The phrase ‘healthy mind’ is thrown around a lot without knowing what it actually means. There are so many factors that influence a clear headspace, such as the ability to focus and the ability to clear your mind of noise.
We are amidst an incredibly fast-paced world, and as a result, it can be tricky figuring out what the best practise may be in order to concentrate and keep yourself feeling happy and feeling good.
So here are a few steps that you can take both on a day to day basis, and in the long term, in order to obtain a healthy and happy mind:
Make Sure You Sleep Well
The relationship between having a good sleep and positive mental health is practically undisputed. It’s really important to rest well before you have to make any big financial decisions.
Having a bad sleep can interrupt your ability to think clearly and can impact the decision making process negatively if you don’t have time to process everything.
Having between 7-9 hours of sleep a night for adults is optimal, especially if you’re heading to the bank or looking to invest in property (or make another big purchase) the next day.
Set Realistic Goals
Psychologically, having the ability to visualise a clear monetary goal before you begin trying to save, is much easier. Setting realistic goals allows you to picture where you want your bank account to end up, and will also allow you to feel the emotional impact of meeting or not meeting that goal.
When you get closer towards your target, your mood will spike and you’ll be able to reap the benefits of watching yourself hit ceilings! It’s a fantastic feeling and it’s a great chance to be able to flex your monetary muscles!
Reward Yourself
This not only gives you endorphins and provides positive reinforcement that you’ve made a good decision and have made progress, but it allows you to buy something nice!
Whether it’s a physical experience like a massage (good for de-stressing) or a new shoe purchase, it’s great to be able to give yourself something nice as a reward and a bonus for meeting your goals.
Also, it relaxes the stress that is generally associated with budgeting, and teaches you that it’s okay to splurge every once in awhile.
Compare Online
For major investments or purchases that can be potentially life changing, make sure you shop around before jumping into anything. It’s so important to know the full scope of whatever you’re looking into invest in, before you make a purchase.
If it’s something like a new credit card or a home loan, you can compare online on a comparison website.
However, for more of a ‘slow burner’ like life insurance, check out the latest life insurance deals online and see if you can drop down to a cheaper cover than you originally intended, or get a discount or bonus from a current one.
Have A Savings Account
Knowing that you’ve got money put away for a rainy day means that if something goes wrong you know you’ve got a backup and will be able to rely on that money. This just secures the peace of mind that you need, and makes sure you aren’t living from day to day without having something saved behind the scenes.
Even if you’re only contributing a small amount to it every week or month, it will accumulate and you’ll reap the benefits later!
If you can just make some of these small changes to your lifestyle and your mindset, you should be well on the way to achieving a healthy mind. Enjoy and good luck!
You can find much more information on living a holistic lifestyle in these free magazines and on our YouTube channel.
Bessie Hassan is a Money Expert and consumer advocate at Australia’s most visited financial comparison website, finder.com.au.
