Podcast link
https://anchor.fm/boscom/
Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and
clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual Wellbeing at
Jeolikote, Uttarakhand, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.
In the last podcast I presented 7 simple practices that
can help us enhance our mental health and wellbeing. In this weekend’s podcast
I present seven more simple but very effective practices.
Laughter
is an ever available means to enhance our mental health and wellbeing. Laughter
and mental distress cannot go together. Every time we laugh, more oxygen
courses to our organs, blood flow increases, and stress evaporates. In fact,
just thinking about having a good laugh is enough to lower our stress levels.
When
we watch some silly videos or comedy films, laughter flows effortlessly. Norman
Cousins, American journalist, author and professor, healed himself of a painful
and rare form of spondylitis that rendered him immobile, staying in his hospital
bed and watching comedy movies and reading humorous books – also lots of
vitamin C- rather than taking medication. “Hearty laughter is a good way to jog
internally without going outdoors” he wrote.
Spending
some time with pets boosts our energy level and creates good mood. When we play
with them, we take our mind off our problems. And when we take care of them, we
are focused on something outside ourselves. This can be very therapeutic. Even
if we don’t have a pet of our own, we can occasionally spend some playful
moments with those our friends or neighbours may have.
When we
pet our dog or cat, for example, even for just a few minutes, our body releases
feel-good brain chemicals like serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin. At the same
time, it decreases the amount of the damaging stress hormones.
Even
if we don’t or can’t afford to have pets, we can always have good friends.
Spending time with friends energises us and fills us with positivity. When we
spend time with people or causes we care about, it provides us with meaning and
contentment, which boosts our wellbeing.
Mindfulness can mean meditating or simply stopping to observe or listen
to something with love and attention. We can do anything with mindfulness,
being fully focused on whatever we are doing or is happening in the
here-and-now, including mundane activities like dish washing and sweeping! However
we do it, studies show mindfulness reduces stress, relieves pain, and improves our
mood.
Meditation is a mindfulness practice that takes us, when done regularly,
into the deep place from which all our intentions and activities flow and
provides us with self-knowledge, which in turn provides insights about the
source of our dis-ease and invitation to make shifts in our intentions,
attitudes and behaviour that will enhance our wellbeing. Regular meditation can change parts of our brain
related to emotions, learning, and memory.
5.
Restful Sleep
Sleep,
besides providing us the needed rest, restores and rejuvenates. Good, restful
sleep makes our mind and body feel better. It keeps us in a better mood, sharpens our
memory and focus, and helps us learn new things better and faster.
It
has a positive impact on our health. It
repairs our body
tissues, boosts our immune system, builds up energy for the next day, and
lowers our risk of heart disease. On the other hand,
serious health conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and
stroke, have been associated with chronic lack of sleep.
Sleep
is an inexpensive anti-inflammatory medicine. Sufficient sleep is essential to
produce and maintain healthy levels of the hormone melatonin which helps to
fight off infections. Recent research has suggested that melatonin may provide
protection against Covid-19. Clinical trials are being carried out to confirm
the hypothesis. If it does, writes Dr. James Hamblin in The Atlantic magazine, “it would be the cheapest and most readily
available medicine to counter Covid-19.” And there will be no adverse side effects
that vaccines may cause.
Working
on the computer or watching TV before going to bed, is not a good idea. Both
are stimulants. The light and noise from these devises can reduce melatonin
levels. Reading a book, instead, would be a better idea.
Some
people sleep too much. Others don’t get enough sleep. Health experts recommend 7
to 9 hours of sleep a night for adults.
Good
regular hours of sleep help. Going to bed and getting up at the same times each
day is a good practice. Getting up later on a holiday, does not help us catch
up on lost sleep, though many people think otherwise. Instead it messes up our
regular sleep rhythm, which is not good for wellbeing.
Healthy
meals enhance our physical and mental wellbeing. It is very good to build our meals and snacks
around plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Some studies say omega-3
fatty acids and vitamin B12 may play a role with brain chemicals that affect
mood and other brain functions. Low levels of these may be linked to
depression. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel have
omega-3s. Seafood is a good B12 source,
Researchers
say vitamin C may help people manage their stress more effectively, in part by
lowering levels of stress hormones like cortisol. As an added bonus, vitamin
C-rich foods such as orange juice, grapefruit juice, strawberries, can help
boost our immune system.
Health
and nutrition experts recommend eating a healthy breakfast, not to miss it,
even if it is a light one consisting of nuts and fruits. Studies show that adults
who have a healthy breakfast do better at work, and kids who eat a morning meal
score higher on tests. Interestingly, St. Bernard of Clairvaux exhorts, “Do not forget to eat
your bread, or your heart will dry up”!
Laughter,
a healthy diet, good sleep, and other good practices mentioned above may help
us feel positive about life and enhance our mental health and wellbeing. But
they won't replace need for medical treatment or psychological therapy if we
are suffering from some mental illness. This is the minimum necessary care we
have to take to restore and enjoy wellbeing when we have lost it. So, don’t
neglect this important wellbeing requisite and resource.
Introspection and Prayer
May be we are already engaging in some of these suggested
practices. If we are, what is their impact on us? Are there any other practices
suggested that we could take up? Which?
In
the Book of Deuteronomy (30, 19) God through Moses tells us: “Choose life!” In engaging
in these simple practices we are choosing life, and enhancing it. We could
spend some time in the presence of this God of life, reflecting over the state
of our life, our mental health and wellbeing, and express our desires to God in
simple heart to heart conversation.
….
Take
care and enjoy mental health and wellbeing! Try practising some of these
suggested simple measures of health and wellbeing during this weekend. Have a
healthy, happy and blessed 2021!
Thank
you for listening/ reading.
Pictures:
Courtesy Google Images
Jose Parappully SDB, PHD
sumedhacentre@gmail.com
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