“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
I recently took my bike into my local shop to get a tune up. They did a good inspection, gave me some recommendations, and got me hooked up. I am comfortable doing small maintenance on my bike, but when it comes to larger tasks, I take it to the shop.
On that same day, I went to the dentist for my routine check up. I brush and floss daily, but there are still times when I need a cavity filled or other procedures done.
Going to the bike shop for a tune up and the dentist for a check up got me thinking about how we treat our mental health. It wasn’t long ago that people only went to the dentist for emergency procedures. Now, with DAILY hygiene habits and regular check ups, people are able to avoid dental emergencies.
What are your DAILY mental health hygiene habits that help you avoid a major crisis? How do you DAILY inspect your mental health and do some minor tune ups to avoid major repairs? Taking just a few minutes to monitor our thoughts and emotions can improve our mental health in a major way. Some ideas could be to read something uplifting, meditating, writing in a journal, and yes even RIDING YOUR BIKE. I would also suggest going to therapy for a “tune up” or “check in” occasionally.
Doing these things won’t completely eliminate hard times. It can help you prepare for them and build up your ability to manage your responses to hard times. Can you ride with a rusty squeaky chain? Sure, but it sucks. Can you eat food with multiple cavities in your mouth? Sure, but it is painful. Make your ride more enjoyable by cleaning and lubing your chain regularly. Make your meals more enjoyable by brushing and flossing daily. Make your life more enjoyable by using daily habits to improve your mental health.
RIDE THIS OUT