VIVA NOLA February 2019

VIVIR MEJOR
Peace of M i n d
By Andrea Mejia
What I was left with from
last year was the gift of
understanding that my
mental health and the
freedom I give my thoughts
are the main basis of my
existence. If I cannot
control them, everything
that comes and goes in my
life is not my decision, but
the result of the bad
information that my actions
generate based on
impulses.
I understood that,
regardless of the event, the
only thing that can change
the outcome of what
happens is the way we
approach things. It is said
that all events in life
generate emotions and
feelings, and how we react
to them is what really
matters and what
completely changes our
perspectives of said event.
I feel we care too much
about external things
without noticing that the
outside is controlled by our
interior. Such simple things
as eating better, reading
more and spending more
time with oneself can have
a positive impact on what
we reflect.
It has become a routine to
silence our mind when we
need to make decisions,
but we give free rein when
responding to emotions.
Being kind to ourselves is a
very good step to change
the way we act.
We do not have to be so
hard and punish ourselves
for the emotions we do not
control. We should not
stop enjoying life for
mistakes we made by not
controlling our thoughts.
When we get lost in
harmful thoughts, the best
thing we can do is refocus
our attention on purely
positive things and applaud
ourselves for the goals we
have already achieved.
We must remind ourselves
that we have people who
love us as we are and who
support us.
Constant criticism and
perfectionism not only
increase stress, but they
also hinder our productivity
and may result in mental
illnesses such as
depression and eating
disorders. Recognizing and
knowing that we all make
mistakes of any kind is
healthy for our mind.
Accepting that we can
improve every day is part
of our learning process.