Doing things on a daily basis that stimulate the mind is important to our mental health
We need to stimulate the mind on a daily basis. A lot of that takes place naturally by the things that we do day in and day out — our habits. Before, I had a life changing medical condition, I didn’t see any of this. It was my medical condition that forced me to slow down and see life from a different lens.
I slowly started realize that I was living life on the fast lane. There were few moments in between where I slowed down enough to realize that every little small habit that I had been unconsciously doing had its consequences. These consequences can move you forward or keep you stagnant. The worst ones are the ones that move you backwards.
There are moments where you may feel like life is coming at you. Like things are against you. If you don’t slow down and look at the small daily habits you have implemented within your daily routine, you will never get to the root of the problems. Your habits!
Take a moment after you read this and really give thought to the small habits that you have created for yourself. See what you can add and remove to ensure you feed the mind what it needs to keep moving you in the proper direction.
Here are a few daily habits that stimulate the mind:
Reading
Reading is a great habit to instill within your day-to-day life. I have lost count of the amount of people who say “I don’t like to read.” I get it, reading takes you back to all of those dreading memories that are attached with school. But, if you do feel like reading is a chore, I would encourage you to change your views on reading. Find things that you are interested in learning about. Topics that can take you to a different world for a little while and help you stimulate the mind.
Journaling
Journaling is a fantastic way to stimulate your brain. It is a great way to escape and find yourself. Uncover all of the areas within your life that are going great and all of the areas that need improvement.
People hear about journaling and think it’s keeping a diary. Journaling is different, it is far more powerful than just writing about your day. Journaling is a way to connect with your soul. Reaching a point that is far more powerful than just thinking in solitude.
Through journaling, you can capture things on paper and you can create starting lines for you to work with. New beginnings are born and there is data to work with later on in the future when you need to look back and see where things shifted.
Exercise
This is by far my favorite. I started with exercise just because I wanted to get into better physical shape. As time passed and I stuck with it, I learned that what everyone thinks about exercise, is so far off from what they should be thinking.
Most equate exercise with weight loss. Getting into better shape, looking better, feeling better about themselves because they are “skinnier” now. While all of those things are valid and they are great, exercise is far more than the surface stuff.
Exercise can transform the mind. It has transformed the way I view things. Daily exercise is something that you should incorporate for your mental health. Breaking a sweat gets the blood flowing, like nothing else. Daily consistent exercise is the ultimate habit that will stimulate your mind, body and soul. There is a great connection that is born within yourself if you implement the power of consistent exercise.
I now, don’t rely on motivation to go get some exercise in. My mind and body knows what it does for me so well, that I just know that it needs to be done. It is not an option. It is something that I need. From my experience, you reach this point by doing it day in and day out whether you want to or not. Eventually, you reach a point where you can’t live without it.
Get Some Outdoor Daily Sunlight
At my job, I would sit there and look outside and see the beautiful sun ☀️ and the trees 🌳 bristling with the wind and it was calling my name. Instead, I would have to sit in my office and make calls. While work is on this list of habits to stimulate the mind, getting some sunlight daily is just as important.
Think about it, there are days where you wake up in your home, go to work in your car, drive back home and go to sleep at some point. There is no outdoor direct sunlight in those days. Getting outside and spending time under the sun should be a staple in everyone’s routine. Challenge yourself to incorporate this habit and watch how you won’t want to let it go.
YouTube
Watching YouTube is a great habit to instill within your day if you use it properly. I find it to be a great tool to stimulate your mind in the positive direction. There is a plethora of videos that you can find that will propel you forward. You can look up daily motivational videos, learn new skills videos, and maybe even start a new little hobby that can also stimulate your mind. It’s when you get distracted and end up watching cat videos where it will lose its purpose on this list 😂
Sleep
The mind will never function at its optimal level if you are not getting adequate and proper sleep. The scientific facts that you can find while doing a quick Google search is boundless on this subject. When you begin to incorporate a solid evening routine and really zero in on your sleep quality you will notice dramatic differences within your day to day energy.
Work
Work is a necessary ingredient that you need in order to properly stimulate the mind. We all need to work to become the best version of ourselves. What that work is, becomes totally up to you.
Choose something purposeful. Don’t settle when it comes to your work. I say this with the most sincerity. Your work is not only going to stimulate your mind, it is going to form your mind.
We spend a lot of time enveloped in our work, if you are not aware of this, you can easily end up in a bad spot. You want your work to inspire you and help you grow into the best version of yourself. Choose wisely.
Organization
Now, this one is subjective. Everyone is going to have their own opinion on this, but I lean on the side that being organized stimulates the mind. Having a clutter free home and space does something for me mentally. It sparks creativity and provides a blank canvas for me to work with.
Having a mess everywhere on the other hand, especially when it comes to your work space, just becomes a distraction. Take a walk around your home or your work space and do a quick scan of all the opportunities there are for you to organize things better. Maybe even get rid of some stuff too. Create a nice clean and organized space for yourself if you really want to stimulate your mind.
Audio Books
There was a point in time where if I wanted to learn something, I needed to take a trip to the public library or local book store. I had to take my time and read through books to absorb the information I was seeking. Then technology evolved and we have the flexibility to select a book, hit play, and listen to the whole book as we drive to work or take a walk.
If you are not a fan of reading, incorporating audio books into your list of habits is a great way to stimulate the mind. I don’t equate it as effective to actual reading, but it’s damn close.
Subscribe to a source and start incorporating a small pocket of time where you can listen to an audio book. Listening to positive, good words is imperative towards mental health. Injecting this into your daily routine is a huge plus.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to cut ties with reality and go somewhere else mentally for a little while. I enjoy listening to some great positive podcasts that are geared towards self-improvement. Finding a great podcast about nutrition, fitness, or anything else that might tickle your fancy is a great way to learn new things and stimulate your mind. When you have some down time, open up your phone and start your browsing to find a podcast that sits perfectly with what you are looking for.
