The infinite source inside you is greater than any addiction. The addiction is created by your mind. Within your mind lies your power, freedom and faith. Learn from it, and acknowledge the limitless intelligence inside you. Know that this power is greater than any addiction or negative habits. Learn to let go and embrace the greatness within you. Danny G.
Your Optimal Best
When you care for your body, you increase productivity, strength and endurance. Caring for your body means developing a healthy lifestyle. Keeping a healthy lifestyle means being conscientious about our diet, exercise and sleep. It means eliminating stress by quieting the mind, relaxation and meditation.
Never taking a break leads to exhaustion and burnout over time. You’ll be doing yourself a favor when you care for your body. Overworking can lead to short term gain in the form of bonuses and financial gain, but over time it creates stress for your mind and body. It wears you out. It’s all about balance.
Keep a time for relaxation or meditation. All it takes is a few minutes per day. Ten minutes to twenty minutes over the course of years has been proven to change your physiology and mental health.
Meditation lowers pulse, so we can see this as a sort of beta blocker or antidepressant minus the side effects. Stress increases your pulse, and fast palpitations over time causes anxiety and in some cases heart issues. Meditation lowers blood pressure, and helps with insomnia issues. Meditation over time has been proven to lengthen telomeres which reverses your biological age and increases longevity.
Many people say they cannot meditate because they cannot sit still, because anxiety surfaces when they do. What is the problem, meditation or their thoughts? A healthy body and mind increases productivity, reduces sick days and improves optimism. Doesn’t a healthy body and mind feel much better?
Try having fast palpitations all day and have endurance. You can maintain it for a while but eventually it wears you out. Changing your inner dialogue is essential to greater health. Try being pessimistic and bitter the whole day and you’ll soon realize by the end of your day, you’re drained. Try optimism, faith, gratitude, appreciation and forgiveness, and it elevates your mood. Do it long enough and this will improve your productivity, strength and endurance. Over time it changes mental thought patterns.
Mental health is one of the leading causes for disability. When you have a healthy mind, it’s easier to do those things that will create a healthy body for you. We’ve all heard the saying, a healthy mind has the potential to create a healthy body. Do yourself a favor and seek personal care, and you’ll find not only your mind will benefit from it, but your body as well.
Recovering from OCD
OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder can be described as an overactive mind. Overactive mind can be exhausting at times, especially when your thoughts cannot seem to stop. Your mind needs a break.
It’s fine to want to fix something and improve a condition or situation. However, when you become obsessed and your mind is always fighting for the answer, over time, it takes a toll on your mental health.
What is the opposite of an overactive mind? Stillness, tranquility and quieting the mind. Many practices incorporate stillness such as meditation, affirmations or visualization. Sometimes you may just need more solitude to bring about clarity of thought.
You cannot fix or figure out everything right away, and you must be at peace with it regardless. Having inner peace means knowing with time, the answer or solution will come, when you allow faith to be your friend.
Faith is trusting the universe, trusting yourself, and knowing this universal source is for you, not against you. When you become obsessed with your fears or you have beliefs that are consistently troubling you, know life has many seasons, and some seasons require time to bring relief, clarity and healing.
You must learn to manage your thoughts so they don’t consume you, because when you can’t manage them, they become a disorder. Distract that obsessive thought by thinking of something positive and productive. Speak affirmations about your desired outcome until the obsessive thought dissipates. When you feel the impulse to act on something you know is unwise, refocus your thoughts on wisdom, love and faith. For whatever you consistently focus on becomes your inner dialogue, and your inner dialogue becomes you and your behavior.
Speak affirmations about your desired outcome until there is no space left in your mind for your obsessive thoughts. Keep on interrupting the obsessive thought until you’re focused on your new desire and outcome.
With practice, persistence and faith, you’ll gain mastery over your mind, and when you achieve this state, self control and discipline becomes your friend, and your ultimate destination.
Managing Your Mental Health
What are mental health challenges? We’re all emotional beings who have feelings. Mental illness is not managing your emotions or never confronting them until they spiral out of control. Somebody once told me that mental illness is caused merely by conditions, environment and circumstances. I’m not going to argue with that statement by saying it has no impact on our health. However, saying our condition is merely a chemical imbalance or a poor upbringing is saying the illness and environment is controlling us. With this mindset we are powerless and weak. Do you want to be tossed and turned by the conditions in your life, or do you want to say I’m in control, I define myself and I determine my life and future?
When we don’t manage our finances, we become broke and in debt. Same applies when we leave our troublesome thoughts on the back burner until disaster hits. Eventually one of the links break.
Managing your mental health means practicing self care. Practicing self care means quieting your mind, changing your inner dialogue and finding purpose in your life. Quieting the mind can be done through meditation, a walk in nature or yoga.
Changing your inner dialogue is listening to your thoughts, understanding their depth and reason for being. It’s easier to change your thoughts when you can identify them. It’s refocusing your thoughts into what you wish to create. It’s focusing on productivity and optimism rather than the negative dialogue.
Finding purpose in your life is following your passion, your zest for life and gifting. It’s following your inspiration and inner guidance. When we have purpose in our life, and we’re of service to others, we feel greater satisfaction.
Greater satisfaction, finding purpose and following your intuition all contributes to your overall mental health and happiness. And happiness is key to greater health.
From Depression to Happiness
What is depression: depression can be described as sadness, pessimism and bitterness. It can also delve into despair in which people don’t have the will to live.
What creates depression: usually it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long perpetual focus on the negative. Environments have an effect and so does bodily conditions. However, two can experience the same environments and conditions, yet one is happy and the other is miserable. So we can agree that reaction to environments and circumstances have a tremendous effect on your mood. It’s easier said than done for some people who experienced severe trauma or sickness. However, is offering support merely offering sympathy? Sometimes we relate sympathy with compassion, and at times it is compassion. But if the person always offers sympathy without focusing on the solution, is that really helping the situation? Do you want someone to tell you I feel for you, you have a condition or you had a rough life, and it must be so difficult? Or do you want someone to tell you yes you have a condition or yes you had a rough life, and I give you my support and advice? There’s nothing wrong with speaking your mind, however, you must focus on your desired outcome. If you focus on the solution and you continue to do so, you’re well on your way to recovery.
Here are my insights on healing from depression:
We can agree that depression is an inner dialogue that focuses on the negative. It can be pessimism, bitterness, grief, confusion, ongoing pain, ongoing symptoms and the list goes on. The more we focus on these negative emotions, the more sadness or depression we feel. Have one day when you feel these negative emotions, and you had one bad day. But have several months or years feeling these emotions consistently, and you have depression. It’s easier to deal with these emotions when you know what they are. Ask yourself, why am I depressed and unhappy? Perhaps over time you developed a negative view of life and the world. Perhaps over time you witnessed moments of inequality, judgment and unfairness. These thoughts consumed you and over time it spiraled into depression. You found more reasons to be depressed. Add another likeminded thought to the list over and over again and you become essentially what you think about, which is unhappy. You may say I’m just emotional. Perhaps someone hurt you and you didn’t let it go, or perhaps you find your challenges overwhelming. Or perhaps you haven’t let go of grief. You may say I’m just tired and I don’t have the will to do anything, or worse I don’t have the will to live. Ask yourself why you’re feeling this way. Maybe you lost your excitement, enthusiasm and zest for life a long time ago, because of trauma or because someone hurt you. Saying it’s your reality and not doing anything about it and not thinking differently will only keep you in this frame of mind. Saying I have a chemical imbalance and it’s incurable is feeding your mind with thoughts that will keep you in the same state of mind.
Another practice to consider: focus on gratitude and appreciation. We can agree that gratitude and appreciation are positive emotions. When you feel these emotions most of your day, depression cannot remain. The more you feel gratitude, the greater you feel, and the more you practice feeling this emotion, depression vanishes and cannot remain.
You must find a way to change your inner dialogue early before depression begins or alter the course if you’re already in this negative state of mind. Changing your inner dialogue means making peace with your thoughts and emotions. It means speaking affirmations that will bring relief and healing. It means focusing on your desired outcome. It means seeking support, speaking your mind while being open minded for advice, and listening to your thoughts to improve them. The key is to be mindful of your thoughts, and focus on quieting the mind. The more you apply mindfulness and these practices, the greater you’ll feel and the easier your recovery will be.
From Anxiety to Wellness
Anxiety can be described as an overactive mind. You either have an overactive mind over a number of different concerns or you’re obsessing over one particular concern. In most cases, you’re fearing or dreading the future, or you may have too many thoughts simultaneously which causes overwhelming emotions. You may also be obsessing over the past in which you experienced trauma or guilt over poor choices and now you cannot get your mind off of it. Many people experience anxiety, however, it doesn’t mean they have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety becomes a problem when you cannot function, it’s taking away from your “joie de vivre” and you’re beginning to withdraw from daily obligations or social situations.
Here are a few practices that I believe are beneficial to your mental health:
Recognize there is a problem. So many don’t want to admit they have a problem, so they ignore it altogether and their illness progresses and gets worse. Let’s say you’re not at your ideal weight and you wanted to lose weight. Are you going to ignore the fact you’re overweight, or are you going to take action by watching your diet and exercising regularly? If you’re not mindful and taking action steps, life remains, and doesn’t change.
Another approach is practicing mindfulness: be in the present moment because when you’re in the present moment you’re more likely to make wise choices with your thoughts and behavior. You’re more likely to think before you speak which will create less conflicts. Furthermore, when you’re focusing on several different stress related concerns, you act on impulse. Acting on impulse leads to poor choices. If you have several conversations in your head, isn’t it more difficult to think of consequences or benefits to your choices? In such cases often you end up lashing out to others or make choices you regret later on. When you’re constantly thinking, your mind gets exhausted from your overactive mind and you end up loading up on stimulants to counteract the effects. When you become more in tune with the present moment and your thoughts, conscious and subconscious, you become more aware of what’s causing your anxiety and behavioral issues. You realize that sometimes a simple adjustment can make a huge difference.
Practice meditation: meditation is a simple act of sitting or lying down awake with your eyes shut and trying to think of nothing. This is beneficial because your brain needs a time out from time to time, hence the reason we need sleep. This is the same process of sleep and it has similar benefits except your mind is awake. What is the opposite of an overactive mind? Stillness, tranquility and mindfulness. In addition, meditation lowers your pulse, lowers your blood pressure and helps you sleep because it relaxes you. It also lengthens your telomeres which reverses your biological age, therefore, it helps you stay young. Longer telomeres also indicate longer life spans. Decreased pulse and lower blood pressure reduces anxiety. And we all know when we get a good night of sleep, we feel rested and better the next day. All this has benefits to your mental health and physical health as well. Mental health and physical health are interconnected. They both affect one another. Mental health challenges often end up causing physical health problems such as high blood pressure, erratic heartbeat, and insomnia and many other symptoms. So we can agree when we are mentally healthy, it not only improves our mood but our physical health as well.
Change your inner dialogue: anxiety is a conversation going on inside your mind about the future, the present and the past. You’re either fearing or dreading the future or the present, or you’re focusing on past trauma and regrets. Changing your inner dialogue means speaking affirmations of well being. It means focusing on the exact opposite of the fear or seeking relief from your fear. Don’t believe the misconception that these illnesses are for life. How many people recovered and healed? What do they have that you don’t other than philosophies, strategies, and perhaps therapy and medication. Affirmations also interrupts the negative thought and stops you from focusing so much energy on the worst case scenario. The more you focus on affirmations of well being, the less you focus on the worst case scenario, your symptoms or dread. The less focus on negative emotions, the greater you feel and the greater your outlook for your life and future. All this together creates wellness and recovery. Everyone can implement these practices in their lives, and everyone can receive benefit from being mindful, persistent, and taking action steps to wellness.
Meditation and Mental Health
We’ve heard the saying where the mind goes, the body follows. There’s been numerous research on mental health causing more health issues and more complications in our personal lives and in our professional lives as well. Less tolerance for minor problems, greater stress, less productivity or less motivation.
When our thinking becomes contorted, it affects many areas in our lives. It’s hard to have clarity of thought when we have an overactive mind or when we have obsessive compulsive problems.
Anxiety can be described as an overactive mind. You may be focused on many concerns in your life or perhaps you’re obsessing over one particular concern. Depression is focusing on a number of different problems or it can be focusing and dreading one particular problem. Either way anxiety, depression and OCD is an overactive mind.
What is the opposite of an overactive mind? Stillness, tranquility, and inner peace. How do you achieve this state of mind? By doing the opposite of what you’re currently doing. You’re overthinking, so stop thinking so much, and give your brain a break by quieting your mind.
Go someplace quiet if possible, close your eyes, sit or lie down and try to think of nothing. Focus on your breath. If some thoughts come and they probably will in the beginning of a meditation practice, let them drift and don’t try to fix anything. Let them be, don’t fight it, and let them run their course. In time you’ll think of those thoughts and they won’t cause you great concern.
There’s a time for contemplation and trying to solve problems, but if you do this all day long without a break, your mind will become exhausted. That’s what causes mental health challenges.
Try to aim for at least 15 minutes of meditation, but even 10 minutes or 5 minutes can make a difference. Perhaps with time, you’ll work your way up to 15 minutes or 20 minutes. Reflect on this statement, why is sleep so beneficial? Because your mind is at rest, and your brain recuperates. Why is meditation so beneficial? Because your mind is at rest, and your brain recuperates. The only difference is that in meditation your mind is awake, however, your mind still benefits from this practice.
Try not to compare yourself to others because if you do, you risk not completing the task or quitting all together. I meditate 20 minutes every day, but if I thought because Deepak Chopra wakes up every morning at 4am and meditates for 2 hours, I should do the same, I probably wouldn’t stick to it nor would I want to.
Assess your needs and determine what’s best for you. You may feel 5 minutes or 10 minutes is plenty to release some resistance and get on with your day. Find what works for you. There should be no comparison, just focus on improving you.
The One Commonality
Everyone that healed, whether it’s a physical or mental ailment, had one commonality. The one commonality was they believed. For if they didn’t believe, the weight of their illness would have made them surrender. Without believing in wellness or recovery, action follows the opposite. Without believing in wellness or recovery, words follow lack. Your biggest healer is your thought, but then you must allow your words and actions to permeate this belief. Danny G.
Despair Made Me Stronger (Poem)
My deepest moments of despair,
Brought about my strength,
And perseverance and faith.
The moments I so wanted an escape,
Were the moments I prayed and praised
Despite the heartache.
The moments of despair
Reconciled me into appreciation.
It’s what pushed me to be grateful,
Despite the trash in my back pack.
This persistent wave of despair and depression,
Would knock me down
Aggressively without warning.
A constant cloud,
That would follow me
Just waiting to be poured on.
It’s my stiff upper lip,
My determination,
That pulled me through,
Despite my carry-on loaded with scrap.
Today I thank my despair,
Because in the end
It made me stronger,
Persistent,
And aggressively bold,
To not give in
Until my promise is fulfilled,
And I’m still standing,
Like a palm tree,
That bends, but never falls.
Focus On What Brings Joy
What happens when you focus on love, harmony, compassion, appreciation, and gratitude? Can you feel stressed or depressed when you’re focusing on what brings joy? What creates illness? Research has indicated that stress is the number one factor that creates illness. Therefore, the wise approach would be to focus on what brings joy, and you’ll be happier and healthier, mind, body and spirit. Danny G.