Mental fitness

1. Mental fitness October 2007 Mental Health Awareness weekDr Daniel de KlerkAir NZ Medical UnitAuckland International Airporthttp://www.psychiatry.co.nz

3. Outline • What is mental fitness? • Importance • Thinking mistakes • Get fit exercises

4. So what is it? • Mental fitness is: • having the psychological strength, ability and freedomto efficiently and successfully managestresses, problems, adversities, painful emotions, and frustrations in daily living. * • strength and freedom to overcome the problems in daily living • finalizing your goals and achieving your dreams. • living their values, regulating their emotions and assessing consequences to their behaviour. • living a balanced, healthy life style. • living in the present.

6. So what is it? • Mental fitness is: • having the psychological strength, ability and freedom to efficiently and successfully manage stresses, problems, adversities, painful emotions, and frustrations in daily living. • strength and freedom to overcome the problems in daily living • finalizing your goals and achieving your dreams. • living their values, regulating their emotions and assessing consequences to their behaviour. • living a balanced, healthy life style. • living in the present.

7. So what is it? • Mental fitness: • means acceptance of weakness and humanness. • means the ability to keep focused and momentum, even in challenging circumstances. • means caring for oneself and living each day with happiness, peace of mind, freedom and control over one’s life. • means having the freedom, power and confidence to make new choices.

8. Mental Fitness Training • Mental fitness training is the repetition of mental exercises with the sole purpose of creating and maintaining mental fitness. • When a person is mentally fit, they are able to overcome the external obstacles and inner self-doubts that prevent goal attainment or the actualization of your dreams

9. In other words: You need to keep focused on your goals!

10. So why is it important anyway? • Mental fitness training is important, because people have so many problems and frustrations in everyday living. We need to be very focused, persistent, confident and determined. (just like practicing for a marathon!) • Mental fitness is not taught in schools. Most people do not recognize the need for mental fitness. With mental fitness training, life becomes more simple, satisfying and productive

11. OK, OK, OK…. I am sure I have that anyways… I am reasonably OK, aren’t I?

12. CBT

13. CBT

14. Cognitive distortions • All-or-nothing thinking - Thinking of things in absolute terms, like "always", "every" or "never". • Overgeneralization – “everyone”, etc • Mental filter - Focusing exclusively on certain, usually negative or upsetting, aspects of something while ignoring the rest, like a tiny imperfection in a piece of clothing. • Disqualifying the positive - Continually "shooting down" positive experiences for arbitrary, ad hoc reasons. • Jumping to conclusions - Assuming something negative where there is no evidence to support it. Two specific subtypes are also identified: • Mind reading - Assuming the intentions of others. • Fortune telling - Predicting how things will turn before they happen.

15. Cognitive distortions • Magnification and Minimization - Inappropriately understating or exaggerating the way people or situations truly are. Often the positive characteristics of other people are exaggerated and negative characteristics are understated. There is one subtype of magnification: • Catastrophizing - Focusing on the worst possible outcome, however unlikely, or thinking that a situation is unbearable or impossible when it is really just uncomfortable. • Emotional reasoning - Making decisions and arguments based on how you feel rather than objective reality. • Making should statements - Concentrating on what you think "should" or ought to be rather than the actual situation you are faced with, or having rigid rules which you think should always apply no matter what the circumstances are. • Labelling - Related to overgeneralization, explaining by naming. Rather than describing the specific behaviour, you assign a label to someone or yourself that puts them in absolute and unalterable terms. • Personalization - Assuming you or others directly caused things when that may not have been the case. When applied to others this is an example of blame.

17. OK… Now how do we get to be mentally fit?

18. Make connections

19. Make connections • Good relationships with close family members, friends, or others are important.Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope. Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper.

20. Use humor and laughter

21. Use humor and laughter • Remaining positive or finding humor in distressing or stressful situations doesn't mean you're in denial. • Humor is a helpful coping mechanism. If you simply can't find humor in your situation, turn to other sources for a laugh, such as a funny book or movie.

22. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems

23. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.

24. Accept that change is a part of living Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter

25. Move toward your goals

26. Move toward your goals Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly -- even if it seems like a small accomplishment -- that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?"

27. Take decisive actions

28. Take decisive actions Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.

29. Look for opportunities for self-discovery

30. Look for opportunities for self-discovery People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality, and heightened appreciation for life.

31. Nurture a positive view of yourself

32. Nurture a positive view of yourself Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.

33. Keep things in perspective

34. Keep things in perspective • Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.

35. Maintain a hopeful outlook

36. Maintain a hopeful outlook An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.

37. Take care of yourself

38. Take care of yourself Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

39. Take care of yourself • Feed your brain • Good fats • Vitamins • proteins

40. Take care of yourself • Regular aerobic exercise:

41. Look for ways to improve brain alertness • Puzzles • Crosswords • word games

42. Mental acrobatics - • Two basic principles to keep your brain healthy and sharp :variety & curiosity

43. Mental acrobatics • Play games • Do Sport

44. Mental acrobatics • Turn off your TV, PC and phone

45. It annoys yourself and others

46. Mental acrobatics • Tell good stories

47. Mental acrobatics • Read something different

48. Mental acrobatics • Meditation

49. Mental acrobatics • Learn a new skill

50. Mental acrobatics • Daydream