Morality, Cognition and Mental Health

Mental health is not only the general state of mind (emotionally speaking) but also encompasses how one perceives the surroundings, the understanding one has about any given occurrence and the perspective the person chooses to take on said occurrences. Morality is the perceptions and personal principles we have about certain things. For example, smoking can be a deal breaker for many people, but for others, it is just a way to let out steam. This is to say that every individual knows the outcomes of smoking, but we all choose different approaches to it. Personal and social morality are similar yet very different when each individual is considered.?

What is cognition?

There is a set of cognitive skills that usually help us take any decision:?

Sustained attention: looking at, listening to and thinking about the occurrence or situation over time.?

Selective attention: this is what helps us stay focused on one task despite possible distractions.?

Divided attention: this helps pay attention to more than one task/information simultaneously.?

Long-term memory is where information from the past is stored and can be recollected in the future.?

Working memory, also called short-term memory, helps us retain the information while still processing and using it.?

Logic and reasoning: this comes in when we tend to reason, form ideas, or when we’re trying to solve problems.?

Auditory processing: this allows us to analyse and blend various segments of sounds that our brain creates.?

Visual processing: this is what gives us a visual aid to process information better.?

Finally, Processing speed allows us to perform and execute tasks quickly and accurately.

Morality and cognition go hand in hand; when we have the cognitive capacity (i.e., attentive to the stimuli surrounding us), our social morality is significantly better. We tend to make better decisions and choices that may affect those around us directly or indirectly. This happens because we tend to think and judge the various possible outcomes of a given situation.?

When all these cognitive skills work hand in hand, our morality functions better, and so does our mental health. But when one or more of these tend to lag and not perform adequately, our mental health takes a toll.

Cathartic Calling- A Place to Express Yourself

Dear younger self,

The lights flash so brightly that it reminds you of your good times.?

The crowd?feels so safe; it reminds you of your mother’s warm hug.?

The rain pours down faster than tears rolling down your cheeks.?

The wildflowers bloom so freely, urging you to break your chains.?

The autumn leaves bring the first love in your life, blowing gently with the cold breeze.

The storm sweeps in and tries to destroy your peace, leaving you in despair.?

The sun lights the darkroom of your heart and sends a ray of hope.?

And you, a soul so strong, inspire the elder you to go on miles and miles for long.

For you, With you - Resources to help You

Cognition and Perception:?

1. Sharpening senses: You can challenge your brain by sharpening your senses. Just close your eyes while taking a shower, feel the water, and close your eyes while tasting food. There are many ways to do this. Just make sure you emphasise one of your senses.?

2. Laying down: The importance of doing nothing is rarely discussed, but just lying down on the floor and staring at the ceiling or fan can help you relax and organise your thoughts. It also helps with your posture and helps improve memory.?

3. Chocolate: Studies show that chocolate offers a short-term boost for your cognitive thinking, but why does anyone need a reason to eat chocolate. It’s comfort food for everyone.?

4. Grape juice: The colour purple is known to boost creativity, but grape juice helps your brain cells communicate.?

5. Playing an instrument: Motor control of the brain is more developed in musicians, so pick an instrument and learn how to play a scale, a chord, or a song. You don’t have to go pro.?

6. Speaking out loud: It helps us remember our ideas better, even if they look strange to others in public.?

7. Learning a second language: A Bilingual brain is more cognitive, and your brain establishes its coordination. It doesn’t have to be a language with a script. You can try your ‘hand’ at sign language too.?

8. Look at something blue or green: Paint canvases in blue and green and hang them in your room to give yourself an environment that helps you in cognitive thinking. Redecorate your space to better suit the comfort of your mind.?

9. Creative Corner: Select a corner in your room and fill it with everything that soothes you and makes you comfortable. Assign yourself a creative space.?

Motivation:?

? Use a reward System: For every task completed, reward yourself with your favourite piece of food or chocolate which serves best. This system is the most effective as your task does not burden you but is relatively enriched. Who knows, you might end up eating a whole bar of chocolate and voila! All your tasks are complete.?

? Have people you trust check in: Let people you trust check in on whether you have done your tasks or not. Initially, it might make you feel annoyed, but in the end, you will be grateful for it.?

? Make a Calendar: You can track your progress by making a timetable or a calendar or even divide your tasks according to the days of the week. Looking back, you also see what you have achieved and where you need to improve.?

? Inspiration Jar: Write down whatever inspires you, whatever you like, quotes from books, tv shows, movies, etc. and store them in a jar and look at them when you feel less motivated.?

? Start a Challenge with yourself: Start a challenge with yourself, and you can write it down and make a calendar to track your progress. It may seem like you will abandon it since you are alone. You can ask a friend to do the challenge with you, but remember that your brain tries to trick your heart into giving up.?

? How to Get Unstuck: If you are feeling stuck at a task, you can break it down into steps, approach it to step by step, and even have the freedom to break It down further.?

Self Coping Tips:?

??? Journaling: In any form, whether art, audio, or text is proven to be extremely helpful in getting your thoughts out. It is hard to keep all opinions in your head, but a physical manifestation of your thoughts helps you decipher them better. You also learn things about yourself. Journaling can be like therapy where you question your beliefs and have a deeper reflection of who you are. Journaling can also help keep yourself motivated to do your work because you write down your stressful parts of the day and all your achievements. We all need time for ourselves, which can be proven the best thing to “self-indulge” in. Remember that you cannot pressure yourself to write about a specific topic. This is YOUR journal, and you have the freedom to put down anything you like. Just have fun with the process.?

??? Affirmations: Affirmations can be powerful for your brain, just what it needs to start the process of positive thinking. Paint some canvases blue and green or any colour that you find suitable and soothing for your eyes. You can use calligraphy and make it look appealing to yourself. Hang them on the wall of your room, where they will catch your eye every day. This method also helps your creative juices flow and keeps your mind engaged. Otherwise, you can write down affirmations on sticky notes, stick them on a wall, and look at them whenever you feel like you’ve spiralled down a negative thought. You can also use a whiteboard and write an affirmation for a day.?

?? Cope Board: This Board is an elaborate process where you can help yourself to keep on schedule throughout the day. It can be used for people who have trouble doing daily tasks like showering, eating, drinking water, etc. It benefits people who cannot make daily to-do lists as those can be tiresome and overwhelming. You can use a piece of cardboard with a short list of things you want or should be doing. You can have tasks like wake up, take meds, brush teeth, shower, eat, get dressed, put shoes away, cook lunch, go outside, change sheets and so on. Once you have done these tasks, you can add a tick alongside each day that you have done. This list and board aren’t limited to daily tasks; you can also add to your wish list to make yourself look forward to something you have always wanted to do. The great thing about this method is that it is easy to add or remove your tasks and wishes. You can change it according to your work schedule, semester schedule, and seasonal schedule. If ticking isn’t working for you, you can just use a bulletin board pin that can be moved daily.

Another you, another hue - Inspiring Stories of People just like you!

“Acting according to my cognitive biases about every such organisation being a scam, an institution to brainwash people and these processes are for oldies to help them cope with their diminishing strength and impending weakness, I was reluctant to believe in anything my friends told me.”

Read the entire story here.