When Was…? 
When was the last time you did something to actively promote your mental or emotional wellbeing? When did you last pick up a paintbrush, get creative with your camera, have a good dance or cook a dinner for friends?
If you can answer ‘yes, last night!’ to any of these, you are making an investment in your self and honouring yourself at a deep level.
Though we can easily pay attention to our physical needs and physical health, often we do not pay a lot of heed to nourishing our emotional self, and maintaining mental well being.
When we act without consciousness – going through the motions of our days without thought for what we are doing (e.g. what we are consuming,) this has an affect on all aspects of our being – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Mindapples
Mindapples is a new networking campaign which aims to encourage people to nourish themselves at all levels.
Andy Gibson, Head Gardener at Mindapples, says, “We hope to open up a new, positive dialogue about mental health which everyone can join, and to make mentally healthy living something aspirational and enjoyable for all. We don’t tell people what to do. We’re asking everyone to pick their own ‘mindapples’ and share them with the world, and by using the power of the internet we can build a thriving community of people supporting each other to make their minds healthier.”
Often we cannot say what makes us happy and find it difficult to pinpoint happy times in our lives. Yet if we really take time to think about it, we know deep down what nourishes us and what depletes us.
In our current lifestyles, as we go from gadget to gadget, constantly interfacing with others, we may forget the simple activities that give us mental and emotional nutrition.
Mindapples started in 2008 on a mission to get us thinking creatively about our own mental health and then to take responsibility for it.
“Drugs and therapists are all very well if a wheel comes off, but Mindapples are there to keep the wheels in place,” says Dr Liz Miller.
Dr Ilona Boniwell, Programme Leader, MSc Applied Positive Psychology, University of East London, adds, “Mindapples is a unique endeavour that combines a grass-root approach to happiness with what we know about mental health and well-being from scientific research.”
But what exactly are ‘Mindapples’? Well that’s up to you. When I went online to Mindapples.org I chose my 5-a-day activities to be yoga, chanting, cuddling, cooking and walking.
“The science of wellbeing suggests that the health of our minds is more connected to our everyday activities than was previously thought,” says Gibson. “The core Mindapples self-observation process triggers an ongoing self-awareness cycle. This personal learning process enhances people’s ability to pay attention to the fluctuations in their overall physiology, encouraging them to manage their day-to-day activities in a highly individual way, that supports self-regulation for emotional and physical wellbeing by their own design and direction.”
The Role Of The Mind In Spirituality
If we are on a spiritual path, we are often told to go beyond the mind. Yogi Bhajan, master of Kundalini Yoga says, “Your mind is your servant, your body is your vehicle and your soul is your residence. If your mind can go along with you it is a blessing. If your mind obeys you, it is a super-blessing.”
Keep Positive
We need to trust that our minds support and guide us, but not be a slave to negativity, anxiety and the mind-games that we often find ourselves in.
We are the creators of our own reality. If we are a slave to technology or even to our own mind, negativities can creep in.
I have one friend who comes up with speeches and whole book chapters while out on her morning run. Many people use exercise as a way of de-cluttering the mind and getting some head space.
Alternatively we can re-tune the mind through meditation, as Yogi Bhajan says “Meditation is nothing but taking a mental shower.”
Whether we create our own mental equilibrium or wellbeing through cooking a big meal or unwinding the mind by running or meditating, we need to start listening to ourselves and see what works for us.
We are the key to our own emotional and mental health. And if you need to see how other people are re-inspiring themselves check out
www.mindapples.org
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