In the past couple of decades, an holistic approach to understanding individuals has paved the way for research to explore spirituality as one dimension of the cognitive, emotional, behavioural, interpersonal and psychological facets that make up a human being. Although a connection between spirituality and mental health has been recognised in Eastern ideologies (such as Buddhism) for many centuries10, the historical split between religion and science in the West has resulted in a relatively recent interest in the field in the UK.
This interest in the relationship between spirituality and mental health is being explored in a number of ways. Researchers in a range of disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, theology, nursing and gerontology, are exploring the connections between various elements of these two areas of human existence11-17. Service users and survivors as well as those in various faith communities are also adding their voices to the evidence base and identifying the ways in which spirituality can contribute to mental health and wellbeing, mental illness and recovery18-20. Swinton argues that spirituality is an intra-, inter- and trans-personal experience that is shaped and directed by the experiences of individuals and of the communities in which they live out their lives8 . In other words there are internal, group, community and transcendent elements to spirituality. Thus, its interaction with a person’s mental health is likely to be complex, interactive and dynamic. Although some research tends to look for a simple linear relationship between certain expressions of spirituality and narrowly-defined mental health outcomes, this report recognises the value of an integrated approach to understanding a person’s mental health and assumes that relationships between the two are likely to be bi-directional, interactive and open to influence from other factors. Inevitably, though this report is limited by the nature of the research so far on spirituality and mental health. It therefore reflects to some extent the content and tone of a research base which is largely quantitative, largely related to the Christian religion, and almost entirely based on the assumption that what is at work is a mediating factor between spirituality and mental health rather than a direct spiritual phenomenon. As such the research tends to reduce spiritual experience to a set of behavioural or social indicators.
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sychology often discusses mental health -- but what’s not often discussed is a clear definition of mental strength. To me, mental strength means that you regulate your emotions, manage your thoughts, and behave in a positive manner, despite your circumstances.
Developing mental strength is about finding the courage to live according to your values and being bold enough to create your own definition of success. 1. Draw a Map of Your Town from Memory While you might feel like you can navigate the streets of your neighborhood with your eyes closed, try challenging your brain by actually drawing a map of your town or neighborhood from memory. No cheating! Try to include major streets, major side streets and local landmarks. Once you are done, compare your memory map to a real map of the area. How did you do? Are you surprised by some of the things that you missed? If you found this activity too easy, try drawing a less familiar area from memory, such as a map of the entire United States or Europe, and try to label every state or country. Navigating your way to the supermarket or doctor's office might seem simple and almost automatic when you are behind the wheel of your car. However, forcing yourself to remember the layout of your neighborhood as well as draw and label it helps activate a variety of areas of your brain. Brain training research has repeatedly shown that it is exactly these types of challenging and complex activities that provide the greatest benefit to your brain. 2. Create a distraction to-do list Because the internet has made any bit of information instantly accessible, we tend to want to look something up the moment it crosses our mind. “I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow?” “What year did that movie come out?” “I wonder what’s new in my Facebook feed?” Consequently, we’ll toggle away from what we’re working on the instant these questions or thoughts pop into our minds. Problem is, once we get distracted, it takes on average 25(!) minutes to return to our original task. Plus, shifting our attention back and forth drains its strength. So to stay on task, whenever something you want to check out pops into your head, just write it down on a piece of paper next to you (or perhaps in Evernote for you tech types), and promise yourself you’ll be able to look it up once your focusing session is over and your break time has arrived. 3. Stick with Hobbies that Challenge You If something you’re already doing consistently challenges you and keeps you engaged, it is strengthening your brain. In fact, your brain requires challenging stimulation to continue becoming more powerful. Hobbies that continually force you to do new things, like learning to play a new song, are ideal for working out your brain. An important distinction to consider: playing a difficult song that you’ve already memorized is much different than learning a new song. Learning the new song will engage your brain more aggressively, and provide you with a better mental workout. 4. Get Socialize Studies suggest that people who are socially active are also at a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Socializing tends to engage multiple areas of the brain and many social activities also include physical elements, such as playing a sport, that are also beneficial to your mind. Even if you are an inveterate introvert, seeking social interactions can be beneficial to your brain in both the short and long-term. Some ideas for staying socially engaged include signing up for volunteer opportunities in your community, joining a club, signing up for a local walking group, and staying in close touch with your friends and family. Up next is a brain exercise that has been in use for thousands of years but has recently gained considerable recognition for its effectiveness. One brain exercise you might not have considered might actually be extremely effective – meditation. Mindfulness meditation in particular is all the rage at the moment, espoused by positive psychologists, business leaders and alternative health practitioners. Before you say that this ancient Buddhist tradition is too New Age for you, consider some of the research demonstrating the many benefits of meditation. Studies suggest that mindfulness meditation can help engage new neural pathways, resulting in improved self-observational skills and increased mental flexibility. Research has also shown that meditation can help improve attention, focus, empathy and even immunity. Studies also suggest that meditation might even increase the capacity of working memory. Are you ready to try this brain exercise? Here is a quick guide to practicing mindfulness meditation. You can also check out some of these handy tips for incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life. Once you've tried some of these brain exercises, you might be left wondering if any of those online "brain training" websites might also help. Next up, let's explore whether or not those sites, apps, and programs might really be worth your time. 5. Get Plenty of Sleep You may be getting “enough” sleep, but in order to maximize your brain’s potential, you probably need more. Almost all adults require 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep in order to enjoy full mental strength during the day. Your memory, ability to learn new things, and even creativity can’t reach their full potential if your brain and body aren’t fully rested. Quality of sleep matters immensely as well. To help fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night, get on a regular sleeping schedule. Try to get to bed and get up around the same time everyday. Keep this schedule on the weekends too! Help yourself wind down by avoiding screens of any type for the hour before you go to bed. Try reading instead! We all know that strengthening our mind can do wonders and will also help us to achieve our goals in life. Many of us also seek to get peace in our life but never get it due to many reason. Controlling the mind can be a very difficult task. It takes a good amount of time,patience, awareness and skill to know your mind, let alone to control and improve it. But lets give it a try and let me tell you what I know. Mind is having different parts: 0. Subconscious 1. Concentration/Focus 2. Awareness 3. Memory 4. Imagination 5. Emotions 6. Conscience/Wisdom 7. Fragmentation 8. Buffers 9. Rest of Mind (Things I forgot to write) Even though the brain is an organ, rather than a muscle, you can still give your brain a workout. Just as with a muscle, repetitive tasks can dull or even damage your mental acuity, while new challenges and activities can strengthen your brain and even make you measurably smarter. Get ready for your workout! 1. Challenging Your Brain It turns out that the human brain has a great potential for something called neuronal plasticity, or in other words, being highly malleable. It appears that challenging our brains — for example, by learning a new skill — leads to actual changes in the adult brain. “It may create new connections between brain cells by changing the balance of available neurotransmitters and changing how connections are made,” says Dr. Papp. Being socially engaged may help fend off social isolation and depression, both of which have been linked with a decline in cognitive functioning later in life. Having good social support also reduces stress, another thing that we know has a negative impact on thinking skills. 2. Enjoying Yourself Hang out with your friends. That’s right. You can strengthen your mind simply by hanging out with other humans and enjoying each other’s company. In fact, our brain’s health requires that we have a strong social support system. Believe it or not: the more social your life, the slower your memory will decline with age. Allow yourself to laugh. If you realize you’ve been taking life a bit too seriously, think about something you’ve done recently that you could have handled more calmly. Here’s the kicker: laugh at yourself for being so darn high-strung sometimes! Forcing yourself to confront ways in which you sometimes behave humorously without realizing it will also help you start to change those behaviors. 3. Staying Healthy Exercise improves absolutely everything. Not only will you feel better if you get regular exercise, but exercise improves circulation throughout your body, moving protein and nutrients to your brain. Strong body, strong mind! 4. Get Socialize Studies suggest that people who are socially active are also at a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Socializing tends to engage multiple areas of the brain and many social activities also include physical elements, such as playing a sport, that are also beneficial to your mind. Some ideas for staying socially engaged include signing up for volunteer opportunities in your community, joining a club, signing up for a local walking group, and staying in close touch with your friends and family. 5. Dealing with Stress It may seem like there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your work and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of managing stress. Stress management is all about taking charge: of your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. No matter how stressful your life seems, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control. When we talk about stress and anger I recall an interview with Baba Ram Rahim who share his view about stress and anger we see today all around us. And how can one control over stress and anger. Check out this video to know what he have to say about anger management and will power: |