Scientists’ top 5 advice to enhance mental health
Last year a project was completed by Foresight, the British governmental think tank, investigating ways of improving the nation’s ‘mental capital” or capacity, by looking closely at what actions can be identified that add to the mental capacity of the population.
The two-year study defined ‘mental capital’ as a person’s cognitive and emotional resources, their capacity to learn, their social skills, and resilience in the face of stress. They observed that mental wellbeing changes from day to day and is linked to personal and social fulfilment.
The findings, reported in the Mental Capital and Wellbeing Report, led the panel of investigators to advise on five simple things that can be done every day that will help people stay mentally stable, and feel more fulfilled in their daily lives. It involves a simple program of social and personal activities found to improve mental wellbeing.
Those steps to enhanced mental health are:
1. Connect: don’t ever stop developing the relationships with your family members and friends, past and present work colleagues, your old and new neighbours. This will greatly enrich your life as well as bring you support in times of need.
2. Be active: Get involved in sports, or take up active hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just take a daily stroll around your neighbourhood. It will make you feel good, get you away from your routine and help you maintain mobility and fitness.
3. Be curious and aware: Cultivating a sensitivity to the beauty of everyday moments, as well as the unusual ones, and reflecting on them will help you to appreciate life more.
4. Learn: The challenge of learning something new is a form of play. It is stimulating and fun. The ideas are endless: learn to cook a different national cuisine, or to speak another language, or how to carve wood. Anything that interests you, or once interested you but you did not have time to pursue; make time to pursue it now!
5. Give: Helping other people is very rewarding, and can be done in so many ways such as volunteering at the hospital, taking companion animals to visit the elderly, or teaching English to migrant women through a church group or local council.
Of course as a Christian publication we would also advise adding prayer, bible study, and standing up for righteousness to your daily to-do lists!
Please click on the link to read the Foresight report.