Mental Health Hour
Mental health is a hot topic these days. And I’ve been having more and more discussions about mental health with some of my friends. Though some of them remain skeptical, I always share that there is no “one size fits all” to mental care. So, for this Runako journal, I’ve decided to share a guide to my personal routine. I call it “Mental Health Hour”
“Mental Health Hour,” is the first activity I partake in every morning when I wake up. It’s simple I wake up, meditate, pray, write in my journal and then read a book. This is done before I even touch my phone, work out, check emails or get connected to the world. I feel I have to connect to myself first before I get connected to the world. Thus “Mental Health Hour” has become very important to my daily routine.
Routine
Meditation and Prayer
Mediate daily for 15 to 20 minutes. There’s no magic involved here, it simply clears my mind. This helps clear out my thoughts and provides open clarity to begin my day. Meditation helps me cycle through my complex thoughts throughout the day and it helps me filter my emotions. I know exactly where I stand when I begin the day and it’s on a very positive note.
After meditation I pray. Prayers are a great transition from my meditative state. My prayers are simple and are generally a prayer for the world. I talk to the universe to align everything in this world, which places my mind at ease as I slowly transition into the reality of the world.
Express Yourself
The next 15 minutes I use to vent on paper. There is something very cathartic about written expression. My writing is reflective of my state of mind. Although I am generally a positive person, my journal allows me to face any internal issues. I am able to be very honest with myself, realizing what I can control and cannot. Journaling is my therapist. It is a 15 minute session where I can air it out my honest thoughts without being judged.
Knowledge is Mental Power
Reading is fundamental to provoking my mind, I spend the last 20 minutes of my “Mental Health Hour,” reading. Reading allows me to get my mind into gear for the day. Any genre, no genre is safe. Currently I have been reading adult comic books and I’ve been reading Elf Quest Volume Two. I changed genres after spending the summer reading philosophy and business books. These became mundane.
You’ve heard it all about reading, reading is fundamental. And from my perspective reading is great for my mind and keeps me sharp as a Wu Tang sword.
So, where are we? There is no right way to getting mentally fit, this is a simple blueprint to consider. A guide for a daily mental fitness routine. It has done wonders for me, over the years and I continue to grow because of it. And I hope by sharing, any one who reads this essay will consider their own personal mental health hour.