Self-Care Practices for a Healthy Mind
posted on Jan 02, 2024
We at Gurukul The School, being one of the top ranking schools in Ghaziabad, keep reminding our students that their mental health depends largely on the emotions they are feeling and holding within.
In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it's nothing unusual if people tend to overlook the crucial relationship between self-care and mental well-being. After all, the demands of work, family, and societal expectations often leave us feeling drained, both physically and mentally. However, the truth is that mental well-being is not something one should ever overlook! And this stands true for both adults and children alike.
As a responsible educational institute and one of the top schools in Ghaziabad, we at Gurukul The School firmly believe that our duty is not restricted to providing children with high standard education. It is to go beyond the traditional pedagogy to raise children into happy and holistically groomed individuals who enjoy not just academic proficiency but also a healthy mind. This is one of the reasons behind our participation in the recent CBSE National Adolescent Summit 2023. We feel proud to share that with over 200 schools in participation, Gurukulites won big, bringing home two gold recognitions, one silver, and one bronze.
We attribute this success to our institution’s commitment to contribute to the mental health and wellness needs of our students by educating and encouraging the use of self-care practices for the mind. We would be happy to share our healthy mind secrets with you all through this blog post today.
The SAN Model of Wellness:
If you wish your children to have a healthy body and mind, we at Gurukul The School would like to recommend you to stay true to the SAN Model. It is absolutely easy for children to adopt and stay committed to the SAN Model with some initial direction and guidance. Here’s what the SAN model actually stands for:
The S in the SAN model highlights the need to get adequate sleep every night. What is equally important is to have a solid nighttime routine away from junk, sweets, and electronic gadgets. Even better if children could be made to go to bed early and at the same time every day.
What is the Mind without the Body? This saying is here to make a cameo and remind you to push children to play sports, engage in physical activities, and make movement a part of their being. An underrated and overlooked self-care practice for the mind is presented right here.
Keeping children’s mind in a happy and healthy state begins with feeding them a balanced diet rich in minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins work their magic in embracing young minds.
Family & Friends Time:
We have seen that if there is one thing in this world that most people take for granted, it is the time they spend in the company of their family, friends, and loved ones. However, the fact is that this time is nothing less than a priceless gift that we can present to ourselves in order to stay in a healthy state of mind.
In simple words, this is an effective self-care practice of staying sane and mentally well. Of course, this practice becomes applicable to children too.
Meditation and Mindfulness:
Meditation and mindfulness have gained a lot of popularity all around the world lately. Stress and worry have engulfed people to an extent wherein most individuals do not even mind stepping out for paid meditation retreats. This is termed as a self-care investment for the mind.
At Gurukul The School, we do not want our students to reach adulthood to realize the power of meditation, which is why we have introduced this self-care practice as a part of the school curriculum. The idea is to help children learn to detach themselves from negative thoughts and anxiety early on so that they grow into positive, happy, and empathetic individuals.
Focused Breathing:
Focused breathing is essentially a technique of calming the mind and the racing heart. While survival involves breathing as a part of the human body’s functionality, focused breathing is a self-care practice that introduces the art of taking in oxygen and letting out carbon dioxide in an intentional manner. Here, parents and elders can lead by example by first following focused breathing techniques and eventually getting children to follow in their footsteps.
Free Communication and Positivity:
We at Gurukul The School, being one of the top ranking schools in Ghaziabad, keep reminding our students that their mental health depends largely on the emotions they are feeling and holding within.
For example, a feeling of loneliness and negativity can push the mind into a state of unease and discomfort. On the other hand, a company of loved ones, communication, support, empathy, and positive reinforcement can make the mind feel optimally joyful and at ease.
This brings us to another self-care practice, which is to consciously surround oneself with positive people and circumstances while not forgetting to practice spirituality and gratitude. Again, doing this intentionally is key.
You Are What Your Mind Is!
An early realization that your life’s journey and outcome are based a lot on how your mind works and functions is crucial. This means if you are successful in tweaking your mind’s condition, you can easily run your life the way you want. To achieve this end, self-care practices become important, some of which we at Gurukul The School have listed above.
We urge you to work closely with your children and get them to practice these self-care activities so that their mind can function optimally. Teach your children to care for their mind because if they won’t, who will?