Mental Fitness
July 10, 2012
-Focus on the positive – make a
point to remember the good times, replace
negative thoughts with affirmations.
Affirmations are nothing more than positive
self-talk. They activate the ‘left brain’ and
stimulate specific neural pathways that
promote self-esteem and well-being. An
example is, “I am enough, I do enough, I
have enough.”
-Expect the best – hope plays a
powerful role in life – believe you can have
what you want and that you have the internal
resources to accomplish personal goals and
influence the course of your life. Having
hope means believing in a better future.
Visualization activates the ‘right brain’
exercising brain structures that further
enhance optimism, confidence, and selfeffectiveness. Example, picture yourself
having achieved your goal (20 pounds
lighter, with cap and gown, or speaking
confidently to a group) or imagine yourself
relaxing on a warm beach.
-Engage in hobbies and fun activities
– they strengthen your mind and improve
your memory. Play with brain teasers,
puzzles, board games, learning new crafts or
games, and reading books you normally
would not read.
-Treat yourself well – practice
healthy habits such as exercising regularly,
eating
nutritious
meals
(especially
breakfast), and focus on the self-care and
relaxation that nurtures your body and your
soul. Regular physical activity can reduce
depression and anxiety. Eating breakfast
can improve short-term memory and
attention while high calorie breakfasts can
Most people know the importance of
regular physical exercise for good health but
some may not know that psychological
fitness is just as important for optimum
well-being. Just as cardio, strength training,
stretching, proper nutrition, and adequate
sleep are essential to physical fitness;
exercising our psychological muscles is key
to mental fitness and overall health.
Mental fitness depends on three basic
psychological needs being met: autonomy,
relatedness, and competence. Autonomy is
the need to have a voice, the personal
freedom to make choices or decisions, and
the support of our family and friends in the
choices we make. Empowering self-talk, “I
can” and “I choose to …” helps you feel
autonomous. Relatedness is the need for
connection to and closeness with family,
peers, and other significant people in our
lives – a feeling that you belong to a family,
a group, a community. A sense of being
connected to important relationships that
support and encourage you and you support
and encourage them. And competence is the
need to recognize and use our personal gifts
and strengths to achieve our goals – a
feeling of accomplishment and worthiness.
Current research indicates that
satisfaction of these needs is related to
emotional well-being or resilience. The
following are simple, effective ways to
practice mental fitness:
-Be in the present – take the time to
notice what’s going on in the present
moment, how you are feeling, what you are
thinking. Avoid multi-tasking and break the
worry habit.
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356 Queen Street, Fredericton NB E3B 1B2
Tel: 506-458-8211; Fax: 506-451-9437
www.familyenrichment.ca
[email protected]
slow you down and make it hard to
concentrate. Relaxation techniques vary
greatly from the progressive relaxation of
tensing and releasing each muscle group in
the body, to meditation, yoga, and
biofeedback.
-Be assertive – speak your mind.
Becoming more assertive can be a journey
of self-discovery.
-Continue learning – the correlation
between education and health is wellestablished in research. Whether formal or
informal, learning is a great health
promotion tool.
-Volunteer – a win-win activity!
Helping others helps you feel good about
yourself, widens your social network,
provides you with learning opportunities,
and can bring balance to your life.
If you are concerned about your level
of mental fitness, it is important to seek
help. There are many individuals and
agencies in our community that can provide
you with the professional and confidential
service you need. Thanks to a grant from
the United Way of Central NB, free
consultations are available at Family
Enrichment. You can come and speak to
someone about the community resources
that exist to help you address any issue you
may be facing. There is no obligation and
no follow-up.
Anne Marie Hartford is the executive
director of Family Enrichment and
Counselling Service. Please send comments
to [email protected]
Anne Marie Hartford – 458-8211 ext 224
[email protected]
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356 Queen Street, Fredericton NB E3B 1B2
Tel: 506-458-8211; Fax: 506-451-9437
www.familyenrichment.ca
[email protected]