Imagine you lived in a world where from a young age you were taught to look after your mental well-being using a similar daily routine to brushing your teeth. This daily practice would ensure that your mind did not rot, decay and cause you pain.
Emotional pain is one of the most difficult for the human mind and body to endure. The unattended mind is, in essence, no different to your teeth. If ignored it has the potential to allow negativity to take over and to rot away the true essence of who you are.
When we are young children, we lose our baby teeth but are given the opportunity to start again with a second set of teeth. Thanks to research in the last twelve-fifteen years we now know that our brains are also given second, third and countless chances to start again. In essence, our neural synapses and pathways are malleable and flexible which means we are not stuck with our conditioning. This is the concept of neuroplasticity. We can train our minds to be consistently positive and open and by doing so, can literally shape our brains with our thoughts which, as a result, will change the chemical composition in our brains creating dopamine and serotonin which make us feel and relaxed and happy.
Our teeth grow back stronger and more resilient as adult teeth and when they are cared for can last a lifetime and even shine brightly. Your mind can also work for you in this way if you care for it properly.
Your Positive Choice
We all know the consequences of daily chores left unattended – it can seem overwhelming to have to face a backlog of dishes or laundry. We know that by consistently taking a few moments each day to deal with these chores they become easily manageable. Similarly with mental health, by taking a few moments each day to “pause for positivity” you are, in fact, making a decision to lead an open and mindful life. Another way to look at this is to think of your brain as a muscle. When you work-out and reach a healthy level of fitness you don’t stop training and expect to remain fit. In order to maintain this level of fitness it is crucial to keep working out. Your mental health is the same – you can decide to maintain it even when you reach a healthy and positive place. It is essential to note here the use of the word “decide” because decision is, in effect, an action resulting from a choice and we all have to make choices on a daily basis. The important thing is to make the right choices.
It takes less time each day to develop your “best self” than it takes to unload a dishwasher. The central idea of caring for your mental health in this way is not about changing who you are but about accessing a part of you that is already there. By tapping into your higher self, best self or executive self – the part of you who is already free allows you to live moment to moment. Cast your mind back to early childhood and although you may not recall it on a conscious level, subconsciously the blueprint of freedom is etched into your long term memory. Conjure up simple images of playing outside with friends, exploring or running in the park or fields and you will get a sense of this. This ‘free’ part of you is intelligent, creative and wise and has the belief that you can easily and effortlessly find your purpose in life and reach your goals. The knowledge that true joy lives in moment-to-moment awareness is deep rooted in all of us. By consciously choosing to “pause for positivity” you regain this sense of freedom and joy that many adults have lost sight of.
Make a conscious decision to take a few moments from your busy schedule each day to focus on the positive, to acknowledge what you have in your life, to take stock of your accomplishments, to express gratitude, to nurture compassion and kindness towards yourself and your loved ones. Pause, breathe and focus on anything positive that exists in your life. By choosing to focus on what you already have as opposed to what you don’t have, you will begin to carve out positive neural pathways.
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