There is an economic school of thought which looks at health as a producer good. Health is a good that can be produced and can be used in the production of other resources. If there is an aspect of health that harmonizes well and with perfect synchronicity with this school of thought, it is mental health.
As seen in the golden rule of mental health, mental health depends on active, deliberate efforts to acquire it. It goes beyond wishful thinking. It does not result from mere serendipity but a well-calculated move as we employ in all other aspects of life where tact and diligence are needed.
However, there is a huge chasm between knowing that something should be done and the exact thing that one should do. Most people are nursing failed hopes because they know they are supposed to do something to navigate the currents of life, but this knowledge is not backed up with precision and accuracy. As a continuation of the golden rule of mental health, we want to get crystal clear to feasible actions that can boost mental health and mental stability and longevity.
Surprisingly, the measures we will talk about here are very simple things that many overlook. We are not borrowing far-fetched arbitrary concepts that overtask us, but just simple things we can always afford. You are already doing them, but in most cases, we are guilty of abuse. This is going to be the most intriguing part of this series. Are you ready? Well, we are at a point of no return anyway, so you better get *you ready.
The first in the series is Nutritional Discipline.
I think food is an exciting part of human life. I was enticed with a meme in which a junior staff kept asking if there would be food while the senior staff was busy giving instructions for a forthcoming meeting. We are made in such a way that eating is necessary for us to remain alive. Eating is a good thing and undoubtedly a fundamental need of all living things. But if there is a problem that impairs our usefulness and brings about premature death, it is nutritional indiscipline. Most people are guilty of eating themselves to death!
Nutritional discipline will require that we only eat when we need to eat and be keen on our food choices, food components, and quality. Don’t just eat because food is there, but do so because you need it. Many people with coarse tempers and concentration problems can be rescued by a simple “Avoid overeating!” Anytime you overeat, the brain employs a lot of energy in facilitating the excessive assignment of digestion at the expense of useful, needful tasks. Avoid mixing plant and animal proteins in the same meal.
It is undeniable that many of us can acquire good moods and stable mental faculties by simply working on nutrition. Eat only when you need to, and avoid the temptation to eat because there is food. Your assignment should now be to get some nutritional advice on what to incorporate in your feeding program. I can start you off by recommending a serving of assorted fruits and more of those food products that sprout instead of rotting when buried. Try more seeds, more vegetables and less fatty foods.
The trick is simply making digestion a simple work that the body enjoys doing, rather than an overbearing burden as we often bring about by our intemperance in eating and drinking.
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