4 Pillars Of A Healthy Mind
"Why are some more equipped to handle the slings and arrows of life?" That's the question the Dr. Richard Davidson opened his 2019 TEDx Talk with in San Francisco. His life's work is studying the human brain in the context of neuro-plasticity, stress, and mental illness. After meeting the Dalai Lama, his work and life changed. His Holiness challenged him to study not just the negative effects of stress and struggle on the human mind, but also the effects of kindness, generosity, and mindfulness.
Since then, he has developed four pillars of a healthy mind, which align with the mission and vision of WellFests. He asserts that the following will combat negative factors affecting mental health, while maximizing capacity for more positive factors:
Awareness: Meta-awareness is observing and accounting for what is going on in, around, and beyond ourselves. This is necessary for transformation to occur within the brain, and into our lives.
Connection: Through others, we see mirrors of ourselves to progress in positive directions while holding each other accountable for shared visions of the future. This cultivates community in work, love, and life as whole.
Insight: We all have a narrative about ourselves, which can be detrimental and lead to depression if this story is negative. Instead, having insight can provide a constellation of thoughts to observe, instead of judge, which can lead to more objectivity, and eventually, better mental health.
Purpose: Without purpose, we lose the light at the end of long tunnels. We feel inadequate or insignificant in our workplaces or relationships. Developing a sense of meaning within small tasks at home or in the office, and seeing them as a small part of a larger picture with purpose can drastically effect the enjoyment and productivity for us all
How mindfulness changes the emotional life of our brains | Richard J. Davidson | TEDxSanFrancisco
These pillars are important, but cannot be acquired overnight. According to Dr. Davidson, it takes daily practice to develop the habits and healthy mindset inherent in the foundation that these pillars hold up.
One way to do this for yourself, and your team, is to invest resources and time into daily practice. Our wellness break calendar at WellFests is specifically designed to keep teams healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
Whether with us, or through other means, taking time to better your holistic health will improve your life, those you touch, and ripple onto the world as a whole. Thanks for doing your part in taking care of yourself, and if we can support in any way, please don't hesitate to reach out!
