7 Key daily activities to optimise your Health and Well-being
VCare hosted a Health and Wellbeing Webinar by Hadas Levy, the Health and Wellbeing Lead, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI). During the session, Hadas presented The Healthy Mind Platter which consists of seven daily essential mental activities to optimize brain matter and create well-being. The quantity of each activity varies among individuals, attendees were asked to review their Healthy Mind Platter and it was interesting to see the level of value individuals placed on different activities.
The 7 key activities consist of:
- Sleep Time
- Physical Time
- Focus Time
- Connecting Time
- Playtime
- Downtime
- Time-in
Sleep Time
Sleep is a crucial part of making sure our bodies function properly, both physically and mentally. Lack of sleep of inadequate sleep can lead to physical and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
Physical Time
Physical time is when we get active and physically move our bodies. This activity is extremely important, something as simple as going for a quick walk is enough to increase endorphin production and ease your mind of stress.
Focus Time
Focus time for adults would usually happen at work or during key tasks of the day. This is the time we focus on specific tasks or goals we have set for the day. This time allows us to make deep connections in the brain and is usually a time of great learning.
Connecting Time
This is time we allow ourselves to connect with others, preferably in person but this can also be online. Connecting with others has been proven to improve mood, builds self-esteem, reinforces a sense of identity and decreases stress levels.
Play Time
Playtime, often mistaken as “silly” or “something kids do”, was highlighted as an important aspect of daily life. Evidence shows that Playtime enables your brain to change focus and improves problem solving.
Down Time
Downtime is the part of our day when we aren’t focused on anything and we have no specific goal. Many people achieve this through meditation but it can also just be done by taking time to relax, sitting down and just focusing nothing in particular.
Time in
Time-in refers to spending time to reflect and focus on ourselves internally. Taking time to set goals and properly connect our thoughts and feelings to better integrate our brains, setting us up to be able to optimise our well-being by fully understanding our intentions.
Attendees sighted a busy schedule as the biggest barrier to a balanced Healthy Mind Platter. While its okay to have different priorities and value certain activities over others, in order to fully get the most from your healthy mind platter you need to make time for all aspects in the way that optimises you individually.
Bonus Video:
This video, recommended by Hadas, focuses on Healthcare Staff and how to deal with Stress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4gspsSfxLQ&feature=youtu.be
The Healthy mind platter theory: https://www.drdansiegel.com/resources/healthy_mind_platter/
