The Mindfulness Blog

Most of us think of hygiene in strictly physical terms, because our personal hygiene habits have so much to do with our physical appearance. But if you think about it, hygiene has as much to do with our mental health, as it does our physical health. We can follow an impeccable physical hygiene regimen and still be ostracized by others, if we don't also tend to our mental hygiene.

Whether we allow ourselves a few meditative moments throughout the day (moments of rest, to relax and recharge) or treat ourselves to a led meditation, listening privately on our earbuds, while walking around the office (weather permitting, perhaps around the block) or join a class/group of others in a communal sit, devoted to self-guided meditation-- whatever the method or means, we're gifting ourselves an emotional break, and giving our minds a good flossing.

Bottom line: We don't have to meditate like a monk to reap the benefits of mental hygiene. Quite to the contrary, we can mix and match meditative moments with private led meditation and/or with more formal self-guided meditation, depending upon available facilities and other demands of the day. As is the case with any effective form of hygiene, the trick is sticking to a routine-- even if the routine is sometimes varied.

If you already pay attention to your physical health, then you appreciate the importance of also attending to your mental health. If we're not mentally and physically healthy, we're not really well. And if we're not well, we're not operating at our best-- that's just plain, common sense.

Meditation is a lot more flexible than many believe-- be it via a sprinkling of meditative moments throughout the day, a private led meditation in which someone else is doing all the talking and nobody else is privy to what we're listening to, or a formal self-guided meditation session that is solo, or with others-- it's all good.

Mental hygiene. Physical hygiene. They're both important for our overall wellbeing.