Mental Fitness

If the cells of the brain are programmed to remember all impressions, experiences and outer activities of your life there must be a vast accumulation of unwanted material in the subconscious mind. There are methods and ways to cleanse or purge our minds of this material.

This is recognized by psychologists and those who make neurological studies of the brain. They tend to be of the opinion that it is advisable to encourage catharsis or regular cleansing of the subconscious mind. Techniques used for this purpose vary with professionals.
 
Self help techniques are rather simple, but are effective in helping you maintain some semblance of order in your consciousness. Reducing accumulations of subconscious mental rubbish or even diminishing any negative ideological pollutants, allows better and unencumbered use of our conscious mental faculties.

In self culture and with a desire to maintain mental fitness we must realise the importance of freeing the mind of unwanted thoughts and painful memories of the past. It is only then that we can take full advantage of what is offered by present.

To start with, it is a good idea to ask yourself some pertinent questions . Your answers will usually indicate a need for a personal cleansing process or catharsis.

Do you sometimes feel that your brain has too much information to process?
Perhaps you feel unable to express yourself as clearly as before?
Do you feel less mental freedom to fly with your imagination or create what you feel you would like?
Does your mind wander away from the moment and concern itself with things unrelated to the circumstances and people around you?
Does your memory play tricks or let you down, when once it was wonderful?
Are your dreams a cause for disturbance with unpleasant scenarios?
Are you beginning to suffer from mild physical health symptoms not there last year ?
Are you tired and feeling ‘fed up’ with your life?
Do you still have the motivation to enjoy events and activities as before?
Have times of depression added to your lack lustre life?

If you feel convinced that a number of negative responses indicates a need to sweep away what are often tenacious obstructing thoughts and states of consciousness you will find great benefit from exploring different ways that are applicable by self-help means.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: anger management, anxiety, concentration, Depression, happiness, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, mind, personality problems, psychology, relaxation, Stress, The Brain

Mental difficulties can originate physically in the brain itself, in the nervous system or can be seated in the psychological nature and responses of the individual. The approach to relieving any symptoms is determined by this factor.

Amongst the many difficulties and irregularities that affect our brain, our health and our bodies is the condition known as dyslexia. It is considered that the condition, with many varying symptoms, has its origin in the central nervous system. Neuroscientists are seeking to plot the exact brain areas that are responsible for the irregularities that can mar the feeling of mental fitness that occur and can sometimes cause others to judge a person as abnormal in some way. But no precise cause is so far identified to explain all the symptoms.

Some symptoms appear early in the education of a child when inadequate skills are demonstrated by poor ability to read, write or when spelling presents a real problem. A child, in spite of having normal vision, can sometimes find difficulty in interpreting written or printed language and is therefore unable to read with skill.  Often a symptom of dyslexia includes speech difficulties or a reluctance to speak. Males seem to have greater difficulty with this problem than females. This result could be anticipated!

With appropriate private coaching and teaching methods used in remedial education, dyslexia can be totally overcome so that it is no longer a disability that proves to be detrimental to general health and mental fitness.

However, there are continued medical efforts to find the physical cure for dyslexia and to bridge what is apparent to neurologists as a broken link between two brain areas. But this is a technique still to be tried and if successful will be appreciated as a potential cure for those suffering the distressing symptoms of this condition.

The problem of this and many other irregularities of brain, behaviour and thought processes can be overcome to a large extent by studying and employing the natural principles of mental fitness.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, relaxation, Stress

We may easily accept that for good health and well-being we need to keep our feelings and moods cheerful as we seek to enjoy our lives.

But we tend to overlook the fact that on the other hand, if we don’t manage to keep positive about ourselves and life in general, negative emotions and emotional stress can actually do us a great deal of harm.

Perhaps the worst culprits are anger, fear, depression and grief. These can all undermine our mental health and fitness.

When angry our blood pressure is known to rise; our face tends to become florid; our eyes flash and tension and muscular constriction inevitably follows. If tension is located around the head and neck we usually develop a headache after a burst of anger. If our tension is directed to the torso we will tend to hold our breath forcibly and experience constriction around the heart and lungs. It depends to some extent how long we entertain our anger and express it outwardly as to how quickly these problems will dissipate.  If we hold our anger inside us, the damage to our bodies and nervous system is increased and we develop gastro intestinal symptoms or digestive upsets.

Extremes of anger have been observed in some people to develop serious and immediate reactions so violent that they literally froth at the mouth or are thrown into spasm with contorted limbs. A laboratory analysis of the saliva of such a person has been found to have a highly toxic or poisonous content. Sudden fright can cause the body to tremble violently or to lose control of bladder or bowels as is well known.

Long held depression, feelings of loneliness or hopelessness and intense grief can upset all physiological processes including arrest of the gastric secretions, or turning the hair white and causing premature ageing.  Similar interruption of normal body functions can occur through sudden shock. Psychologists interested in psycho-somatic causes of disease have related deep emotional problems to serious diseases such as cancer, and to chronic lingering conditions such as arthritis.

So we need to be more aware of the need to keep our emotions cultivated and controlled for our own sake as well as for those around us who share our space.

We all have a great potential to feel positive emotions of love, kindness, joy and peace and have an innate ability to transform all the wild negative energy in anger, into happier channels to demonstrate our emotional and mental fitness.

 Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: angercharacter, anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, personality, relaxation, Stress

There are many causes of our anger. It can begin to ignite if we are directly attacked, or we feel unjustly criticised, when someone else is inconsiderate or deliberately hurts our feelings or offends our ethics, morals or codes of behaviour.

We get angry as a psychological defence mechanism when we are embarrassed, cornered, or hurt physically, emotionally or mentally and then we find it difficult to keep silent, and refrain from retaliation. When we do decide to hurt back we know we have let ourselves down to become the victim of someone else’s mood and action. We then are apt to feel weak.

If we wish to be emotionally and mentally strong we have to refrain from reacting to many things particularly to violence or anger. This does not mean that we are negative. In fact to keep calm in the midst of disturbance takes courage and inner strength. Try it – as Rudyard Kipling tells his son in the poem “ To keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you….”

We known that anger is not admirable – that anger is a weakness – that anger is destructive of relationships, material goods, human life, harmony, love and affection, that anger suddenly is ‘picked up’ when we are vulnerable and it becomes contagious – that anger is often to disguise other feelings, hurts and violent thoughts – all these things should be considered.

As parents we will often have to consider acting as if we are angry as a means of curbing the behaviour of those in our care who need to be cautioned. But in this case we can feign anger and it is only a temporary tool we use to exercise our responsibility in protecting the young.

But uncontrolled violent anger as expressed in road rage, murder, assault on another person has no reason or purpose other than to yield to the destructive, dark energies of human nature.

So we must all practise controlling anger and redirecting our energies positively if we are to claim mental fitness.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: angercharacter, anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, personality, relaxation, Stress

We seem to all suffer stress these days. There is much discussion about the causes of this modern ‘epidemic’ that threatens our health, our emotional enjoyment of life and our mental fitness.

The causes of our personal stress are simple enough if we face the factors in our lives that result in our states of discontent, anxiety or unhappiness that we are experiencing. Whether or not we can change the external factors altogether is questionable but we can take control over our personal reactions to the conditions in which we find ourselves and so regain and maintain our mental fitness.

So how do we free ourselves from old habits and reactions to life and to people? How do we develop a stress -free mind? 

Self discipline begins with identifying our levels of tension, unnecessary worry and anxiety and our fears, whatever they may be.  If we do not re-programme our responses these habit reactions of mind and emotions will gradually begin to threaten our well being.

It is the simple practise of relaxation that offers an immediate benefit. We will find that we are more comfortable physically and find it easier to stop worrying and start thinking clearly. So, if you wish to be free of anxiety, to feel confident, safe and secure so you can enjoy life to the full, then start with learning how to release tension from the muscles of the body. Because of its close association, tension in the mind will follow.

The art of relaxation does not demand new effort and strain – it’s easy. A good teacher will teach you simple techniques that can be subsequently followed at home.

In addition, make sure that in each day you enjoy a time for your personal and enjoyment alone.

Remember, that a relaxed person is most likely to be able to offer better companionship for another.

So learn to relax, let your stresses melt away, and allow a new sense of enjoyment in life to replace the burdens you have carried.

Look forward to a new sense of

personal value and a shinier self image as you make new friends of true worth who offer fine companionship and sincere affection.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: anxiety, friendship, genuine affection, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, personality, relaxation, Stress

Repeated habits can demonstrate to others our levels of stress.

There are many personal common behavioural habits that we have such as hand gestures, foot tapping, and other obvious and often irritating ways. We are more often than not, unaware of these displays of unease. But in social life and in business in particular, these signs tell another person what is our subconscious state of mind and so is keen to observe and to interpret this information according to the situation.

If we are not feeling self confident we tend to be more defensive or aggressive to make up for it. It is certainly generally accepted by those who study behaviour, that when we feel inwardly confident and therefore at ease, our behaviour and the aura around us will be more relaxed.

However, we all have different degrees of capability in disguising our inner stress. It is not always apparent to others that we are suffering butterflies in the stomach or sweaty palms. Our self discipline then becomes a private awareness and a determined will to overcome the cause of our stress.

A calm, self possessed person engenders good responses in others.  A highly nervous, tense or angry person has the opposite affect.

We are also generally aware that when we are suffering from nervous tension, our behaviour is affected in some way.

We must persist in observing our own behaviour for signs of strain just as we become aware of symptoms of stress in others.  Symptoms may be biting finger nails, or fondling a strand of hair and other habits which do not harm or affect others except by causing irritation.  Others can be more serious.

Do you have any often repeated habits or repeated reactions that others may find irritating or to conclude that you are a person with stress?

 Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: angercharacter, anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, personality, relaxation, Stress

It is only by building our mental health and fitness that can we ensure that we do not suffer mental pain and illness in future. There is no other way, as there is no one else who can determine our thinking and our emotional reactions. We have to look after ourselves.

So we have to care for the brain as our instrument of thought and the heart as the seat of our emotions by following a physical health routine.  We cannot have healthy thoughts and feelings otherwise.

As habit is the discipline that is of primary importance in any constructive enterprise and health programme, we have to break old bad habits as we simultaneously create new and better ones. This is as important with emotional habits and reactions as it is with our repeated thought patterns.

And we have the capacity to change, we know that. Even extreme negative conditions or habits can be reversed. It only needs that we are whole hearted and whole minded in our efforts.

But we have to practice.  We need to start by controlling simple negative thoughts for instance.  As we become aware of them, we replace them with a single positive thought or idea.

We need to relax and to release our tight anxieties and fears that do damage to our mental fitness. This is made easier when we take a wider, more expansive attitude of acceptance.

There are many instances when we become aware of negative emotions. Anger for instance can seem to take charge over our mood when we would rather choose to be relaxed and happy. So, as we ourselves are in charge, our choice would have to be to refrain from allowing angry emotions to bully us.

Thought remains the dominant motivator. It is our thought that determines our actions and many of our habits as it is our emotions that can add or subtract the energies that are needed for good outcomes and mental fitness.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-help Guide, offers simple and timely solutions.  Read more…

Technorati Tags: angercharacter, anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, personality, relaxation, Stress

There is a great deal known about the function of the brain. The work of neurological science in mapping the brain areas responsible for the various functions of the body, emotions and thoughts has progressed significantly. This research has resulted in the identification of precise areas required for successful, delicate brain surgery. There have been many important advances and there will no doubt be many more.

As a marvellous creation of nature, the brain is taken for granted as our own inbuilt computer. It is already programmed to do all the physiological tasks that our body requires, as well as supporting the innumerable mental faculties upon which we rely. We depend upon it for our mental fitness.

To those scientists who are exploring the mysteries of human consciousness there are further spheres beyond the  psychological those presently understood It is clear to those who are unravelling some of the mysteries associated with human consciousness that the physical brain is merely the instrument with a magnificent computer-like capacity by which to register the dictates of the mind.

The creative capacity of the human mind, this mysterious and invisible consciousness with its limitless corridors and potentials for thought, makes any mapping of the mind a seeming impossibility. Understanding the mind itself is a challenge which will extend well into the future.

As it is the mind that uses the brain as instrument so it is the individual soul that directs the mind. This concept of the soul as distinct from the body is held by many philosophers and some neuroscientists and opens up another dimension in the exploration and understanding of the human psyche. It will eventually guide us to discover the source of our individual intelligence.

Yet still we do not know, and it would seem impossible to anticipate that we could ever hope to achieve an ambition to map the human mind. It remains ever an elusive and mysterious sphere. Yet each mind has the capacity and power to command individual control over each human life. It can focus the power of concentration, can expand in flights of imagination and can create new thoughts and concepts through its ability to philosophise.

So remember the wonderful private computer each of us possesses in our brain and the unlimited potential of our minds that is limited only by our conscious desire to develop it.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

Technorati Tags: angercharacter, anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, personality, relaxation, Stress

 Yoga is a science offering a system for an individual to extend consciousness beyond the known and familiar limitations of the personality into the limitless realms of Universal Consciousness. Although experiences of this kind generally come to us spontaneously through outer stimulus or through religious experience it can also be achieved through deliberate desire and training. The practice of quiet mindedness or meditation is designed for this purpose.

Beyond improved mental fitness, the ultimate benefits of meditation include not only a wider perception of life as a whole, but increased understanding, and a more vital, purposeful attitude towards our personal life. Not only do we become more self-confident of our own potential but feel more certain of the beneficence and magnitude of the world in which we live. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: anxiety, Meditation, Mental Fitness, mental health, relaxation, Stress