^ With the enormous strides in medical science, today's approach to health education is heavily based on physical causes of illness. Sophisticated drugs, open heart surgery and organ replacement are now commonplace. However, recent medical opinion reflects the change in emphasis to the preventive aspects of medicine, concerned with treating causes of ill health, rather than its symptoms. The physical aspects of health care are easy to identify: ° Exercise and diet ° Stop smoking ° Avoid alcohol ° Take more vitamins and fibre, whilst avoiding artificial additives and preservatives All these components contribute to good health, but today's medical research confirms that a healthy mental attitude is the single most significant component. It is far too easy to take drugs to overcome current problems - sleeping pills, valium, etc., may offer short-term relief, but fail to address the fundamental underlying problem. The body purposely presents these symptoms to warn something is amiss. It has become fashionable to believe that where science and medicine have created problems, it is only more scientific understanding and better medicine that can carry us past them. In other words, the cure for bad management is more management. So, what are the ingredients of a healthy mind? OUR EMOTIONS Anxiety, greed, anger, guilt, resentment, frustration and so on. Any of these emotions in moderation are perfectly healthy, but if they are dramatically increased they can develop into depression, obesity, anorexia, stress, etc. Short term stress is good, it sharpens the mind and focuses the body but excessive or repetitive stress is very damaging. Heart attacks are common in people who are aggressive, competitive and obsessed with time. Ulcers are associated with anxiety or repressed hostility. Suppressed despair has an adverse effect upon the body's immune system. Excess worrying often leads to insomnia. Everyone has moments when they feel angry, helpless, lonely, resentful or frustrated. The occasional experience of these emotions is both natural and healthy, since it alerts us to problems in our environment and motivates us to make lifestyle changes. Serious problems only arise when these passing emotions persist. Taking drugs (pain-killers, valium, etc.) only relieves the symptoms, without attacking the real problem. A sense of fun is undoubtedly a fundamental attribute which contributes to a healthy philosophy of life. Remember, if you are planning on having children, they learn most effectively from example - by emulation (they are twice as likely to smoke, if you smoke). Education today concentrates on vocational achievement, training children to become lawyers, physicians, dentists and so on. Teach them to make a good life, not just to make a good living. To understand the needs of your body and mind, it is important to understand your history, the history of mankind and how we evolved. The evolution of mankind reflected the environment in which he had to survive, prepared for the highly physical activity of roaming primeval forests. When faced with danger, the ability to survive was paramount, man was able to switch into 'overdrive' for short periods to escape life threatening danger. The finely tuned human body obviously worked well, since mankind became the most successful survivor in the entire animal kingdom. However, confined to the concrete cities 20th century man is expected to lead a very different lifestyle. Our bodies are simply not designed for passive contemporary life. With modern technology and labour saving devices, we have little need for strength and stamina. Our society provides food, accommodation, law enforcement, healthcare and education. Even physical fitness is institutionalised into health clubs and YMCA's. We have no life-threatening forces against us, but for the pressures of work and competitiveness of lifestyles. Emphasised by television and radio, the 'work-ethic' is indoctrinated into us and into our society. We have little satisfaction when idle or unemployed. Today's over-programming has transformed the world into a treatment ward, in which people are continually taught, socialised, normalised, tested and reformed. HEALTHY MENTAL ATTITUDE Hard work, providing it is satisfying, is the zest of life. People are healthier when occupied by work. In Britain, over 20% higher death rates are recorded by unemployed men. Many American life insurance companies put 'the right occupation' high on the list of components leading to a long, productive life. Retirement, like unemployment, is another crisis time for many people. No doubt fulfilling work is one of the secrets of perennial youth and that a person's work is their greatest monument. Through work we can gain success, status, happiness and self-esteem. But nothing worthwhile is achieved without toil and not if its sole aim is to earn money. The people at the top - captains of industry, are calm, in control of their lives and performing effectively. It is vital to interrupt work with regular rest periods, to prevent the onset of staleness and inefficiency (the work-rest cycle is natural to animals and children). Set aside 10 minutes every day to practise muscle relaxation. Sit in a comfortable chair and focus your mind on various muscles in your body. Start with your feet and work upwards. In your mind, tell each muscle to relax. If you find certain muscles difficult, tense them and then relax slowly. This will come in very useful if you are in a traffic jam, or any other stressful situation. The old wife's tale, counting sheep when trying to sleep, is basically sound. Preoccupation of the mind is the secret to relaxation. Think of pleasant, restful experiences, gaze into a glowing fire or candle, listen to restful music, fill the mind with tranquil thoughts. Using these exercises, it is possible to positively influence our moods, susceptibility to infection and even life expectation. Periods of relaxation, rest and sleep are vital times of bodily growth. During this time the body undergoes its major maintenance and repair. Any form of vivid imaginative thought, (or escapism), can perform wonders on your current mood. Take 10mins just to try this experiment. After reading the following text, go to a quiet and warm place. Lie down in a comfortable position, close your eyes and re-create in your imagination the following scene: It is a summer's afternoon, you are lying down in a field, next to a stream on a warm tartan rug. The sweet smell of honeysuckle is in the air, the quietness is punctuated by rippling water, a distant sky lark and the gentle whistling wind through the trees. Your eyes are closed and you feel the warm summer sun against your face, which would be too hot, but for that cool breeze... Mental strain can be relieved by non-demanding physical work. Gardening, fishing, washing the car, can reduce excess preoccupation of the mind. People who have outside interests are generally happier. Vacations are crucial. Relaxation will allow you to return to work refreshed and far more effective. Japan has an exceedingly high rate of stress illness, but the average worker only takes 60% of his vacation entitlement. Hobbies, a casual jog or long walk will achieve much to reduce your levels of anxiety and stress. An anxious baby is rocked to sleep in its mother's arms and similarly relaxation may be achieved by gentle massaging. CONTROLLING ANXIETY Worrying, or anxiety, is one of the major preoccupation's of the Western World. The National Institute of Mental Health in America suggest that 15% of US citizens spend more than half their waking hours worrying. There are 2 methods to help reduce anxiety: ° Write down your concerns on paper; this puts them in perspective and allows them to be tackled in an organised sequence ° Schedule fixed worrying times in your day BE YOURSELF! We are all responsible to ourselves first and foremost. We can only believe in our friends, when we believe in ourselves. Internal self-assurance is vital in providing the feelings and ability to love our friends. Try to mentally take yourself out of your life and then analyse your lifestyle; find somewhere quiet and make a list of your habits, annoyances, etc. Then make a written assessment of your life. Look at each part, where it can be improved. SOCIAL CONTACT Modern society encourages deficiency of social contact, the car, home entertainment systems and TV, all discourage people to interact. People need an intimate loving relationship and the feeling of belonging to a group or community. A long term monogamous relationship and comradeship through a local community or club, promotes good health and a better lifestyle. Independence and self-assurance are necessary for personal survival, but throughout our lives we cannot exist without the support and company of others. PHOBIAS Newly born babies only have two phobias - a fear of loud noises and of falling. All other phobias are acquired and established by repetition and reinforcement. These unfortunate phobias are habits and therefore they can be unlearned. A phobia with spiders, is often fuelled by over-reaction upon sight. The solution quite simply is, to unlearn the phobia. For example, start by looking at pictures of spiders, recognise the types, their habits, lifestyle. After a few days when you feel relaxed with the pictures, find a real spider and study it from a distance. When you have overcome that hurdle, move closer and finally pick up the spider. This gentle process of unlearning can be applied to any phobia, by simply unlearning, step by step. There is another more drastic treatment known as implosion. This involves confronting your fear. In this example, it would be lying naked in an empty bath with a spider!! HANDLING STRESS Prehistoric man evolved to suit his environment. To escape life threatening danger, the ability to switch into physical 'overdrive' for short periods was essential. The senses sharpen, breathing deepens and heart rate soars. The hormone adrenaline is released into the blood stream and the muscles tense. In today's terms, this is what we know as stress. Short-term stress is good, but long-term effects can be damaging to both mental and physical health. Crossing a busy road requires the stress effect on your body to give you the maximum awareness and ability to cross quickly. This is perfectly natural. Problems occur when the stress effect is regularly introduced, say in a traffic jam. There is little point becoming stressed, you can't make the traffic move faster by gripping the steering wheel tighter. This form of daily stress effect is damaging and should be controlled. Do you suffer from stress ? See if some of the following statements describe you: ° Feel guilty when relaxing or resting ° Lying awake worrying ° Under continuous pressure of time ° Impatient, irritable, frustrated ° Eating meals in a hurry ° A lot on your mind, difficulty concentrating ° Increased smoking or drinking ° Recent over-eating, or loss of appetite ° Difficulty making decisions The physical signs of stress include a 'butterfly stomach', dry mouth, sweaty palms and thumping heart. First, before you can fight stress, you must learn to recognise it. Do this by making a list of the circumstances that cause you stress. In future, when faced with stressful situations, recognise the stress effect and consciously try to relax. To reduce stress, it is important to control anxiety (see 'Controlling Anxiety' section). Try to relax and accept problems philosophically. Regular exercise is a proven method to reduce stress. If you don't have time, make the time!! Very few things in life are very urgent, you're probably in the habit of rushing. Use lists to organise your day better and tackle each problem one at a time. CONCLUSION When contemplating your health, look beyond exercise, reducing fat, dieting. Consider your marital status, friendships, the church, hobbies, rest periods, membership of local community and clubs, they are equally important!! Rules for mental fitness: ° Pursue a busy, active life ° Be content - money may buy better healthcare, but not peace of mind ° Believe in yourself, be yourself ° Learn from your mistakes ° Accept the inevitable ° Enjoy your environment and nature (a beach walk will soon put things into perspective) ° Live every day, live in the present, believe in your destiny ° Engage in productive meaningful work ° Be content by learning to be patient ° Create a positive mental attitude - eliminate negative feelings ° Make a conscious effort to smile, be cheerful!! ° Adopt an organised lifestyle - handle problems 1 at a time ° Set realistic goals ° Make time for social activities and hobbies ° Establish close personal relationships ° Inject a sense of humour into your daily lifecycle