What are you planning to do today to take care of your mental needs?
What about our mental dimension? Whatever your level of formal education, you should always consider yourself a lifelong learner. You may have traded the classroom for a uniform, but to keep your mind sharp you must be constantly exploring, constantly honing and expanding your understanding of the world around you and regularly discovering how your experiences and what you already know may contribute to new learning and constant growth. Yes, you should attend every training program that you can possibly attend, and you should watch training videos on topics related to your work. But beyond that, challenge yourself to study and learn something new, something outside the realm of “normal” for you. Reading good books on a variety of topics, listen to podcasts by a number of different speakers, have conversations with people whose life experience is different from your own. Continue to develop your mind and stay sharp.
You can learn something new every day if you stay curious and engaged. Maybe you will find some of these suggestions helpful in keeping your mind and intellect sharp, or maybe there are specific things you know will work for you. The key is to ask yourself whether you both know what to do, and whether you are actually doing it!
If you’d like to chat with one of our peer supporters who can help you with this and other stress management approaches, please send a message to m.me/callforbackup.org and we’d be happy to make that happen.