How is your mental wellness now that a third of 2020 has been spent in quarantine? Our mind is the window to our body and soul, but during this global coronavirus pandemic we have overloaded our brain with so much digital trash that has negatively affected our physical well-being.

Our mental wellness needs proper nourishment, too. Stress and anxiety are at an all-time high because there is still no definite, clear path to recovery.

Our minds are powerful tools. Our mental state controls our consciousness and our body functions. After attending so many Kundalini yoga classes of urban healer Rosan Cruz at Aegle Wellness Center, I have become fully aware of the seven chakras and how to clear the flow of energy to enhance my mental health.

Here are 10 tips to create a mentally happy state of mind, created with the help of Aegle’s medical director, Dr. Ben Valdecañas. He is a big believer in combining mind and body health to create total wellness.

1. Eat a well-balanced diet with food rich in omega-3 fatty acids to reduce the risk of dementia and mental decline by helping in the repair of brain cells. Good nutrition is a natural defense against stress. Begin your day with a nutritious breakfast, preferably of whole-grain cereals and fruits, and take balanced meals throughout the day. Dr. Ben recommends supplements like vitamin B complex, selenium, phosphorous and 5-HTP. (To get a personal consultation with Dr. Ben, email [email protected].)

2. Get at least eight hours of sleep a day. With so much stress nowadays, we can all use extra sleep. Since most meetings are on Zoom, we don’t have to deal with wasted traffic time. To sleep better, check out the Tempur eye pillow. Tempur Philippines is the distributor of this eye mask that is made from high-density viscoelastic foam that fits comfortably over the eyes. (Visit www.tempur.com.)

Cardio training without injury

3. Get your heart rate pumping at least 30 minutes a day. Keeping active is an important key to reduce mental anguish. Go for a walk or unwind with yoga. The wonderful thing about yoga—whether it’s Bikram yoga with Ollay Aninion or Kundalini yoga with Rosan Cruz—is the mental relaxation after the intense yoga poses. It is cardio training without injury risk, and improved cardiovascular health leads to better emotional stability and reduced anxiety. (Email [email protected] or [email protected].)

4. Detox from digital gadgets and read a book. I am currently reading “Sex and Vanity” by Kevin Kwan. National Book Store CEO Xandra Ramos-Padilla sent me a signed hardbound copy last week. It’s been seven years since Kwan introduced the world to the extravagance and snobbery of Asia’s fascinating super rich in “Crazy Rich Asians.” His new book is a modern love story, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, the story of a mixed race woman with an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded American father. (Visit www.nationalbookstore.com or their stores on Shopee and Lazada, with a special introductory price until July 31.)

5. Mahjong is a mental workout. Try it! During lockdown, we learned to play mahjong, adding more rules as we went along. It is quite addicting and truly enjoyable. Other mental games like Scrabble, poker, chess and bridge are highly recommended. If you were to ask my kids, they would include beer pong, as well!

6. Learn a new skill even if you remain at beginner level. Learn a new language, play a musical instrument, compose a song, acquire computer skills, start a new hobby or learn to cook a new dish. All these can help keep your brain healthy. The challenge is to keep on thinking and growing mentally to stay sharp.

7. Make a list of goals and manage your expectations. Keep a mental note on the completed goals to focus on the positive. When stress cannot be avoided, learn to manage the situation. You can only control your own actions, so do not waste energy on the things you cannot control. I have learned to practice “appreciative inquiry,” an approach that focuses on strengths rather than on weaknesses.

Stimulate the brain

8. Ask questions and keep interacting. Talking to people stimulates the brain. I am so happy to learn various things from my weekly guests on my new Facebook Live show called “Business As Usual.” Every Friday at 5 p.m. on the Go Negosyo Facebook page, I interview different entrepreneurs and ask how they are coping during this pandemic.

Last Friday, I interviewed event stylists Gideon Hermosa and Teddy Manuel and featured their recent wedding events and other occasions. Even if they had to abide by strict safety protocols, these top stylists were still able to deliver incredibly beautiful creations.

9. Perform random acts of kindness. Helping others improves self-esteem, which in turn improves mental wellness in a variety of ways, including a self-empowering sense of social connectivity. With so many lives badly affected, there are so many different charity projects out there.

To help displaced artists nationwide, Steps Scholarship Foundation and LikhaPH have teamed up with Beauty Scout, a beauty and wellness website for their CSR project called “Scout for a Cause.” (Follow @steps.ph and @beautyscoutph on Instagram for more details of this offering with Helix-D products.)

10. Promote laughter and keep the faith! Humor actively triggers happy hormones and generates emotions that relax the mind. Our overall mental health depends on factors like self-acceptance, quality of relationships, capacity for personal growth and overall life satisfaction.

Above all, spiritual wellness is our anchor when all else fails. Keep a personal balance in other areas of life, such as physical, emotional, financial and spiritual. After all, the Lord is the true author of our lives. We just need to live it gratefully!