MENTAL Hygiene
As grownups, we learn to take care of our bodies. Our elders taught us some basics. When we need to go to the bathroom, we go to the toilet. When we poop, we wipe or spray clean. When we smell bad, we take a shower. When our breath stinks, we find mouth wash. When we wake up and go to bed, we brush our teeth.
We learned these behaviors. Some ritualized — because staying clean is important and doing these things consistently, over time, everyday makes a big difference.
But it doesn’t stop there. These practices only describe our physical hygiene. We have mental hygiene too. Unlike physical hygiene, MENTAL hygiene is not as well taught because its not as well understood. Many people aren’t even aware of it.
Mental hygiene is mental cleanliness. If we do things to stay mentally clean, then we have good mental hygiene and feel good. If we neglect our brain health, then we have poor mental hygiene and feel bad.
So how does one achieve and sustain good mental hygiene? There’s a number of things you can do, backed by research from positive psychology, the science of wellbeing. Meditating, going on a walk, writing & expressing gratitudes, calling a friend, meeting up with friends, exercising, eating well, giving back to the community, and of course #dorkdancing for mental health: all of these things help our mental state.
If we ritualize even a few of these activities (we recommend the habit of #dorkdancing!), like we do brushing our teeth and taking showers, then voila: we will better achieve and sustain good mental hygiene.
It can be easy to forget or neglect. MENTAL hygiene is something new that most of us don’t actively think about. So the next time you poop and wipe, congratulate yourself on cleaning your behind, BUTT ask yourself something more.
How am I cleaning my mind?