Written by: Mary Costello
If you had a bad case of halitosis (bad breath), what would you do?
Ignore it? Stay away from people? Mask it with mints? Gum it away?
Americans spend over $1 billion each year simply trying to cover up the underlying causes of chronic bad breath. A better option is to have a dental hygiene practice that starts when you are young and continues on a daily basis throughout your life.
Now, what if you have halitosis of the head in the form of stinking thinking?
Perhaps it’s gumming up your motivation and you feel stuck in life. What would you do?
Our present day self-help culture offers a plethora of ways to conceal anxiety, erase stress, and make your entire life minty clean fresh!
Mental hygiene is a lot like dental hygiene.
Similar to getting fresh breath, well-being won’t magically happen.
Neither one is embedded in your DNA. Both require learning skills that can be cultivated with practice. Eventually these skills become a daily habit. Prevention of dental and mental issues is possible in many cases.
Dr. Richard Davidson is a neuroscientist and founder of Healthy Minds, Inc. When he’s not teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison or hanging out with one of his BFFs, the Dali Lama, he conducts research on the brain and emotions. Dr. Davidson believes in order for humans to flourish, we NEED to brush up on our mental well-being skills. The following excerpt is from a recent podcast conversation between him and Sharon Salzburg.
“When human beings first evolved on this planet, none of us were brushing our teeth. And I bet every one of you brushes your teeth. […] This is not part of our genome, this is a learned behavior. We’ve all learned to do it because it’s important for our personal physical hygiene. And I think most people would agree their minds are even more important than their teeth. And yet vast percentages of the population don’t spend even as much time as they spend brushing their teeth nurturing their mind.”
Mental Health Crisis?
Headlines, taglines, and slogans are all shouting out that there is a Mental Health Crisis. But what if that is not true?
Rachel Haack, a licensed Marriage and Family psychotherapist believes that “crisis” is a mislabel for what is actually happening in our world, and within our inner worlds. She proposes that we are in the midst of a relationship crisis. The problems of modern day overwhelm, anxiety, negativity, and addiction, stem from not having a respectful relationship with one’s own nervous system. Haack suggests that our nervous system is the same as our ancestors who were living when the Gutenberg Press was invented circa 1440.
Both the Gutenberg Press and the nervous system were and are responsible for sending messages and communication. Your great great grandparents lived a life that was slower in tempo, included less people, genuine (not virtual) relationships, and simple foods (no blue tube yogurt). Their activities were attuned to the natural cycles of seasons, sunrise and sunset. Physical work was normal and rest necessary. The tempo and pace of daily routines could be ingested and digested by the human body, including the nervous system specifically. Our human nervous system has remained virtually unchanged since time immemorial.
Spoiler Alert: You are not an iPhone
Haack shares the problem is we have a “Gutenberg Press” nervous system but are attempting to operate and function like an iPhone. This is the opposite of natural.
A modern iPhone is consistently changing – it has a super retina display, five camera lenses, an always-on display, longer battery life, an oleophobic coating and a haptic keyboard, just to name a few. You are not an iPhone. Yet modern day life expects us to operate as one and often we abide unknowingly. The urgency of notifications and updates has hijacked the natural rhythms of our bodies, minds, and souls. If we are to thrive and not just survive, there will need to be a mental wellness revolution.
The good news: A healthy nervous system can rebel and reset despite the bombardment of modern day overwhelm.
Mental Health Hygiene Support: Start FLOSSING
Your well-being deserves more than the 70-90 seconds most people spend on their teeth.
Consider the following FLOSSING practices as a mental hygiene reset to rid your mind of debris and keep you smiling!
F: Feel your emotions.
Ignoring or numbing out just avoids an inevitable sneak attack. Notice where your emotions camp out in your body. Stay and breathe through them. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist reminds us of the 90 second rule. Emotions cause a chemical reaction in the body. This flushes out in around 90 seconds. If you can simply breathe with the feeling and notice the process – the high alert feeling will subside in less time than most people spend on brushing their teeth.
L: Listen to your nervous system.
Are you in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn? Pay attention to what creates lasting calm and your ability to rest and digest. Cueing into what comes before the reaction or response is important information.
O: Obey your body.
In pain? Stop! Tired? Just rest. Eventually the body becomes the boss. Pay attention now. Not doing so may cost you mental and physical well-being later.
S: Seek therapy when needed.
Dental visits are scheduled in order to avoid rotten teeth. Oil changes keep your car’s engine humming. Your mental well-being is basically the boss and your body the vehicle. Scheduling tune ups for tuning in is a smart part of mental maintenance.
S: Savor the micro-moments.
Take the time and find refuge in the calm feelings of connection with yourself and others. My favorite scenes to savor range from the smell of fresh herbs to a bird playing in puddles. Another one is when I see a big dog enjoying a car ride with a boulder-sized head hanging out the window. That might be my savorite thing!
I: Inhale
Inhale as you expand your belly for 5 seconds and exhale sending your navel towards your spine for 5 seconds. Repeat. This is called coherent breathing. Adjust the time intervals to fit whatever feels natural for you.
N: Nourish your nervous system by slowing down.
Slowly walking, eating, and drinking can gently reshape your nervous system.
G: Give yourself grace
Give grace as you learn healthy habits and discard harmful ones. Healing can’t be hurried. Your well-being is worth the wait.
Want to learn more from Mary about ways to nourish your mental well-being and connect to your nervous system?
