Pause for just a moment.
What is running through your mind? The grocery list? Kids soccer practice? That thing you forgot to do at work? The mess you have yet to clean up? The in-laws
that are coming in a few weeks? The upcoming holidays?
Feel the tension in your body? Notice your shortened breath?
Now, take a big, deep, breath. Relax.
Every day, all day, your mind is tasked with keeping your life in order; from the proverbial big picture down to the minute details, your mind is constantly at work. According to the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at UCLA1, on a typical day an average of 70,000 thoughts move through YOUR mind alone – amazing! Consider how any billions of collective thoughts your city, your state, your country has in just one day! Just that thought is mind-boggling. However, such a large demand comes at a price; your brain must process, organize, and execute a response to all of those thoughts.
In a world that is increasing in pace and demand, while decreasing in vital human connection and perceived time, the quantity of thoughts increase but the quality of those thoughts decrease. Think of yourself as a bank, with a fixed amount of mental and physical capital. If you give a little to everything that flashes before your eyes or resonates in your ears, you will have spent your capital thinly on inconsequential, meaningless fluff with nothing left for the meaningful, important subjects in your life. We only have so much resource to give.
Noting this, it is no wonder that our inner personal tension and chaos begins to seep outward, only to perpetuate the cycle on a wider scale. In the last five years American society has seen an increase in mental illness2: levels of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders all increased. You may not count yourself as one of this population, but we are one community at large. A distressed community is the reflection of many, many distressed individuals. So, how do we break the cycle?
Bring your focus back home, and by home, I mean to your own mind and body. By taking care of one, the other will benefit. Countless studies have shown that increase in self-care leads to an improvement in mental health and general wellness3,4,5,6. Be it something as simple as replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, meditating/taking time for yourself, or gifting yourself with a massage, these actions allow us to be more present in our daily lives for the
things that matter. And when each of us takes care of our own “home” we all benefit in our extended community. So, give yourself, your loved ones and the
community at large the gift of self-care.
In the following posts we will continue to explore the benefits of different modalities to enhance and maintain good mental health. See you then!
Learn more:
= = = = =
Hands On Health Massage Therapy And Wellness
7980 Chapel Hill Road, Ste 125
Cary NC 27513
919.854.9555