Vitality – Psychological Health
The human brain is the neurological centre of our body. It is the home to the human psyche, and it is the organ that enables us to perceive and achieve. The human mind is more complex than any computer that we have ever been able to develop, and the field of science is still yet to fully understand how it does what it does. Still, one thing that is clear and universally agreed upon is:
Our state of wellbeing and overall happiness is directly proportionate to the health of our psyche.
When our psyche is balanced, we are better able to overcome the challenges that we face in life; driving towards the goals that we want to achieve. Prioritising increasing vitality of the psyche, is in essence the practice of calming the seas of our mind so that the ship of self-actualisation can sail in to the sunset.
Mental calmness creates a blank canvas giving the space needed for the deep relationships between all of the different elements which contribute to our vitality to blossom. Mind, body and spirit in harmony.
When we choose to prioritise increasing vitality by improving our psychological health, we are making a commitment to look inside ourselves and face our fears. A mind that is full of vitality is one that you can trust. Trust is the antidote to fear.
Reconnecting with ourselves to find out who we really are is the first step towards developing self-trust; the mind cannot trust what it does not know, and more importantly; you cannot give what you do not possess.
Strategies for Success
For those of you that have had a look at the about section of this blog, you will know that it was born out of me writing a book. The working title for the book is: The Mountain Pathway – A guide to Getting Life done.
The book is in essence a learning manual detailing principles, skills and tools that can be used in combination by any human to discover their true potential and lead a fulfilling life. The whole contents of the book will, over time, manifest as part of this blog.
As I have already described, the health of the human psyche is central to our overall wellbeing, as such, I have designed tools specifically to help development in this area. The strategies I will share are designed to cultivate the following capabilities:
- Self-understand and self-compassion
- Taking ownership of the way we view the world
- The discovery of emotional intelligence
- Accepting responsibility for how we project ourselves in to the world.
- Understanding the lies humans tell themselves and how to break the cycle
Applying the insights within this blog to your life will enable you to shine the light of your vitality in to your inner world; understanding what is going on, and accepting your responsibility as custodian of your psyche.
I can speak with certainty about this as I am proof that this logic works.
Remember, psychosocial heath is the main limiting factor to all of the other elements contributing to your vitality. Yes, you can improve the other elements independently, but they will always eventually be constrained by your psyche. Know this:
The mind is fluid and dynamic, just like a muscle it can be trained and shaped to perform the way we want. If you keep asking the question nicely, you will eventually get the answer you want.
In the post; does matter really matter, I shared facts about the exchange of atoms in our bodies. The key fact being that every five years every single atom in our bodies has been replaced. This is a truth, a fact confirmed by science and irrefutable evidence.
Change and growth is synonymous to living. You cannot have one without the other. As the artistic creator of your own life, your psyche serves as both your canvas and the paintbrush that you will use to create your master work. Change is not just possible, it is inevitable.
Mental health – Thrive Not Survive.
Mental health is a very hot topic in society at the moment. It is great that our culture is starting to grow and make it easier for people to talk more openly about their feelings and emotions.
There is at present though, a very survivalist approach to mental health. What I mean by this is that there is a strong focus being placed on alleviating debilitating conditions like stress, anxiety and depression.
I agree that anyone suffering from these conditions will benefit from support from other humans but I do think that equal focus needs to be placed on helping everyone thrive.
Rather than just talking about supporting people to have “acceptable levels” of mental health, it is of equal if not higher importance to help people elevate themselves to achieving mental greatness.
It is possible for anyone to develop their self-trust and the quality of their self-relationship to the point where their psyche is not just no longer a constraint on their quality of life; their psyche will enhance their quality of life.
Every human being needs support to help them thrive, and the only way that everyone can get support is if we learn to support each other. Learn to talk openly and freely about our challenges and struggles.
Choose to set the bar for yourself high and raise the standard of what you deem acceptable. You need to see it and imagine it is possible before you can do it.
Aim for the stars, because if you fall short, you will still land on the moon.
Pause for Reflection – Dropping your baggage
The journey of life is a long and undulating road. It has peaks and troughs. We each have a backpack that we carry. It exists within our mind. Life puts rocks in our backpacks and sometimes we do too.
When we approach the steep hills, the weight of the backpack makes life tough. So tough that sometimes, we need to pick an easier route up to a smaller summit. We choose to change our journey rather then shed the weight that we are carrying.
When we discard the rocks in our back packs, a world of possibilities opens up to us. We are no longer constrained by the weight; we are free to choose any journey we want.
Try thinking through this logic by writing your answers down:
- What rocks to I have in my rucksack?
- What choices have I made that lead to the rocks being put in there? Think about choices like:
- My behaviour
- My beliefs
- The emotions I acted out
- What I think I am responsible for
- The meaning that I attached to other people’s actions
- What assumptions I have made
- Can I accept that ultimately, I am the one that chose to put them there?
- For each of these choices, what other choice could I have made?
- What would happen if I made a different choice now?
Curiosity leads to awareness. Awareness creates the opportunity for acceptance. Acceptance of the truth means we can accept our responsibility to take action. Action leads to change. Change is growth. Growth is living.
Choose to ditch the rocks so you can choose to embark on the journey you truly desire.
Enjoy, for now.