Mental Beauty: The Art of Balance

Part 1

First Case:  Have you ever been extremely happy? Either for some external cause, or sometimes because you’re alive, and life is good, right then? You might get a little frenetic, a little more talkative. And you didn’t have any more coffee than you normally do. Or the energy might be high yet negative, yet still intense, such as from anger or stress.  It’s still a high-energy situation, but has negative overtones.

Second Case:  Ever get down? I mean more than a little sad – I’m talking full-on doldrums, sailing through mud, look up to see the soles of other people’s feet kind of down. If you’re human, and you have a pulse – it’s OK to check – I’ll wait – then you have. It affects everything in your life. Your emotions. Your appetite. Your  physical health. Your relationships. The whole kit-and-caboodle. 
Your energy level has hit an all-time low. There may be times when you are feeling emotionally OK, but your energy level is still low.

From the point of view of the First Case, you always seem to tank eventually, and sometimes go so low as to hit that Second Case. From the point of view of the Second Case – depression or deep sadness – it takes some doing to get out of a place like that.

Eastern Philosophy would tell us that the First Case has too much Yang – Positive or Male Energy, and the Second Case has too much Yin – Female or Negative Energy. I am sure there are those who don’t much care for some of the notions of Eastern Thought, but there are those that don’t care much for Gravity either, but Gravity somehow still seems to still make things fall.

We have outlined two types of Positive, and two types of Negative. There are positive and negative energy levels, and positive and negative emotional states.  The question is, what are the ideals, and how do we get there?

We are not talking here about extreme medical conditions or psychiatric issues.  This addresses the re-balancing of the human mind from extreme conditions and states that are still within the margins of good mental health.

Part 2

To live in a good mental state of balance between these extremes, you should have a healthy diet, get some exercise, get some sunlight, meditate, and do things that make you happy. And – here’s the hard part – do each of these every day. I know, if you live in Seattle, that sunlight part will be a challenge, but you should do the rest at least. Split them up into two-to-three day segments if you need to.

Healthy diet, or good nutrition, is the elephant in the living room for the medical community. Make sure you balance your diet with easily assimilated vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber, the right kinds of fats, and other key nutritional elements. Tablets are some of the hardest for the body to assimilate in the form presented. Liquid is typically best, and the more natural the form, the better. Example: fruit juice, vegetable juice (from freshly blended vegetables), etc.

Get some exercise, every day. This can be a walk around the block. It doesn’t HAVE to be extreme. If you have small children, chances are you are getting enough exercise every day, whether you like it or not. Becoming physically stronger and more fit is a step beyond the bare minimum, but we are talking basics right now. You can up your energy level by doing more. The human body will compensate for what you make it do, so to have more energy, do more. At the very least, take a walk.

Let the sunlight in. It may help you grin. Light helps the human mind be happy. Lack of it has… the opposite effect. Even so-called nocturnal type folks need some sort of light to keep functioning, but sunlight, as the basis of life on this planet, seems to be necessary for people, in its “raw” form.

Meditation is a subject that has been largely neglected in Western culture. Think of it as quiet prayer, listening to that “still, small Voice” beyond the chatter of your own mind. God is talking; are you listening? There are literally hundreds of sources on meditation techniques – find some. Or, just take some time for quiet to be in your life, quiet your surroundings, relax your muscles, even your breathing, and finally think about as little as possible. Or think on the concept of Nothing. On the other hand, use the same relaxation and quiet atmosphere to concentrate on something for which you need a solution. Relaxation is key here – answers come when you are calm enough to receive them. This may be from your subconscious mind being able to put puzzle pieces together when there are fewer distractions, it may be answers from God or The Universe – what’s important is that you take the time to meditate. It may be the greatest and most surprising gift you have ever given yourself.

Do something that makes you happy, so long as it is moral, ethical, and healthy. Play a game, watch a movie, read a book, have a good conversation with a friend or loved one, catch up on Facebook, play some basketball or football with a local group, bake or cook something challenging, join a community group – I don’t know what your thing is, but there’s a good chance you do! So… do something. Something fun! Maybe learn something new!

These activities and measures will give you proper levels of positive energy and positive emotions, while maintaining that balance in your life to keep from extreme frenetic highs or deep dark lows. Most of us WANT to be happy, functioning, creative, productive people – following these few steps may go a long way to helping us be the balanced people we want to be.  

H. Todd J. Moore
October 2009