Mental fitness

Mental fitness

There is an epidemic of poor mental health. The My Fitness Record is focused on both ends (and everything that’s in between) of the mental fitness continuum. 

The green, orange, blue, red and black moods are related to one’s environment, one’s metabolic fitness and one’s mental fitness.

First up, what’s in a name? ‘soma’ = body, ‘psyche’ = mind.

The mind is just one of many body systems in a complex ecosystem. The mind and the rest of the body systems are intimately connected. For instance, when we get mentally stressed, the stress registered in the mind maybe relayed to other parts of the body via the autonomic nervous system. This is known as the psycho-somatic response.

Conversely when one of the other body systems becomes stressed, the stress is relayed to the mind. This is known as the somato-psychic response.

You may not realize how stressed you are until you complete the Health Climate Survey but your body does. This explains the close relationship between metabolic fitness and mental fitness. The body is incapable of dishonesty!

In particular, poor mental fitness is frequently related to poor metabolic fitness which means that fitness and diet (along with cognitive and chemical treatments) are important aspects in the process of restoring poor mental fitness to good.

When it comes to mental fitness there are a lot of factors to keep an eye on.

Frontline Primary Health Care includes a range of diagnostic, prescription and management tools that provide individuals, their doctor, counsellor, fitness practitioner and dietician with every encouragement and incentive to keep themselves in good metabolic and mental health.

In fact life it like the spinning plates trick in a vaudeville show. Keeping all the plates spinning at the same time can be a tough assignment, an exhibition of concentration, practice and skill.

MENTAL HEALTH DEFRAG

As well as a metabolic health defrag, we need a mental health defrag. Here (again) is what the defrag process looks like on your computer:

If the mind is in the state of the ‘before’ image, then a mental health defrag is highly recommended.

The mental health defrag is also based on the premise that the problem maybe a system problem and not just a problem centred solely in the brain. It may even be the case that the cause of the problem is not at the site where the problem is manifest.

When people embark on a mental health defrag it will include:

●          daily, vigorous aerobic exercise

●          regular counselling

●          a daily relaxation strategy

●          personal development training

●          working on closing the intimate relationship gap and

●          a change in diet.

It may also mean changing the environment, going for as holiday, taking up a yoga class, changing jobs or relationships.

Want to know how to manage your stress?