Mental fitness means keeping your brain and emotional health in shape. It doesn’t mean training for “brain Olympics” or acing an IQ test. It refers to a series of exercises that help you: slow down, decompress and boost a flagging memory. 

Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness and should not be ignored. By incorporating daily mental exercises into your daily routine you can help to develop a sharper mind and healthier body for years to come. 

Mind and body connection 

Exercising can help battle mental illness and has been shown to help individuals gain a more positive outlook on life. Just as physical exercise improves fitness, mental exercises are beneficial to the mind. Certain memory training exercises can increase the mind's ability to reason and solve new problems.

While exercise is good for the brain and the body, so is meditation. Meditation, in conjunction with other methods, is an alternative way to treat depression. Calming the mind allows you to problem solve in a more relaxed way.

Benefits of mental fitness 

Sometimes our mind doesn't always follow a restful body. Visualising a tranquil location or peaceful scene can help, this can reduce tension in the body and mind and engages the less dominant side of our brain responsible for feelings of self-confidence and optimism. When you think about something other than your daily worries, you increase activity in the neural structures of that area of your brain. Ultimately, visualization can boost your emotional well-being and calm you down mentally.

How to become mentally fit 

• Stop multi-tasking 

It doesn't work. You may think this helps you get things done but the brain can only focus fully on one activity. You could save time and be more productive taking one task at a time. 

• Be positive with yourself 

Affirmation, or talking to yourself in a positive way, involves strengthening neural pathways to bring your self-confidence, well-being, and satisfaction to a higher level. Create a list of your good qualities; you dont have to be perfect, then, create small and simple ways you can improve in the areas you would like to. 

• Try something new 

New can set you on the path for good mental fitness. Try a new route on your run, try some new foods, or a new hobby, even learn a language. Breaking out of a routine could help keep your brain healthy and reduce age-related decline. 

• Play games and read 

Try some games such as crosswords, sudoku or video games. These can increase your attention span, reaction time and task-switching skills. Reading is also great for the brain, even as you read this now your brain is processing every word and investigating the meaning to form a sentence. Our brains are so good at this we can even sense a tone or dialogue, WOW! Reading is a great activity because it can stoke the imagination and ignite so many different parts of the brain. There are endless genres and types of reading material. It’s unlikely that you’ll run out of interesting things to read.

Give these tips a try and see how including one or two mental fitness exercises into your daily life can benefit you in the long run! 

To read more, visit the Health Topics and Mental Health section.