Maximized Mental Health - Don't Walk Alone

Today I practiced Maximized Mental Health with my friend Tom by going on a 3.15 mile power-walk together. We followed a mildly hilly course through a quiet neighborhood. Check out our workout! MapMyRun

I’ve followed this 3.15-mile trek alone and with friends like Tom.  It is amazing how much easier it is when there is someone to talk to.  When I am alone, this 45 to 50 minute power-walk feels like hours and my times are generally slower.  I might average as much as 17-minutes per mile alone, but with a friend the average ranges 15 – 16 minutes a mile.  Its uncanny.

Of course, the wisdom of Scripture supports this phenomenon. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NASB)
⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
¹⁰ For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
¹² And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Maximized Mental Health is a daily regimen of assessing, developing, strengthening and utilizing all available mental, emotional, physical and spiritual (MEPS) resources.  

Empower Creativity Energize Life

Maximized Mental Health is a Christ centered, Biblically-based, Spirit led approach to mental health. One foundational tenant here is that human existence integrates mind, body, soul and spirit. (Mental Physical Emotional Spiritual)

This is a principle reflected in Jesus’ teaching, for example, when he quoted from Deuteronomy.

Mark 12:30 (NASB)  AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'

Effective living, from this perspective, entails assessing, developing, strengthening, and utilizing all available resources: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual. This “maximized” approach empowers us to live creatively. Synergy occurs at this point. We gain fresh, new insight about living. We tap into new resources and become better equipped to face challenges. We energize our life.

We begin by making an assessment by asking questions. “What am I doing to develop and strengthen and utilize my mind? Am I doing anything that will have a deleterious impact on my brain? Are there thoughts that I need to simply omit or drop like a hot potato? What information needs to be gathered and analyzed?

The Apostle Paul made an amazingly Maximized Mental Health statement which I will share in closing.

Philippians 4:8 (NASB) Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

 # assess #empower #synergy #energize #mentalhealth

A Self-Care Regimen

Maximized Mental Health is a self-care regimen which enables you to daily assess, develop, strengthen and utilize all available mental, physical, emotional and spiritual resources, which empowers you to live creatively. #brain #mentalhealth #therapy #creativity