The first step to physical and emotional well-being is a clear, unstressed, and positive mindset. When it come to healing the mind, there is a wealth of possibilities to explore, from meditation and mindfulness, to art and music, talking, and ecotherapy.
Some therapies can easily be practiced on your own, while others are best carried out in classes or on a one-to-one basis with a professional therapist, but they all share the common goal of helping to harness the healing power of your mind. Many of the therapies can be successfully combined, offering an even better boost to your mental and physical well-being, if troubling or negative thoughts and feelings are overwhelming or affecting your ability to live your daily life, consult with your health-care provider about next steps.
Giving Thanks and Breathing
Sitting quietly to say a prayer of giving thanks can ease the mind. You may choose to pray for yourself or for others, or to focus on being thankful for all the good things in your life. You do not need to be religious to give thanks, and it is a technique that you can try at any time, on your own or in a group. Controlled breathing techniques can also help you to relax and manage stress. Diaphragmatic breathing helps you learn how to breathe slowly and deeply from your abdomen and is particularly useful for dealing with panic attacks. Even if you think you breathe properly already, trying a class can be an eyeopener into your breathing habits. To get an idea of the technique, lie flat on your back, with your knees bent and your head on a pillow. Place a hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. Slowly breathe in through your nose so your stomach moves out against your lower hand. Now tighten your stomach muscles as you exhale through pursed lips. Throughout your inhalation and exhalation, the hand on your chest should remain as still as possible.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a form of noninvasive therapy that helps to promote relaxation. A series of electrodes are attached to your skin and send signals to a monitor via a biofeedback device. Beeps, flashes, and images appear on the monitor, giving details on your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, muscle activity and temperature.
As your heart rate and other bodily functions change when you are under stress, you can see them as they happen and then get feedback to learn to control them better yourself. Biofeedback is typically done in a therapist’s office, but there are computer programs available that connect the biofeedback sensor to your own computer. Other mind-body healing methods can be combined with biofeedback to help improve relaxation, such as mindfulness and deep breathing.
Art and Music Therapies
Art, music, dance, and drama therapies are often recommended or provided by psychothorapiests and counselors. It can sometimes be hard to express your feeling, especially if you are confused about them yourself, so these therapies allow you to go beyond words to express how you feel and what you are going through.
One of the benefits of these therapies is that you do not need any prior experience or artistic skills. The key aim is to be guided to create something, such as a play, dance routine, piece of music, or painting to express yourself in a way you feel comfortable with. Arts therapies can be physically relaxing and open up another outlet for mind-body healing.
Journaling
Journaling or keeping a diary can be therapeutic as it gets your feeling down on paper in the form of words. This can sometimes be easier than saying them out loud and gives you a private place in which you can express yourself in a way that feels right to you. There’s no right or wrong way of journaling and you can write as much or as little as you like. At a basic level, you could start by just writing your feeling of the day even just one word at the beginning or end of each day. You don’t have to journal every day that it’s fine to dip in and out of our journal as you see fit. If you feel you could benefit from some journaling prompts, there are websites with lots of ideas. Or you could invest in a journal that has prompts and ideas provided.
Ecotherapy
Ecotherapy is a relatively new term in treatment programs, but the idea behind it is by no means new. Ecotherapy means using outdoor activities involving nature to help heal your mind and boost your mental and physical well-being. Ecotherapy can include activities such as gardening, exercising outside, getting involved with a conservation project, helping with animals on a farm or refuge, or cycling through woodland.
However, research into ecotherapy shows that it can help with mild to moderate depression, and reduce anger and low self-esteem. It also offers that chance to connect with nature, other people, and improve your mood.
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