Prescription for Mental Fitness

This morning, our slogan hit me – it was too obvious, "Prescription for Mental Fitness." Penny and I have been writing a newsletter for almost nine years: "Mental Fitness Update." We give these to our patients and to health care professionals when we speak.

But what exactly is "mental fitness," and how does one achieve it? Emerson said "first be a good animal." I take him to mean take care of your body. Of course your body includes your brain, and without brain, there is no mind. Just one example is that studies of men over 60 years of age found that regular (preferably daily) vigorous physical activity was associated with intellectual functioning as good as men in their 20’s, and in some areas, older men did better. Physical activity doesn’t necessarily mean exercise. It can mean physical work or play. But it means getting your heart rate up and keeping it there for at least 20 to 30 minutes per day.

In the spring of 1968, I had a life changing sequence of events. I was finishing the last semester of medical school. I smoked, got way too little sleep, had a horrible diet, and had a lot of STRESS. One Saturday afternoon I was playing touch football. I went out for a long pass. I was wide open. The ball was perfectly thrown. But just as the ball got there, I momentarily blacked out. Of course I missed the ball and was embarrassed, but I was really shaken up.

There was no denying I was in anxiety about starting my medical internship, which would include seeing patients in the emergency room – being on the front line. We certainly don’t get enough experience in school to have confidence in every medical situation, and backup is not always immediately available.

And then I saw a book that changed my life, Aerobics by Ken Cooper. I started running that day and keeping a diary of my workouts. I have averaged forty miles per week of running (or the equivalent) ever since. I’m currently approaching 77,000 miles. That may sound compulsive. It is. But keeping a diary and at least occasionally computing keeps me motivated and enables me to force myself to work out, even when I don’t want to. I have run 40 marathons – my best is 2:32:00 (5:49 per mile). I can still run a 6 minute mile at 62 years old. I say that not to brag, but to say it’s possible to maintain a high level of physical fitness.

I have been additionally lucky that Dr. Cooper moved to Dallas where he established a world renowned research and medical clinic. I have personally known Dr. Cooper since he moved to Dallas – 34 years ago. He is almost 74 years old, works over 50 hours per week, is very physically fit, and looks great. He is also my physician. Last month I completed my regular physical and tests. He told me I have the arteries and bones of a 40 year old. I believe I can say to Emerson – "I’m an animal," and barring tragedy, I expect to be around for many years being the person I feel I was meant to be, using the mind that I feel blessed to have, and telling it like I see it.

Being physically fit also means getting quality sleep every night (7-8 hours), eating a healthy diet, and taking supplements (more about supplements in a future blog). Being fit means satisfying your needs at all levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy: biological, safety, relationships, self esteem, and self-actualization. It means being able to live by the serenity prayer: "God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Being mentally fit means living by Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

The Seven Habits: It means taking responsibility for your life and health by being proactive. Don’t wait until the medical system is fixed.

It means begin with the end in mind – have clear goals so (to borrow one of Covey’s metaphors) you don’t bust your butt getting to the top of the mountain, only to discover it’s the wrong mountain.

It means learning to prioritize, so you have time for the important/non-urgent activities that contribute to individual and relationship growth. Don’t waste all your time dealing with the urgent (important or non-important) activities or worse, the non-important/non-urgent activities.

It means having win/win relationships.

It means seeking first to understand and communicate empathically (letting someone know you understand their position, even if you don’t agree with it).

It means learning to synergize at home and work, so that 1 + 1 = 3. It means "sharpen the saw." Covey loves to tell the story of encountering a man who was laboring with very slow progress sawing through a large tree log. He said to the man, "Why don’t you sharpen the saw?" The man replied, "I don’t have time." Covey counsels us to regulate, invigorate, enliven not just our bodies, but our minds through reading or other educational activities; our emotional health/relationships through healthy interactions and self-talk; and our spiritual selves through our faith/self-transcendent activities. Or to quote Covey, "Live, learn, love, and leave a legacy."

We are all busy. We live in very stressful times. But if we don’t make mental/physical fitness a top priority, we will cease to be the person we are capable of being and will become stressed out, worn out, or sick. The first symptom of heart disease, in many cases, is death!

I will discuss reasons that stress symptoms are so prevalent in the next blog. For now, suffice it to say, "If what you’re doing is not working, do something else. Even if it’s wrong, it gets you unstuck." This was the best advice that I was given during my psychiatric training by my mentor, Dr. Asa Deloach.

There are many medical/psychiatric treatments available. No one needs to suffer a life of futility. Even if you have tried every treatment available, there will be 3 new ones coming out this month. Being mentally fit is not just a goal. It’s a process, and it makes life easier.