What Is Your Mental Hygiene Routine & Does It Include Yoga?

Full disclosure: I’m not a psychologist or doctor of any sort. I also recognize that there are real mental health conditions that require treatment and medical attention. I would never want diminish to the magnitude of any of that.

The purpose of this blog, however, is to talk about mental hygiene. Like brushing your teeth or getting your routine check-ups with your doctor, mental hygiene is a preventative routine that you can start on the daily to keep your mental health healthier. Mental health is something we rarely talk about, yet it (ironically) is a huge problem in American society.
Check out a snapshot of what America’s mental health looks like:

• In 2017, suicide was ranked as the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.
• Conditions like PTSD, substance abuse, depression and anxiety are skyrocketing as America deals with the pandemic.
• Mental health concerns among American youth (age 12-17) are rising at an unprecedented pace.

Whether we choose to have the conversation or not, the issue of mental health is clearly prevalent in our society. Health care providers are in agreement that the American healthcare system is not currently set up for the onslaught of care needed to support these issues. If mental hygiene was a more routine element of our healthcare system and our own self-care protocols, perhaps some of these conditions could be offset before they escalate. Let’s explore what the term, mental hygiene, means and of course, I’m also going to nudge you toward adding yoga into the mental hygiene mix.

Ways To Create Your Mental Hygiene Routine:

Understand what mental hygiene means. Mental hygiene is akin to something you do on a regular basis to prevent a health condition. You might compare it to flossing your teeth, visiting your dentist for regular check-ups or going to the doctor for yearly cancer screenings. You do these things are recommended by the medical community BEFORE there is a problem. So, similarly, you can take some solid steps on your own to, hopefully, offset a mental health issue before it occurs. Another beneficial aspect of good mental hygiene practices is that, should a mental health issue arise, you’ll be better equipped to deal with it. 

Explore a wide variety of modalities. Everyone is different. Everyone’s lifestyle, budget and personal preferences are variable, so here are some ideas to get you started. It’s a good start, but you can create the list of things that are feasible for your life and appeal to your personal tastes. Choose a variety of activities to support your overall mood and happiness. You might explore art, physical exercise, yoga (more on that next), acupuncture, nature, support networks of friends, healthy eating and sleeping regimens and avoidance of triggering or negative situations, including social media or television. Finding these small incremental activities that contribute to your sense of peace and happiness and prioritizing them can make all the difference. 

Ask for help when you need it. Do you think it’s a sign of weakness or a burden to ask for help? It’s a strange thing that society teaches many of us. Somehow we’re trained to believe that it’s better to keep things inside rather than reach out when we need help or feel sad. The real truth is, however, that asking for help or being vulnerable takes strength and courage. In my humble opinion, the real heroes are the ones who admit when they are hurting and take steps to heal themselves. If it were easier and more acceptable to access help when we need it, perhaps the mental health crisis in America would not exist.

Practice yoga. If you love Instagram (like this blogger), you’ve likely come across the beautiful model-types on IG that can contort their bodies into shapes that make you wonder if they actually  have bones. These pictures are fun to look at, but yoga is much more than a pose (asana). Yoga is about your breath, your mind and, of course, we could write an entire blog about the physical benefits of yoga, but at its core, yoga is a moving meditation. The mental health benefits of practicing yoga and meditation on a consistent basis are supported by countless studies from sources like the American Psychological Association, researchers and medical journalists at Harvard and UCLA, as well as countless other medical journals and publications. So the case for starting a yoga practice is solid, here are some tips if you are beginning or jumping back onto the yogic path: 

• Keep trying until you find something you like. There are many types of yoga from heated to Vinyasa to Raja to Kundalini to Ashtanga. You may find you like more than one kind. You may find that multiple styles of practice suit your needs. You can also explore different teaching styles (large classes, hot studios, online sources, private sessions, etc.) until you find the one that you like. 
• Yoga is meditation. If you have physical ailments that prevent you from moving, you can still focus on meditation and breath work as part of your mental hygiene. In fact, spoiler alert this is what it’s all about. Downward dog is fun, but without breath work and meditation, it lacks the deeper benefits.
• Be consistent. Doing yoga when you’re in a bad mood or stressed out is a good idea, but doing yoga consistently to help you deal with the stressors in your life is a better idea. Your consistent yoga practice won’t eliminate things that trouble you, it will better equip you to deal with them. 

Yoga may not be the answer to all the issues surrounding the mental health crisis facing our country, but it can and will continue to feature as a way to calm conditions like stress, mild depressions and anxiety. Even for more severe instances of mental health issues, many therapists are recommending yoga to patients as another outlet to help in the healing process. But, why wait until there’s an issue to take care of your mental health? That’s the idea. Start now and prevent, be prepared and stay healthy!

Pop Up Yoga exists to help bring more yoga to the world at large. Recognizing that not all yogis can make it into a studio, Pop Up Yoga offers private group or one-on-one yoga sessions as well as yoga for corporations, online classes via Zoom and yoga-themed special events.
 
Contact Pop Up Yoga if you’d like to learn more about current offerings or to create your own Pop Up Yoga event.