As it has been several weeks now with most people
staying inside their homes it is time for a mental health check. Many aspects
of wellness are being tweaked as people continue to adapt to staying indoors. One
way to be kind to your mind is to determine how your mind is doing on the
healthy mind platter. Similar to a plate where the different food groups are
represented, the healthy mind platter has seven mental activities to balance
your mind:
- Sleep time- Getting the amount of rest the brain and body need to be able to be alert and functioning well each day.
- Physical time- Moving the body is rejuvenating to the brain.
- Focus time- Focusing on challenges or tasks that are goal oriented strengthen connections in the brain.
- Time in- Taking time to quietly reflect inward on the body, thoughts, sensations and feelings.
- Down time- Time when the brain is not focused, is relaxed and can wander, helps the brain recharge.
- Play time- Enjoying novel experiences or doing something creative makes new connections in the brain.
- Connecting time- Connecting with people around us. We are all part of a system and wired for connection.
Each of these seven mental activities offer
something different to your brain. Each individual is different and time allotted
to mental activities will vary from person to person. The goal is to create
balance. The food groups are intended for us to have balance in our diet and
the goal for the healthy mind platter is to have balance for your mind. Perhaps
not all of these are done in one day but split over the course of two days. Scheduling
in time to attend to all areas can be beneficial to continue to
thrive and make connections.
The Healthy Mind Platter was
created by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute and
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of
Medicine in collaboration with Dr. David Rock.
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