7 ways to gain mental balance for the ultimate healthy mind

Feeling overwhelmed? Struggling to find work/life balance? This is an on-going topic for many professionals and especially impacts professional women as the demands on their time change as they progress through the stages of their life. It's often the case when a woman's career is really taking off and exciting opportunities are on the horizon, that's exactly the same time when there are more demands from family and home-life....And then there's diet and exercise, pursuing hobbies, life-admin, seeing friends and down-time to squeeze in too! Of course this can also impact professional men too!

COGNITIVE BALANCE

Another way of looking at achieving work life balance is to consider cognitive balance and the activities that are required for a healthy mind. Fitting in the activities required for a healthy mind is really important as it maximises the function of our pre-frontal cortex and avoids us from getting burnt out.

Here are the 7 steps to follow to change your life and discover mental balance:-

1. SLEEP

Make sure you get enough quality sleep. Believe it or not sleep is a coachable topic and routine is really important to gaining good quality sleep. Try going to bed at the same time every night, avoid screens, alcohol and caffeine and discover which small changes make the biggest difference for you. Sleep enhances memory and allows us to regulate our emotions, it gives us energy to tackle what comes up in our day either at home or at work and it helps us to avoid over-eating for energy. Try to have the same bed time routine as this creates certainty in the brain so it knows what to expect which will help it switch off and help you rest.

2. EXERCISE

Physical activity is good for our cardio-vascular system and general physical health but it's also really good for the brain. There are many studies that demonstrate the positive effects exercise has on memory, the ability to focus and reduce stress. Try to figure out what work-out schedule you can stick to and make sure that it's an activity you enjoy. It doesn't have to be an extreme sport, a walk or yoga has just as much benefit to helping you gain balance.

3. FOCUS

With devices being a major distraction in our day it's getting increasingly hard to fit in time for those activities that really engross us and allow us to get in to 'flow'. You know the feeling when you are doing something that you love and you look up at the clock and you've lost a couple of hours!

It's tough juggling many activities in a day or week but it's important to prioritise and find the time to build in this activity in to your schedule as it allows your brain to switch off from what else is going on around you and for you to gain a sense of achievement and mastery.

4. SOCIAL TIME

Another activity key for mental balance is connecting with others. Social time and connecting allows us to discuss challenges, manage stress and has been found to be a basic necessity for people as the default mode of our brain is 'social'. If socialising is lacking in your schedule build in some more activities to connect with others. When was the last time you picked up the phone to an old friend? Reconnect and see what this adds to you achieving the ultimate cognitive balance.

5. PLAY TIME

We know that play is essential for children's learning but play shouldn't be just restricted to children as it has mental benefits for adults too. Play is any activity that's fun and is important for adults as it releases dopamine the 'feel good' hormone. Play can also be defined as 'being in a novel social situation which will have an unexpected outcome'. Think quizzes, race nights, dining in the dark or escape rooms. When was the last time you had some fun? Another essential ingredient to work/life and cognitive balance.

6. REST TIME

Straight after rest is when we sometimes have our insights, bright ideas, or 'a-ha' moments, so it's justified that we build in more rest time to our day rather than excluding it from our busy schedules. It's OK to give yourself 5 minutes now and then to day dream! Give yourself permission to switch off and just chill for a while and see what this opens up for you. You might even find that you are more productive after a minute to yourself to let your mind wander.

7. MINDFULNESS

Being mindful has many health benefits and can reduce stress and anxiety and help keep us grounded. Jon Kabat-Zin, Founding Executive Director of the Centre for Mindfulness describes this state as 'paying attention in a particular way: On purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally'. You don't have to enrol on a course or sign up to a weekend retreat but just spend some time each day to be aware of your inner thoughts, what's going on with your body or the beauty of the outside world. Try a little mindfulness when you are doing an activity that's mundane and comes as second nature to you.

Article based on The Healthy Mind Platter by David Rock and Daniel J Siegel at the NeuroLeadership Institute.

If you'd like to find out more about how to gain work/life balance don't hesitate to contact me for an informal chat - coaching2change@outlook.com.

Copyright 2021 Charlotte Goodban