For most people, the concept of hygiene conjures up images of brushing your teeth, applying deodorant, or taking a shower—simple, everyday practices to keep your body clean and healthy.
But mental health providers say your mind can also benefit from a quick morning tune-up. Spending even 15 minutes on mental health hygiene each day can bring a host of benefits, from improved mood and better relationships to even deeper focus and increased creativity.
“Mental health hygiene includes simple practices that improve our quality of life by preventing negative behaviors and providing emotional stability,” he said. Hui Qi Tongdoctorate, a Stanford Medicine clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences who directs the Mindfulness Program at the Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine.
This concept of daily maintenance for mental health dates back to 1909, when former psychiatry patient and mental health advocate Clifford Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, dedicated to the prevention of mental illness through positive behaviors.
For some people, mental health hygiene means taking a few minutes out of your morning routine to meditate, stretch or walk, but Tong says almost any activity can qualify, as long as you pay attention to what you’re doing while you’re doing the task. In fact, even brushing your teeth can become part of mental health hygiene when practiced deliberately.
“Conscious brushing of the teeth is actually part of the practice tasks at home for the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction ProgramTong said. “On the show, group members are asked to carry out these seemingly trivial routines, often intentionally overlooked, instead of doing it on autopilot like we usually do.”
A focused mind is a happy mind
Studies have shown that American adults spend almost half of their waking hours in a state of mind wandering, with their attention focused on something other than the task directly in front of them. “So often we’re distracted,” Tong said, “and we’re not mentally aware of the things we’re doing.”
Besides, investigate it also shows that when participants reported paying attention to a task at hand, even a simple, repetitive task, they reported high levels of happiness.
“That’s why paying attention to daily routines can have such a big impact, especially for busy, high-achieving people,” Tong said. “We all want to achieve big things, but ironically, it’s paying attention to the smaller things that can help us get there.”
Having a happy, focused mind helps us to be more creative and productive, Tong said, and likely to have better relationships with others. Fortunately, learning to focus doesn’t have to mean going on a month-long meditation retreat; You can start practicing mental health hygiene wherever you are.
Pay attention to all five senses.
Tong recommends starting with an activity that you do every day. Brushing your teeth is one of the most popular options of the participants in your courses. “For starters,” she said, “just make sure that from now on, every time you brush your teeth, you keep up the brushing activity.”
This means not planning your day or reflecting on what your partner said at breakfast, but instead focusing on the myriad sensory experiences associated with brushing your teeth.
“Feel the sensation of the bristles against your gums and teeth,” Tong said. “Look at the temperature of the water and the taste of the toothpaste, and be aware of what your other hand is doing. When I ask members of my group, they usually say, ‘Oh! I have no idea what that is. is doing my other hand.'”
One great thing about this mindfulness practice, Tong said, is that it doesn’t take extra time — you spend the same two minutes brushing your teeth regardless of whether you’re paying attention — and that goes for mindful driving, mindful eating and even a conscious dishwashing.
“He hated doing the dishes,” Tong said. “But now, my family will joke, ‘This is your chance to be aware.’ And they are right. I stand at the sink, intentionally wash each dish, and if my mind wanders, I just return it to the soap and water. If you’re using a dishwasher, pay the same attention to how you load bowls, plates, and utensils.”
Building a calmer brain
This practice may sound simple, but Tong says achieving sustained attention is incredibly difficult, especially with so many devices and distractions vying for our attention. for example, a 2015 study commissioned by Microsoft found that the average human attention span dropped from 12 seconds in 2002 to eight seconds in 2015.
Fortunately, Tong said, research also suggests that the brain is incredibly adaptable. “Neuroplasticity means that our nervous system has flexibility and can change how it works and even how it’s structured.”
For example, after eight weeks of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program, Harvard researchers found decreased activity and in tonsil thinning — the structure of the brain that is responsible for responses to fear and stress.
“The point is that the brain is not fixed,” Tong said. “It’s an organ of experience. So if you do something repeatedly, like meditate, play the piano, or exercise, they all have the potential to change the nervous system.”
Tong begins her day with 15 minutes of sitting meditation, followed by some gentle exercise such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong, which involves mindful, body-focused movements with well-established benefits for improving both physical and mental well-being.
She encourages anyone interested in the concept of mental health hygiene to find what works for them by experimenting with bringing mindfulness to different activities.
“People might worry that this feels like one more thing to do and wonder if it’s worth doing. But these trivial routines are already part of our lives,” Tong said. “We can’t stop cooking, eating, or brushing our teeth, can we? But if you do these activities mindfully, they can change your experiences and how you relate to activities, and it can bring lasting benefits.”
Photo by marina zlochin
