Mental hygiene: strategies to heal the psyche

Mental hygiene is a concept used to refer to the set of habits and strategies thanks to which our mind is in harmony with the environment in which we live and the people with whom we interact.

Thus, we have mental hygiene not when our brain is "healthy", but when what we do and say fits well with the life we ​​want to be experiencing in a given context. This phenomenon is related to a self-esteem high, a selfconcept adequate and a way of looking at life that moves away from emotional stagnation and limiting beliefs.

Mental hygiene and the importance of context

We often think of psychological well-being as entirely up to the individual. That is, something that is born from within oneself spontaneously (or through the force of will) and that completely covers the life experience of the person in any situation possible.

The idea of ​​mental hygiene, however, starts from a more complete conception of psychological well-being and quality of life, since it is based on the presupposition that human beings are bio-psycho-social.

This means that, just as we are capable of changing the environment in which we live, the interaction of our body with the environment also transforms us. Thus, mental well-being is not a one-way street, but has two: what we choose to do and what the context in which we live gives us back.

In short, mental hygiene consists of an emotional and cognitive balance between our expectations and what happens to us in the here and now. Therefore, it is very applicable when it comes to talking about quality of life in a holistic way.

Keys to apply mental hygiene

Below you can find a series of general tips to be able to have mental hygiene and enjoy its benefits. In any case, you have to keep in mind that each person is different and you should reflect on what can be the best way to apply them to your life.

1. Question your expectations

Sometimes, much of the emotional pain that our life produces comes from the existence of unreasonable expectations. That is why it is good to ask yourself dWhere did those expectations come from?: Are they the result of advertising and marketing? Are we comparing ourselves to people we hardly know who can easily deliver their best version?

2. Get rid of the impossible

Another key to applying mental hygiene is to reflect on what goals are, by definition, unattainable. This will allow us, first, to let go of these goals more easily and, second, to direct our attention to challenging and realistic goals that we are missing and that could help us embark on a path of personal development.

3. Take care of your relationships

Stop and think about your relationships and if they are symmetrical or not. Do you spend a lot of time dedicating time and effort to stay close to people who do not correspond to you? Do you miss the opportunity to bond with people for whom you are very important? Friendship and affection are not a commodity, but they are worth cultivating for the mutual good.

4. Think about your basic needs

It is difficult to feel good psychologically if basic needs are not covered. That is why to apply mental hygiene it is necessary to have guaranteed a good diet, a home and enough hours of sleep.

This last factor, which is often ignored, is essential for our body to repair itself (including our brain, responsible for our mental life) and, With regard to diet, it is important to be clear that eating a lot is not equivalent to having all the materials that our body needs to function well.

• Related article: "7 psychological signs that you are not getting enough sleep"

5. Practice resilience

Resilience is the ability to face crisis situations that can put our happiness at risk, such as the death of a friend or a layoff. Practicing it implies learning to distance ourselves from the pessimistic reading of reality that can come hand in hand with these situations and see our present and our future with greater perspective. This will be a powerful strategy that will feed our mental hygiene.

6. Set specific goals

There is nothing that activates both our being and a series of objectives that have a meaning for us. Setting well-defined goals will allow us to stay active while exercising our ingenuity and our management of emotions so that, working in a coordinated way, they allow us to get to where we want.

Furthermore, the fact mark a few days limit help to combat procrastination (or the "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome).

7. Practice mindfulness

Managing breaks and moments of relaxation is essential to apply mental hygiene; We can't always be mulling over the same thing or doing the same frenzied activities. Rest from work and responsibilities It will allow us to free our mind and break through looping thoughts.

This can be achieved through meditation or Mindfulness. And, if we do this in very calm and natural environments that do not contain references to our obligations, much better.