“I don’t like the term “mental health” because it usually means a lack of mental health.
I love a story about the Buddha’s view. He said there are many people who go through their entire life in good physical health, but very few people are mentally healthy even for a moment.
That raises the bar to where it should be. All our automatic negative reactions are mentally unhealthy, and we need to learn, to reprogramme ourselves so that we are truly mentally health, which is to say, happy, at peace with the world, and full of joy for being alive.
I do what the science tells me to do to fully appreciate my existence. Thankfully that ties in nicely with the great eastern teachers, especially Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Chuang Tzu. So I meditate several times a day, mostly micro-meditations for a couple of minutes. I sleep well and fully. I walk in nature almost every day. I stay relatively fit without obsessing about it. I write poetry and keep a daily journal, and I create art and collage. I remember every day the people dearest to me that I have lost, and determine to live as richly and happily a life as possible in their honour.
As important as what I do is what I do little of. I don’t watch much TV, I try to minimise my exposure to the news. I try to browse social media as little as possible, and I don’t overwork.”
Thank you Martin Stepek, Director of Zen For Ten and CEO of the Scottish Family Business Association.
Really like the balance you have Martin. You can see more about Martin and Zen for Ten at Zen For Ten
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