Keeping Your Mindset Healthy and Happy

Being healthy is having the strength and energy for your daily routines. From physical to mental activities. The mind directs that energy to help you accomplish your daily routines.

“A healthy mindset is about intentionally keeping stress at a minimum and being content with the joys that even the small details bring. A healthy mindset is a happy mindset, no matter what comes one’s way,” said Dr. Ricky Brathwaite, CEO of Bermuda Health Council.

Stress is one of many reasons why people struggle with a healthy mindset. They’re thinking about certain things they can’t control.

“The anxiety that comes with not being able to control something can cause a whole lot of stress. So like they say in sports, stay in the moment and enjoy the process of today,” said Dr. Brathwaite.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression, a common mental disorder. They also state, 1 in 4 people will deal with a mental or neurological condition in their lifetime.

Dr. Brathwaite stated, “Someone told me the other day that people often self-medicate with drugs or with addictions. Too many people are stuck on past hurts and traumatic experiences that disallow them from seeing the benefits that the current moment or the future day may bring. Too many people are so broken, instead of healing, they think about revenge. We tend to think that not having a healthy mindset is also related to living with a mental illness or dealing with mental health concerns. This gives an indication that whether due to internal or external factors, too many of us are at risk of not having the word “healthy” in front of the word mindset.”

Some people, if not most, spend most of the time thinking and worrying about situations, they don’t understand the effects it has on the mind and body. In order to have a healthy mind, one must also develop healthy habits.  

“Developing a healthy mind starts with finding something you like to do and spending significant periods of time doing it. Food and exercise have a way of enhancing your ability to have the energy to do those things and even give you the physiological condition to appreciate them in more intense ways,” said Dr. Brathwaite. 

Some examples of healthy habits include; gardening, sleeping well, learning something new, exercising, eating the right foods, which will allow you to have more focus and be more productive, and will enhance sexual activity. He recommends a sustainable activity to put your mind in a mental space where you can enjoy life. It would help to keep the mind in a positive state.

He also suggested, waking up each morning deciding to intentionally have a healthy mindset.  Then at least you are starting on the right foot. Readjusting back to that healthy mindset is a lot easier than starting out thinking how bad the day will be and having to work uphill all day to change it.