The past year has been painful for millions of Americans, and our collective well-being has taken a severe hit. A majority of U.S. adults say their mental health is worse now than before the pandemic. Feelings of isolation rise. A majority of U.S. adults say they feel overwhelmed by current stress levels.
Against this bleak backdrop — and given that COVID-19 case numbers are at record highs even as vaccines become available — it seems foolish to think about cultivating emotional health. Now? Really? Most importantly, how?!
This is a more hopeful view of happiness, the idea that you can take active steps to improve your well-being, just like you can take steps to improve your physical health.
Of course, anyone who is dealing with severe stress, anxiety, or other mental health issues should absolutely seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
Want to be more intentional about training your brain to cultivate mental and emotional health? Here are the four basic pillars of the program, along with some simple steps you can start taking right away.
Step 1: Cultivate Awareness — And ‘Meta-awareness’
According to the Center for Healthy Minds, awareness is “an heightened, flexible attention to environmental and internal cues” — which basically means your surroundings as well as your thoughts, feelings, and body sensations.
Research does show that people with increased awareness tend to have a better overall sense of well-being. Additionally, distractions can lead to feelings of stress and unhappiness.
Is there a simple strategy that can help you achieve this? Close your eyes and focus on the movement for 10 breaths.
New research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — drawn from a range of studies in neuroscience, meditative traditions and more — suggests that “meta-consciousness” is also important. So it’s important not only to be aware of this, but to be aware of it. It is also important to realize that you are becoming aware. Ultimately, cultivating meta-awareness can help you consciously direct and sustain your attention rather than being distracted by “distractions.”
Step 2: Cultivate Connection
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, creating and strengthening a sense of solidarity is undoubtedly a difficult goal. But as the pandemic continues, making a small effort to connect with friends, loved ones, and colleagues via Zoom, email, or text can be enough to help you tap into deeper connections.
Researchers also say that simply cultivating feelings of kindness toward others can be enough to help increase your sense of connection—whether the person on the receiving end knows you’re thinking of them or not.
They cite multiple studies and pilot projects that show kindness meditation programs can reduce feelings of distress and enhance positive emotions. There is even some preliminary evidence that these types of practices may help reduce implicit bias.
You can start with a simple appreciation practice, which may involve bringing a friend or loved one into your mind and consciously focusing on the things you truly value about them.
Step 3: Practice Insight
Researchers define insight as self-understanding of how your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs shape your understanding of yourself.
Working on developing this insight allows you to challenge beliefs about yourself that you may have thought were set in stone.
Instead of engaging in this constant judgment, we can be curious about our inner world.
One practical, realistic approach is to simply notice when negative thoughts arise and remain curious, the researchers write. Stop and ask yourself: Where did this idea come from? Is it based on any assumptions?
Step 4: Connect With Your Purpose
You don’t have to try to channel some profound sense of purpose with a capital P every day. But it’s worth taking the time to think about your deep core values. Then try to notice how some of the most mundane activities you do every day relate to them.
Research shows that having a greater sense of purpose in life is associated with positive health outcomes—from resilience in the face of trauma to an overall lower risk of death.
Ultimately, these four habits should help provide a clearer framework for those who want to improve their mental health and want to know how to get started. For example, if connecting with your sense of purpose every day doesn’t necessarily resonate with you right away, try something else.
The goal is to find something that really works for you and, best of all, becomes easy to incorporate into your daily life.