Hello everyone! Now that we know that holistic living is more a way of living than just a way to curb illness, (and involves the mind, body and soul), I would like to talk about what holistic living looks like when it solely involves caring for the mind.
A few weeks ago I watched a news program that covered a story on how the rain forest in the Amazon is in danger because of the the excessive practice of burning and clearing away of necessary plant life for commercial purposes due to some of the effects of consumerism. It was quite an interesting program.
They mentioned how that problem has an affect on animal life as well, which was kind of sad, but it really got me thinking. If you’ve ever watched a documentary or read a credible article on the Amazon, you know that it is considered to be “the lungs” of our dear planet earth. Without that critical part of our planet’s whole, who knows what the health of Earth will be like in the years to come. A simple domino effect of problems can have an adverse effect on the “whole”of just about anything. It’s no different with our “selves” .
Whenever one aspect of our health is impacted, (positively or negatively), it can affect other parts of our health, (positively or negatively), too. Our emotions can lead us to develop headaches or stomach issues; or they can have an effect on how well we recover from surgery or illness.
So as you can probably guess, working towards keeping our minds as healthy as we work towards keeping our bodies healthy is a part of living a holistic lifestyle because, again, our mind, body and soul are interconnected.
Here are a few ways that you can apply holistic health to your mind health. This list is not exhaustive, but these are a few things that I have personally learned from holistic practitioners, tried, and deem effective:
- 1. Practice meditation daily.
- 2. Use affirmations
- 3. Practice yoga daily.
- 4. Think critically about everything.
- 5. Practice healthy optimism and positivity.
- 6. Avoid negative thinking.
- 7. Practice gratitude daily.
- 8. Develop personal boundaries and avoid toxic relationships / “energy vampires”.
- 9. Challenge yourself often and release yourself from “comfort zones”.
- 10. Journal regularly to express and release emotions, feelings and thoughts.
- 11. Be careful with your thoughts and the things that you allow your mind to entertain.
- 12. Develop a strategy, such as using a mantra, to redirect your mind from any triggers that might lead to negative thought patterns.
- 13. Get out into nature and go for a walk to help clear your mind and strengthen mental well being.
- 14. Try learning new things – often.
- 15. Give your brains periods of rest by practicing mindfulness, meditation or listening to music.
- 16. Don’t let your ego take over your being.
- 17. Practice deep breathing or Pranayama .
- 18. Practice “Earthing” .
- 19. Give yourself natural vitamin D by practicing healthy sun gazing.
- 20. Maintain only those relationships and friendships that foster positive mental health – and that feel good.
- 21. Try a little aromatherapy every now and then.
- 22. Detach from social media and technology regularly.
- 23. Separate your personal life from your work life,
- 24. Practice minimalism.
- 25. Create a sacred space in your home – a special place where you can go to for solace and quiet time to find peace from the busyness of daily life.
I hope that this list helps you as much as it has helped me, and if you have any tips of your own with ideas on how to live holistically, (with a focus on the mind), I would love to hear them, so please feel free to share in the comments section below.
Thank you for reading.
Until the next post…
With light and love,
Take care.
Salubrity and Soul 