Understanding the process of forgiveness can be challenging, but it is possible to learn how to practice it effectively.

To forgive someone or something requires first understanding why we feel hurt or angry. Taking time to reflect on our feelings and identify what needs healing will help us understand what has caused the pain as we take steps toward forgiving ourselves or others.

Strategies for Practicing Forgiveness

Once we’ve identified what needs healing, there are several strategies for practicing forgiveness. Writing down thoughts and feelings about the situation can help process these emotions in a constructive way. Talking through them with a trusted friend or family member may provide an additional outlet to express ourselves and gain insights into potential solutions. Meditating on the issue can allow us to connect with our inner selves. Engaging in creative activities such as drawing or journaling is a self-expression tool that could lead toward finding closure. Taking time to work through our emotions enables us to come up with solutions that will ultimately result in forgiving those who have wronged us without condoning their behavior.

In addition to forgiving others, it is also important to practice self-forgiveness when necessary. This means accepting responsibility for any mistakes made while also being kinder towards ourselves by recognizing that everyone makes mistakes from time to time and learning from them instead of dwelling on them indefinitely. Aging.com points out that therapy can be helpful during this process and provides information on finding online options. Additionally, setting boundaries with people who may not be supportive during this process is an important part of protecting mental health. This can still allow room for growth within relationships later if desired.

The Impact of Forgiveness on Mental Health

Forgiveness can be a difficult but rewarding process. With patience and understanding, we can learn to practice forgiveness and reap the benefits of improved mental health. This is important because holding onto unforgiving attitudes affects our mental health.

Forgiveness is an especially important part of mental health for older adults. Unforgiving attitudes can lead to a variety of negative emotions such as anger, resentment, and bitterness. These feelings can cause stress and anxiety, which can have long-term effects on physical and emotional well-being. Holding onto grudges or refusing to forgive someone who has wronged us can also lead to depression and isolation from others.

Clinging to unforgiving attitudes towards people who have hurt us in the past prevents us from moving forward with our lives. We become stuck in a cycle of ruminating over what happened instead of focusing on the present moment or looking ahead into the future. This kind of thinking leads to increased levels of stress hormones like cortisol, which can weaken our immune systems and make us more susceptible to illness or disease. It also makes it difficult for us to form meaningful relationships with others because we are focused on what happened in the past rather than building new connections with those around us now.

Impact of Grudges on Aging Issues

Research suggests that holding onto grudges can cause people’s brains to age faster than normal aging would suggest, leading us down a path towards cognitive decline earlier in life. This puts seniors at greater risk for dementia-related diseases if left unchecked, as elevated levels of cortisol weaken the immune system and decrease vulnerability against illnesses like colds or flu. Furthermore, studies have shown that holding onto grudges increases one’s risk for heart disease by up to 30%.

Forgiveness allows us to:

• Move forward.
• Free ourselves from the burden of resentment and anger.
• Create healthier relationships with those around us.
• Reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions.
• Promote feelings of peace and joy.

For seniors, especially, understanding how to forgive others as well as ourselves is an important step in creating a more meaningful life experience. By taking the time to learn about what forgiveness means and how to apply it, seniors especially will reap the rewards of its many benefits.

As we age, it is important to practice forgiveness to bring about a sense of inner peace and calmness that we need to live happily and contentedly during our later years. It can help us forgive ourselves for mistakes made throughout life and extend compassion towards those who have wronged us.

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Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures is still available wherever books are sold. Now so is the follow up story of Mary Brewster’s Love Life: The Matriarch of the Mayflower. 
Bookshop.org (Support local Bookshops)
Amazon.com/Mary Brewster’s Love Life 
Barnes and Noble
Order Autographed copies directly from me. Or ask your local bookstore to order a copy for you.

The post Health Benefits of Forgiveness appeared first on How Wise Then.