Minding your mind

Dr. Raj Persaud says that when the African savannah was roamed millions of years ago, it was physical strength which determined who survived to fight another day. But now, he says, the challenges at which many will fall and only a few will survive, come in psychologically demanding predicaments – dealing with depression, surviving radical challenges at work, coping with the breakdown of relationships.

In consideration of the above-mentioned and in support of “Mental Health Awareness Week” sponsored by the Behavioral Sciences Department, we share these tips for mental health taken from Canoe website http://www.canoe.ca

Build confidence.
Identify your abilities and weaknesses together. Accept them, build on them and do the best with what you have.

Eat right. Keep fit.
A balanced diet, exercise and rest can help you reduce stress and enjoy life.

Make time for family and friends.
These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will not be there to share life’s joys and sorrows.

Give and accept support.
Friends and family relationships thrive when they are “put to the test.”

Create a meaningful budget.
Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our “wants” instead of our “needs” is often the culprit.

Volunteer.
Being involved in community work gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.

Manage stress.
We all have stressors in our lives, but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will maintain our mental health.

Find strength in numbers.
Sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.

Identify and deal with moods.
We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.

Learn to be at peace with yourself.
Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.