Wednesday 10 April 2019

Wellness Post #4: How I Keep My Mind Healthy


Welcome to the fourth Wellness link up of 2019! In case you missed my previous three Wellness posts, they are here: A Fresh Start, Icefest 2019, and Ice Breakers 2019. Feel free to join in on the fun with your recent or past wellness-related posts every second Wednesday of the month.

The optional prompt for April Wellness topic is Healthy Mind. In this post, I'm sharing how I keep my mind healthy. I look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions.

HOW I KEEP MY MIND HEALTHY

I think of my brain as a muscle that needs regular exercises to stay strong. However, the type, the quantity, and the frequency of stimuli for my brain need to be just right for me so my brain does not get overloaded. It's also necessary to have some calm time to relax my mind and to give space for new sensory experiences. I'm sharing how I keep my mind healthy, in alpha order, below.
  1. Get enough sleep daily - Sleep allows our mind and body to rest and recharge. As much as I love to be active during the day, I love my beauty sleep at night. Eight hours sounds good!

  2. Learn foreign languages and play word puzzles - I've been taking online French and Spanish lessons on Duolingo daily and playing word games as time permits. I enjoy learning languages and I've had opportunities to use French and Spanish in my travels.

  3. Listen to, or view the creative ideas of others - I listen to music recitals, view art works like this exhibit, and watch movies on a regular basis. I'm grateful to live in a multicultural city that supports the arts. The concerts and art exhibits that I go to are free to the public.

  4. Meditate daily - Sometimes I meditate in one chunk of fifteen minutes, sometimes I do 7-8 minutes in the morning and 7-8 minutes at bedtime. I focus on my breathing, inhale all the positives, and exhale anything that I don't want to take with me.

  5. Move daily - In addition to thinking exercises, I believe my brain benefits from a good physical workout that can help improve learning and memory. I walk daily, attend yoga class 2x/ week, do strengthening exercises in the gym 3x/ week, and swim laps 1x/ week. I'm consistent with my fitness activities because I value my good health.

  6. Read as widely as I can - This is to keep my brain sharp and to stay aware of what's happening around the world. This year I took on the Toronto Public Library's 2019 Reading Challenge and have been reading more widely than before. I'll do a check-in next week to see how I'm doing with the Reading Challenge. 

  7. Spend some time each day reading, writing, or doing something creative - I enjoy blogging, taking photos, creating photo collages, reading... to name a few. Meal planning and cooking are creative activities, too.

  8. Stay social - I balance my 'me' time and time for my family, friends, and neighbours. Plus blogging time to connect with bloggers and blog readers :)

  9. Take a trip to a place I've never been and learn about another culture - I always learn so much when I plan to go to a new-to-me place and when I travel. My most recent trip was to Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia in March.

  10. Visit nature on a regular basis - By walking on a trail, visiting the lake front, or exploring a park like this cool park. Sunrise or sunset is lovely to see every day.

The next Wellness link up will be on Wednesday, May 8. Optional prompt: The B.E.S.T. Care (BEST is for Breasts, Eyes, Skin, and Teeth). Hope you join in on the fun.

How do you keep your mind healthy? I'd love to hear your comments.
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28 comments:

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    1. Thanks for joining us, Christie. Have a beautiful day!

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  2. There are all really great tips Natalie and very well balanced which is really what we need in our lives. It seems as if too many of us go to work and then come home and collapse in front of the TV me included. I try to get exercise at work by walking a lot which really helps.

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    1. Walking has many health benefits so it's terrific that you include it in your busy schedule. Thank you, Mary, for stopping by.

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  3. I admire your energy Natalie. I am more interested in Science and I have added a link about a Mathematics course my husband and I did recently. We also attend Pint of Science lectures in local pubs. Lecturers from the local university talk about their latest research while sharing a pint or two.

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    1. Thank you, Anne, for joining us. The lectures from your local university sound interesting and mind-enriching. I like math and sciences, too.

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  4. Hi, Natalie - I love all of your tips, especially #2 and #10. I am currently taking an "Italian for Travellers" course for our upcoming trip on the Via Francigena. It definitely is a great mind workout.

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    1. Good for you, Donna, for taking the Italian for Travellers course in preparation for your upcoming trip. I'm sure you'll find your new knowledge useful when you're in Italy. I look forward to hearing all about your VF walk.

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  5. All great tips. I still work full-time & also write so my brain gets sometimes a tad too much exercise. Mindfulness is something that I don't spend enough time on. I do, however, train my brain in different ways when we travel. Like you I enjoy the research & learning more about wherever it is that we're travelling to. In just over 2 weeks we're off to Penang & singapore - 2 places we've been to before, but this time the challenge is to visit different places, try new things, learn something new.

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    1. It's amazing, Jo, that you continue writing while working full-time. I hope you plan some rest and relaxation while in Penang and Singapore.

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  6. Great job on your fitness goal, Natalie! I have an Apple Watch and it's great for keeping me on my toes when I'm feeling lazy.

    SSG xxx

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    1. Sounds like you have a very useful assistant, the Apple Watch. Thanks, SSG, for stopping by.

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  7. Those are all 10 things I try and do for my mind too Natalie! Keeping it challenged but yet giving it rest, space and time out which is also very important, especially with today's social media meaning we're connected and switched on far more than we should be. Nature is the best remedy to this I find! xo

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    1. Thank you, Min, for your comment. Looks like we're on the same page on this. I greatly appreciate your support for the Wellness Wednesday link up.

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  8. Natalie, I think your mind must be in excellent shape with all that you do to keep it sharp. You should write a book!!

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    1. It's ongoing maintenance to keep my mind healthy :) Thank you, Leslie, for stopping by.

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  9. I admire your awareness with everything health-related (and many other facets as well), Natalie. By being consistent and planning your weeks and seasons, you make sure it happens. I don’t plan my days at all.

    I love hiking and walking in nature, so that happens almost every day both when we travel or when we house sit. I’d love to read more books, but that time goes mostly to reading blogs. I should do more brain exercises, but by the end of the day (either working or sightseeing/ hiking), I’m too tired! I love learning new languages or practicing the ones I know. Doing translation work helps with that. Nice roundup!

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    1. Hi Liesbet - It looks like you're already doing a variety of activities to keep your mind and body healthy. It's ongoing maintenance for me so I choose a few activities that I like and devote some time each day for them. Thank you for stopping by.

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  10. This is a great reminder of what it takes wholistically to be well and fit. I do a range of things both mental and physical. I do wear a fit bit and aim to be on the move for around 6K steps a day but not longer 'stress' if I do not make it. I am 70 this year, my right leg is missing a fibula (in my mouth) and have arthritis but I also know to stay on my feet as much as I can. Thanks for the linky! Denyse

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    1. Thank you, Denyse, for linking up. It's really terrific that you're doing a range of activities to stay healthy. I've enjoyed learning from you and other bloggers who joined in this linky.

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  11. I love the idea of puzzles and language acquisition as ways to keep your mind sharp! I've found that listening to podcasts is a good way also - but in a busy day, it can feel like overload. I like to give my mind a relaxing break by listening to classical music in the car.

    So grateful I found you through Penny's linkup - and could participate in this one! I've read four incredible posts so far, including this one!

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    1. Thank you, Eli, for your visit, comment, and linking up. It's really great that we have choices to stimulate or relax our brain. Podcasts and classical music are among them.

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  12. Hi Natalie, So many good ideas for positive mental health and well being. We are on the same page with puzzles and podcasts and travel. Getting back to nature has been proven to improve our mental health and it only really needs a walk in the park or sitting in the sunshine. Thanks for the link up and look forward to WW next month.

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    1. Thank you, Sue, for sharing your thoughts on this topic and supporting the Wellness Wednesday link-up. I greatly appreciate it.

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  13. Hi Natalie, these are such good sensible tips to promote healthy lifestyles. I love them all and I try to move daily, stay social, read a range of things, listen to different views in podcasts and sleep well each night. Really good to read your thoughts #Lovin’LifeLinky

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    1. Thank you, Debbie, for sharing your thoughts. Looks like we're trying similar activities to keep our mind healthy. They keep us young, too :)

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  14. Natalie, my days and weeks are prioritized with all the ten things you listed except meditation. I did try daily meditation, but ended up being frustrated with it. I’ll need to find a different online meditation guide and give it another try.

    Jude

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    1. Thank you, Jude, for your comment. You've been doing many activities to keep your mind healthy so meditation seems like a nice-to-have but not a necessity.

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