When I was in cancer treatment, I ate powdered sugar doughnuts for breakfast every day. Not kidding. Don’t tell Dr. Oz.
This week I was asked to answer some interview questions for a natural beauty blog and when I said I may have trouble coming up with 5-10 personal care products that I use, it was suggested that I could talk about a favorite juice or smoothie that I enjoy every morning. Apparently they’re assuming I make better breakfast choices these days . . . which I do.
Kind of.
Doughnuts are really, really yummy.
Generally, we know what’s good for our bodies and what’s not. Sugar is bad, vegetables are good. Smoking is bad, exercise is good. And whether or not this information affects our choices, we’re at least aware of the hazards.
This past Friday night during our Meet the Maker Counter event, I struck up a conversation with a first time visitor. He worked in healthcare, specifically in corporate health and wellness, and we began speaking about our purpose here at Milagro and how it fits with a new approach to wellbeing, beyond wellness. Spa for the mind and soul.
The simple truth is this: a diet of unhealthy thoughts is as detrimental as a diet of junk food.
An unexercised mind is as dangerous as an unexercised body.
So let’s be honest about how unhealthy our culture is. We covet and compare. We measure and judge. We deceive and disguise.
We even have a term now for our inability to disconnect (FOMO = fear of missing out). We’re either working 70 hours a week or recording four(!) TV shows at once. It’s just not natural.
There are plenty of voices out there reminding you to eat well and exercise. You’ve heard it. You know it.
We’d like to remind you to feed your mind well and give it frequent workouts. Our tips?
Occasionally (just for awhile!) turn off your phone. And your computer. And your laptop. And your tablet.
Spend quality time in your own head.
Be nice to yourself.
Quit comparing.
Let go of things you can’t change.
Read a lot. Write a lot. Learn a lot.
Treat strangers as friends.
Be in touch with what you love and share it.
Know what you value and live accordingly.
Set your own priorities.
Connect with people on a deep and honest level.
Give generously and live gratefully.
Focus on the good.
Seek the best in others and forgive easily.
When we were preparing our new spa space, there was a lot of discussion about whether or not to make the relaxation room a “technology-free zone.” We debated (and are still debating) if we should require phones and tablets be put into lockers and not allowed into the spa. It’s a bit sad that this seems like such a major request, isn’t it?
So while we’re having this fantastic and valuable conversation about healthy living, let’s not forget the ginormous role that mental health plays in wellbeing. And let’s be willing to recognize the daily habits that either build us up or tear us down.
Today, be present. Be mindful.
Maybe meet a friend for a doughnut.