Sonia Davidson

All religions give practical advice on keeping the mind calm and optimistic, as it is well known that religious practice is more effective when the mind is still.

More recently, scientific evidence has been emerging that religious practice is beneficial to general wellness. It seems that spiritual, mental and physical well-being are all intertwined. Here are some practical guidelines for achieving all three.

Guard and protect your mind: Be careful about what you read, look at, discuss. Decline from feeding your mind with negatives. Avoid watching bad news. Stop reading upsetting stories. Stop thinking about and discussing worst-case scenarios. Stop looking for and anticipating trouble.

Nourish your mind: Seek out calming inspirational messages. Listen to music that cheers you. Add humour to your day. Make a habit of remembering that it is more realistic - and healthier - to notice how better you feel when you focus on how much is going right in the world than when you focus on what is going wrong or can go wrong. Cultivate a sense of wonder and awe about the things around you. Observe and contemplate nature.

Regularly cleanse your mental atmosphere: Notice how you feel throughout the day. Uneasiness, anxiety, irritability, and worry are signs that you're focusing on something you don't want in your life, that you are entertaining thoughts opposite to the nature of 'good' (such as resentment, hatred, fear). Wish others well.

Turn away from negative thinking by turning your mind to what is lovely, what you wish to experience in your life: Try to look deep within others, beyond their present behaviour. Try to see some good there. You will if you want to and intend to do so. You will be surprised at how liberating it feels when you decide what your emotional reactions will be.

Rest, relax, 'recreate', relate: Start a daily relaxation programme morning and evening to reset your mind and body to a state of calm. Sleep; meditate; take time to be still; step out in nature; listen to music which relaxes you. Sing, dance; play; laugh; spend quality time with loved ones. Do something different - variety is the spice of life.

Give yourself a spiritual boost: Every-day make a point of recognising that all is well where you are. Make a habit of noticing all the things that are going well for you and feel gratitude for all the blessings you have had in your life.

Think about the attributes of 'good' (love, peace, beauty, wisdom, power). Remind yourself that you are in essence much more than you appear to be. Think of a time when you felt really good about yourself. Remember you are more than what you have and much less than you are going to achieve.

Practise, practise, practise: Find a reason to love, get a pet, feed a baby. Do something for a stranger. Serve someone, anyone, who appears to need help. View your occupation as a vocation, a ministry as you choose to go far beyond that.

Footnote: Take care of the body. A healthy body contributes to clear thinking and a peaceful mind. The outcome of a peaceful mind, right thinking and healthy living is a healthy body.

Dr. Sonia Davidson, M.D., general practitioner, advocate of integrative medicine and minister of religious science; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.