Building a Positive Attitude to Better Mental Health

You likely know that daily exercise will help keep your body fit and fight off sickness and disease. Most recently, we also learned that by doing daily mental exercises such as Sudoku, you can maintain or even increase your memory and thinking skills. But what strategies can you use to improve and protect your mental health daily?
Taking 4-5 minutes per day to do some very specific thought exercises can help improve your attitude, and in turn your mental health. The strategies come from some of the techniques often used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, thinking differently about what you experience. I call it the SAAG technique.

S - Spirituality - Formal religious prayer, or simply getting in touch with “nature” or other belief systems that you may have, deliberately for one minute per day. Having a spiritual connection of some sort, results in improved mental health. Do this for one minute per day. Do it now. 

A - Ancestors - Appreciate where you came from. Take a minute and remember the struggles of your parents, grandparents, and others. Be prideful of their ability to overcome significant obstacles to help you live a better life. Do this for one minute per day. Do it now.

A – Accomplishments - Think of a recent or past accomplishment. Remember the feeling of success. It may be a successful parenting accomplishment, partner, or work related achievement. Do this for one minute per day. Do it now.

G – Goals - Each day you need to be clear on your long-term, short-term, and daily goals. On a piece of paper write down where you want to be 6 months or one year from now. Then write down what you need to do today that somehow links to that long-term goal. Make the time, and put in the effort to accomplish those daily goals. Take a minute to write down your goals. Review them each day for one minute and execute on those goals. Do it now.
The SAAG technique isn’t new. It is a system of very simple tasks that will remind you of what you need to do to improve your attitude, perspective, and overall mental health today. It will take a year or more, however, for you to accept this simple, daily, 5-minute strategy. Accept that at times you will stop, forget, and “fall off the wagon”. Persist, and start again. It is one of the keys to your long-term mental health and longevity. Do it now.