[Coach Tom’s Commentary] Everyone desires to have a healthy mind, and the first step is being able to handle the stressors that create the negative emotions that adversely affected well-being. Having the knowledge and coping mechanism that trains the mind to stay in control and bounce back quicker are essential healthy mind strategies.
* * *
Healthy minds and mental health are subject to ever-shifting movements that we all face every hour of everyday. Everyone encounters problems daily of varying severity, intensity and circumstantially, the triggers that impact us as individuals can be completely different. Even professionals experience problems – and if they refuse to admit it, it is an indication that they too are stuck in a mental loop of sorts. The fact is that there are many ways to disguise the insidious issues of the mind, and that is why mental health is both about recognizing where the potential pitfalls might be – and seeking interventions to disallow it to spiral downwards in a vicious cycle. That is why life coaching or other professional help are beneficial depending on the specific situation.
Mental health-related issues interrupt and interfere with one’s ability to be at their best self. There is no one in this world excluded from being mentally assailed. The relevant question is what are their coping mechanisms and how do they deal with these fiendish voices in the mind stemming from judgement, fear and cares of the world? Furthermore, how they handle their stressors and activate their ‘hero powers’ as espoused in the Fiends & Hero framework of Thrive Consulting has immense bearing in preserving one’s healthy mental state.
We can see that there are many individuals in life and all of us have our own state of mind. There is a cacophony of names for the mentally troubled, ranging from schizophrenia, psychotic, bipolar, depressive, psychopathic, sociopath, and so forth. It is beyond the scope of this article to examine this in any great depth. Suffice to say that these conditions do not occur overnight and would have developed over time. Therefore, it is in our interest and those around us to be more knowledgeable in this field and seek to identify causes of mental anxiety early – so as to deal with underlying root causes and not merely addressing the symptoms.
Let us consider this viewpoint: When we do not know something it is called ignorance. When we understand but refuse to accept it, is called denial. What then are the pertinent questions to surface when faced with mental issues? How does past experience play a part here? Is it possible the person in question have a medical-related problem that is instigating their psychological impairment? Is it possible that the mind is affected along with the body? What about the nervous system – how might it have contributed to the mental state of that person?
A healthy mind in essence is one where negative emotions do not overrun and hijack the normal functioning of the mind. When the mind is being activated by curiosity and the individual is pursuing their interests, experiencing life and engaged in learning, the mind builds up resilience and is better able to master the circumstances of life.
We may know of people who are experiencing real-life mental problems in our circle; and because we believe or feel that we are not in a position to help – we unintentionally come across as ignoring, disregarding, or denying the person. There is no one size fits all to dealing with mental issues. Every condition is different that cannot be treated in the same manner. There is no magic wand to calm all of the mind’s storms and magically create healthy minds for everyone. When people are suffering around you, your own mental state may be impacted too. While there are many cognitive disorders out there, the first step however is an attempt to explore which are cognitive and what are not – to help us better understand the nature of different mental conditions. In doing so, we may stand a better chance at figuring out a way to shift into a more positive and confident mindset, and towards a healthier mind in the long term.
Coach Tom is an Official Member of the Forbes Coaches Council (2022). Check out the various articles by #CoachTom on leadership, organization transformation, strategy and coaching at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/people/thomaslim
- Follow Coach Tom on Linkedin at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaslcl/
- Follow us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CovenantRhapsody
- Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/camelothobbies