Walking My Brain To Happiness
This photo was taken at my boyfriends family farm.
Working on my mental health is a bit like leading a horse to water.
In this instance my brain is the horse and happiness, joy, calm—is the crystal clear, thirst quenching water. There’s quite a few challenges along the way to the watering hole, sometimes my thoughts wander off and I find myself having to rein them back in. Other times my brain doesn’t seem to want to function in the manner I’m asking it to, even after begging, pleading and stomping my feet. It’s true, my brain doesn’t always work like I think it should, but I can do everything in my power to help it along. One activity that supports my mental health is going for walks.
Today I was reminded of how important it is for my mental health to make a routine pilgrimmage into nature. The local conservation center is my favorite place to walk whether it be spring, summer, fall or winter. Each season brings a beautifully painted scene and a new adventure under my feet. As I walked along my favorite trail this afternoon I could feel the weight of my thoughts begin to lighten with every step. How can such a simple activity affect so much relief?
Much of my efforts recently have been focused on trying to listen to both my body and mind. I have found that going for walks is an ideal activity that satisfies my body’s need for movement, and also helps my mind find peace. I was a competitive athlete for many years and I learned at an early age that the body requires specific needs in order to perform at its peak. Just as the body requires specific needs in order to function at its best, so does the mind. I try to set aside time each week to participate in an activity that is specifically designed to soothe and regenerate my brain. For me this looks like a 20-30 minute walk three times a week, yoga stretches/meditation for 30 minutes twice a week, going out to dinner with a friend or simply enjoying a cup of tea in the morning by myself before anyone else is awake. Some weeks I’m able to do more, but others less. I am human after all and life has a way of drifting us off course.
What helps me to stay on track is that I have made the choice to make my mental health a priority. I have witnessed the effects of paying attention to my thoughts + letting my mind rest and I have learned that these two ideas are the key to my happiness. Happiness is not a permanent state of being that one day we’ll have achieved through some means of success. Happiness can only be found from moment to moment. These moments of happiness are directly linked to the status of our mental health. Let me just say that again for the people in the back… our happiness depends on a healthy mind. Think about that for just a moment... The elusive happiness can be found in more moments if we choose to make our mental health a priority. It really is that simple. If I remind myself of this, then getting back on track after a bit of drifting is easier.
Finding moments of happiness is very simple and yet we manage to struggle with it everyday. With any challenge, it is so important to have a plan in place to help maintain our focus. Figure out what your brain requires in order to function at its best. This means being honest about what your needs are regardless of past or present pressures from society, other people and even yourself. Do you need time outside? Do you need to have time alone? Do you need social time with friends? What activities bring you joy? Which activities allow you to unwind and recuperate after a long week of work? All of these questions are a great starting point for your plan. Once you feel comfortable with what you’ve come up with, set an intentional time to participate in one or more of these activities. Start slow and small and eventually maintaining consistency in your habits and adopting more of them in your routine becomes less difficult.
On any particularly tough day mentally— my partner and I have a habit of saying to one another, “It doesn’t have to be pretty, you just have to endure.” The message is meant to lift some of the burden and encourage the other to continue on. It’s meant to say, “I know you’re having a hard time, all you have to worry about is getting through today, no matter what that looks like.” I think this message can be helpful when applied to the context of forming positive habits as well. We create habits with repetition… it doesn’t have to pretty, you just have to keep going.
At what point in your life did you realize that your mind requires as much maintenance as your body? What do you do to give your mind rest? I hope this discussion inspires you to ask yourself how you spend daily or weekly time towards fostering a healthy mind.
Thanks for reading.
Chance of Showers