The Keys to Health and Happiness: Nurturing a Healthy Body, a Creative Mind, a Loving Heart, and a Peaceful Soul
Part One: Self-Care
written by Joanne Delmonico, 2014
Ten years ago, a close friend fell into a deep depression that lasted for months. He described feeling like he was falling down a dark tunnel. His depression had a strong and profound impact on me and sent me into a frenzy of research and personal reflection. I even consulted a mental health counselor, who told me there was nothing I could do for him. Being a person whose dharma is helping others, that was not an acceptable response!
This article, in two parts, is the culmination of my discoveries that were sparked by my friend’s depression. I truly believe that you create your own happiness when you balance your body, mind, heart, and soul. Part one contains some ideas about caring for yourself. Part two offers ideas for caring for your relationship with your love partner.
Happiness is in the sweet spot created by the blending and balancing of a healthy body, a creative mind, a loving heart, and a peaceful soul...
Part One: Self-Care
written by Joanne Delmonico, 2014
Ten years ago, a close friend fell into a deep depression that lasted for months. He described feeling like he was falling down a dark tunnel. His depression had a strong and profound impact on me and sent me into a frenzy of research and personal reflection. I even consulted a mental health counselor, who told me there was nothing I could do for him. Being a person whose dharma is helping others, that was not an acceptable response!
This article, in two parts, is the culmination of my discoveries that were sparked by my friend’s depression. I truly believe that you create your own happiness when you balance your body, mind, heart, and soul. Part one contains some ideas about caring for yourself. Part two offers ideas for caring for your relationship with your love partner.
Happiness is in the sweet spot created by the blending and balancing of a healthy body, a creative mind, a loving heart, and a peaceful soul...
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In my previous article about stress management, I recommended taking a six-step approach to increasing your self-awareness about what causes stress for you and how you can change your choices. Once you become aware, your desire to do something about it will increase. Having a regular, self-care, stress management program integrated into your daily activities will help you to prevent the negative impact that the effects of stress have on your health and happiness.
Healthy Body
Let’s start with your healthy body. First of all, you must find what works for you... what you will be able to sustain because you enjoy it. Everybody has different preferences. I love to practice yoga and find it restorative. My son is a daily weight lifter. My daughter enjoys jogging. Since exercise is so important to maintaining a healthy body and preventing stress, find something that you enjoy doing that involves moving!
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient physical body:
Creative Mind
For many people, the “Fight or Flight” response in their bodies is so disruptive that they have difficulty thinking clearly. Talking, listening, problem solving, and decision making skills are diminished in those moments. So, just as you exercise your physical body to maintain its functioning, I recommend that you exercise your mind to maintain your cognitive abilities.
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient creative mind:
Loving Heart
It sounds so cliché, but in order to love others, you must first love yourself. Self-love is the ability to see the beautiful essence of who you are without judging or evaluating. It’s about silencing that inner critic that tells you that you are just not good enough. It’s about making choices that encourage you, rather than discourage.
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient loving heart:
My definition of peace is a blissful state of contentment in the moment, knowing in that moment there is no place else I would rather be than right here, right now. It’s a state of “being” rather than “doing.” It’s a state of being in touch with your soul as your body, mind, and heart are silent and still. As in all of the other recommendations I offer here, you have to find what works for you. How do you find that sense of peacefulness?
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient peaceful soul:
This is the second in a series of articles on stress management. In the next article, I will explore the keys to health and happiness in your relationship with your love partner. Go to next article...
Healthy Body
Let’s start with your healthy body. First of all, you must find what works for you... what you will be able to sustain because you enjoy it. Everybody has different preferences. I love to practice yoga and find it restorative. My son is a daily weight lifter. My daughter enjoys jogging. Since exercise is so important to maintaining a healthy body and preventing stress, find something that you enjoy doing that involves moving!
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient physical body:
- Meditate
- Practice deep breathing
- Exercise: options include running, walking, bicycling, aerobics, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, stretching, and dancing (consult your doctor before beginning anything new)
- Get a massage
- Eat a well-balanced diet, especially fruits and vegetables
- Drink plenty of water
- Sleep 6-1/2 to 7 hours nightly
- Don’t miss your annual health screenings and check-ups with your doctor and dentist
- Brush and floss your teeth
- Use sunscreen
- Laugh (Yes! laughter is a very effective stress management technique)
- Avoid sugar (including artificial sweeteners), soda, alcohol, caffeine
Creative Mind
For many people, the “Fight or Flight” response in their bodies is so disruptive that they have difficulty thinking clearly. Talking, listening, problem solving, and decision making skills are diminished in those moments. So, just as you exercise your physical body to maintain its functioning, I recommend that you exercise your mind to maintain your cognitive abilities.
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient creative mind:
- Meditate
- Practice deep breathing
- Sleep
- Read
- Write
- Stay current on the local and global news and emerging trends in your field
- Look for the patterns and interrelationships in everything
- Have deep and meaningful conversations with others
- Ask questions to understand: why, what, how
- Take time for personal reflection
- Engage in hobbies and interests you enjoy
- Look for better solutions to problems by welcoming diverse perspectives
- Analyze successes and failures to find the lessons learned
Loving Heart
It sounds so cliché, but in order to love others, you must first love yourself. Self-love is the ability to see the beautiful essence of who you are without judging or evaluating. It’s about silencing that inner critic that tells you that you are just not good enough. It’s about making choices that encourage you, rather than discourage.
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient loving heart:
- Meditate
- Focus on your strengths and assets
- Get in touch with your feelings by journaling
- Be open and willing to give and receive love
- Practice loving-kindness, compassion, and empathy with yourself and others
- Keep your promises
- Ask for help when you need it
- Change your negative self-talk to positive affirmations
- Practice self-respect by avoiding abusive situations and people
- Explore your ego assumptions before acting on them or suffering through them
- Avoid negative people and situations that drain your energy
- Say no to choices that are not nurturing
My definition of peace is a blissful state of contentment in the moment, knowing in that moment there is no place else I would rather be than right here, right now. It’s a state of “being” rather than “doing.” It’s a state of being in touch with your soul as your body, mind, and heart are silent and still. As in all of the other recommendations I offer here, you have to find what works for you. How do you find that sense of peacefulness?
Here are my tips for nurturing a healthy and resilient peaceful soul:
- Meditate
- Practice Yoga and Tai Chi
- Spend time in nature
- Get some “Wind therapy” (allow the wind to blow all your troubles away)
- Practice living in harmony with all living things
- Experience your surroundings with all of your senses
- Develop your personal mission and purpose
- Believe your dreams will come true
- Do meaningful work that has positive impact
- Be a servant leader by giving back and paying forward
- Listen to or perform music or engage in your art
- Be true to yourself by living your values
This is the second in a series of articles on stress management. In the next article, I will explore the keys to health and happiness in your relationship with your love partner. Go to next article...