Understanding Mental Health > Mental Fitness

Have you ever driven the same route and upon arrival felt like you got there almost on autopilot? That is similar to how thoughts and actions travel along neural pathways in our brains. When we repeat a certain thought or action many times, that neural pathway is reinforced, and the thinking can become automatic. When it comes to thought or action patterns that are causing us trouble (anger, aggression, sadness, hopelessness), we can learn what our routes are and what pathways we're inadvertently reinforcing. Too often, we are acting, speaking, and thinking automatically when troubling decisions or stressful events come our way. However, trying out a new mental fitness routine can help reroute these pathways to better serve us and our mental health.

Being physically active releases those feel-good endorphins, dopamine, and promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that can enhance your sense of well-being and reduce stress. Consider making time for your physical well-being by sticking to a healthy sleep schedule, picking nutritious meals, or taking part in stress management techniques such as meditation or yoga.

Find a resilient role model that you feel is mentally strong, this could be a friend, family member, or even a co-worker. Spend time with them and learn how they respond to challenging situations in their life. If you feel comfortable, ask for advice on difficulties you're facing.

Learning through adversity or failure is key to training your brain for the next challenge in your life. If you can recognize, accept, and aspire to grow, you’re inadvertently helping yourself for future situations. This is called strengthening your growth skillset. For example, purposely identifying something that you could fail at – like trying a new recipe or skill –and testing your ability to be agile in the process. Practicing failure will allow you to be mentally nimble and regulate your brain’s flight or fight response when challenges come your way. 

Having a realistic optimism means you confront, rather than avoid, the situation you may be in. You can think of this as the converse of learned helplessness which is a state in which a person feels powerless to change a stressful situation on their own. This requires reframing your outlook and could be aided by stress management techniques such as meditation or functional or adaptive mental health techniques.

Help to remind yourself of the meaning of your life and the lives of others through purposeful activity. By actively pursuing a purposeful activity you can inadvertently help reset your thinking. For example, participate in a community event that has a common purpose or goal rather than passively scrolling social media or a newsfeed.

Keeping up with your mental fitness routine takes time and discipline. If you don't feel you're making progress — or you feel like the weight of trauma is getting heavier and lasting more than a month — consider learning about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and talking to a mental health professional.

Symptoms

For most people PTSD symptoms cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activity.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

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If you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, seek help. Contact your primary care provider or mental health professional. If this is an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the U.S., call, text, or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 (formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline).

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