Stretching our Mind – what does that mean?

The concept for my #FitFabFeb2021 has been based around a holistic approach to living well.

It’s all about loving who you are and respecting yourself enough to make your health and well-being a priority.

So let’s do a recap of the month so far

• Week 1 we took the 10 minutes of intentional movement for 10 days challenge.
• Week 2 was increasing to 15 minutes and ‘Tweaking What we Eat’ by adding more vegetables to our meals.

What topic have I chosen for Week 3?

I subscribe to DailyOM and receive a daily inspirational email. They also offer short online course. I’m currently taking the Reinventing Happiness Course with Deepak Chopra and Sonja Lyubomirsky and I will write more on this course when I’m finished.

I received an email this week which had the title ‘Mind Stretching’. I had intended Week 3 to be around our Mental Health and so this email and it’s contents was timely.

We take time to MOVE, we try to EAT healthy most of the time but do we devote enough time to our MENTAL health and well-being?

You stretch your body to keep it flexible so why not stretch your mind to keep it flexible?

Having a flexible attitude helps our minds be open to new possibilities and to cope more easily when life throws curve balls. COVID-19 has certainly proven that we need to be flexible as restrictions have changed the way we live. It has also had a detrimental affect on our mental health. Friends who are still in lockdown have suggested that taking online courses or joining into groups virtually has helped enormously with their mental health and well-being.

I’ve recently joined a Book Club with some friends and we decided to study the Classics. I’m enjoying diving deeply into more than just the storyline and the in-depth discussions. I’m learning from my friends to extend my thinking as well as enjoying their interpretations. I’m not any English literature major, so this is really stretching me and I’m loving it.

Research shows that keeping our brain active:

• Improves memory,
• postpones cognitive decline and
• boosts mental capacity

What’s in store for #FitFabFeb2021 Week 3 this week

• continue 15 minutes intentional daily movement for 3 more days then up to 20 minutes
• continue increasing vegetables and add protein at each meal
• daily mind stretching through meditation, mindfulness, learning and changing the way we do ordinary daily tasks.

Daily Mind Stretching Challenge – 2 parts

The first part of this week’s challenge is to select one thing that you do daily and try doing it a different way or stretch your mind by learning something new

• It could be changing the direction you take your daily walk.
• It could be brushing your teeth with your other hand
• It could be learning something new like a language
• It could be doing a jigsaw, crossword or craft
• It could be doing something creative

The second part of the challenge is to take time to rest your mind and bring calm

• Sit still, eyes closed in meditation for 5 minutes and really being present just concentrating on the breath. Don’t worry if your mind wanders, that is natural. If that happens bring your mind back to concentrate on your breathing.
• Before you begin make a note of how you are feeling physically and mentally. Then after you finish the meditation, assess how your mind and body are feeling.

Further reading

3 Reasons to Exercise Your Brain (inspiyr.com)

How to Exercise Your Brain (inspiyr.com)

5 Foods That Are Great For Your Brain (inspiyr.com)

Relax! 3 Simple Ways To Fight Stress In Your Life (inspiyr.com)

Keeping your mind flexible not only helps to navigate life and builds resilience, it also keeps your brain active and healthy.