PSYCH DRIVE
CULTIVATING MENTAL HEALTH DAILY
By Dr. Andrea Dinardo | Photography Karim Manjra
Instead of thinking of mental health as a burden you must shoulder, imagine it as an opportunity to experience peace and joy. In the same way that we make time for our physical needs, such as eating and sleeping, we must devote attention to our psychological needs.
“AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION.” Where do we begin?
• Put a 20-minute daily time limit on blaming and complaining.
PERMA THEORY OF HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING
• Go to bed visualizing three new things you’re grateful for that day.
PERMA is a framework for happiness and well-being developed by Dr. Martin Seligman, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The model contains five key indicators of human flourishing: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement.
POSITIVE EMOTION Feeling good is an essential part of well-being. That said, it’s easy to get lost in a spiral of negativity—what’s wrong? who’s to blame? why did this happen to me?—leaving little time in the day for appreciation, wonder, and fun. It’s essential to schedule good-vibe moments into each day. Here are some ideas: • Begin the day with inspiring quotes on your bathroom mirror. • Create a spa atmosphere for morning coffee with music and candles. • Listen to upbeat music and podcasts on your way to work. • Start conversations with your dreams, not your stressors. 58
JOY NEEDS ROOM TO BREATHE. AND SO DO YOU.
• Music • Dance • Sport How will you engage fully in your life today?
RELATIONSHIPS
Social support is an important buffer for life’s challenges. That said, not all associations are created equal. Some relationships, unfortuRemember when you were a kid playing nately, lead to a deterioration in mental health. with friends, and before you knew it the Choice is a powerful tool when it comes to street lights came on? If it wasn’t for your well-being and happiness. mom yelling your name, you would be outside Consider the following when you spend playing all night long. In that moment, you time with people: were in a state of flow. You were completely engaged in what you were doing, independent • Do you feel uplifted or drained? of everything around you. Your mom could • Do you feel listened to or ignored? have called your name for hours, and you • Do you feel encouraged or criticized? wouldn’t have heard a word. One hundred Stay close to people who make you feel percent of your attentional capacity was taken better about yourself and avoid or limit time up by the activity right in front of you. with those who leave you feeling like less of Most likely you still experience a state of yourself. flow and engagement, but not as often as you like. Engagement is important for mental health—when you’re completely absorbed by a task, your mind has no capacity left over for Meaning comes from serving something distressing thoughts and emotions. bigger than ourselves. Whether it be family, Activities that create a flow state include: charity, occupation, or community, meaning • Art unites us in a common vision and gives us the • Writing will to get through adversity.
ENGAGEMENT
MEANING