From Blah To Bliss: Life Coach Tiffany Cepeda Shares Simple Tips For Healthy Minds

Whether you're riding the "new year, new you" wave or just want to make positive changes in your life, it's important to focus on your mental health .

Acclaimed author and life coach Tiffany Cepeda offers some foolproof ways to focus on your mental health through simple things you can incorporate into your day.

Schedule micro-rise breaks into your day.

Cepeda prefers micro-health escapes. It doesn't take much time or effort and can make a big difference in your day.

“I think one of the most important things we can do is call them micro wellness breaks. So you'll keep these breaks to a minimum, they'll be intentional, and you'll be able to engage in mindfulness exercises or deep breathing techniques. They always reset your amygdala, and the amygdala in your brain is essentially where all of your emotional reactions to fight or flight and stress and overwhelm and things like that are,” he told The Blast exclusively.

“And to reset that amygdala and give it a fresh start so you can focus more on your frontal lobe, which makes sense, it basically releases stress hormones and those chemicals, and it does that through deep breathing. Very easy."

Cepeda recommends setting a reminder on your phone and incorporating these micro-nuggets of health into your day.

"So if we can program these things, your phone will go off and you just breathe in for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds and then do that four times," he said. "It just gives you a sense of peace that goes through your body, gives you energy, sends the right chemicals to your brain to release and just allows you to take stress-free health breaks."

Another piece of advice she gave was to take mindful breaks. Be sure to take a short walk once or twice a day to get some fresh air. It can really help you find peace, clarity and feel renewed.

Affirmations and journaling can help reset your brain

Cepeda also shared some other simple things you can do at any age to rewire your brain and ultimately improve your overall mental health.

“Confirmations and diaries somehow go hand in hand. Affirmations when you say these words can be positive or negative, of course affirmations should be positive," he said. “When your brain hears your own voice, it begins to process what you're saying. And the positive things we say actually help rewire those neural pathways.

On the negative side, the chemicals that cause that negativity are actually released and your cortisol levels start to rise, keeping you in a bad mood. But speaking positive words reminds you of who you are and strengthens you by reshaping neural pathways and releasing feel-good hormones in your body.

"Over time, they become more natural," he explains. "They are literally rebuilding this road, so to speak. In fact, they have been shown to heal injuries.

Journaling is a great way to keep track of everything and post it at the end of the day.

"There's something special about the act of writing, even if it's just a mental exercise, writing down everything that happened during the day or all the emotions you felt," she said.

“Writing any trauma is about expressing it, thinking about it, and processing it. Not only does this clear your mind, but it has the same effect as saying positive affirmations.

Remember, gratitude and stress cannot be at the same time.

Another thing that can help with mental health is gratitude. Cepeda explained that stress and anxiety cannot exist when one experiences such gratitude.

"Gratitude and stress, fear and depression cannot be at the same time. This is physically impossible because they operate in two different lobes,” he explained.

"Gratitude works on the frontal lobe, where logic and reason reside, where peace and clarity reside. When we are stressed, overwhelmed, or focused on these things, your brain engages the amygdala. It is impossible to be grateful and depressed at the same time.

Teach children to focus on good mental health

Many children, especially school-aged children, suffer from stress, anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is important to teach younger generations how to focus on good mental health practices.

“Remind them that it's okay to express their feelings. It depends on how you respond to these feelings. There is nothing wrong with dealing with these feelings, adults do too. "It's about what we do with those feelings," he said. “Not all parents teach that, and not all teachers teach that. So I think one of the most important things we can teach children is to teach school-aged children how to begin to control their minds. » A very quick way to do this is to keep a mind reset journal. This gives them the opportunity and freedom to quickly write down any thoughts that may be bothering them and set a timer for just five minutes.

Journaling can help rewire your brain and reduce stress. Keeping a discharge journal will change their lives and begin to change their brains.

Sensory exercises are another helpful thing anyone can do to help them bond.

“Basically, you focus on all your senses and immerse yourself in the present moment. Do it for five minutes a day,” Cepeda explained. "What do I see, what do I feel, what do I smell, what do I taste?" » Start paying attention to all these details. This shifts your brain back into frontal lobe mode, grounding you in the present and interrupting all your anxious thoughts. It's like a quick mental reset.

Mental health days are important.

We all joke about needing a mental health day, but how many of us actually take the time to give our brains the rest they need? It's important to do what we love and take a break from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives so our brains can recharge and recover.

"Our brain should rest. "It's about redefining brain health," he said. “I don't think we talk about brain health enough. Focus on the word "mind rest". So why don't I give my brain a break?

It's physically impossible to run all day without exhausting yourself, but our brains work 24/7. Calming the mind is difficult. When you love what you love, you can be the best version of you without burning out.

On days when you just don't have time to really focus on relaxing and unwinding your brain, there's something you can do quickly and easily to relieve tension: energy-releasing movement. This allows you to incorporate quick physical movements to release tension in a healthy way.

Incorporate physical movement to absorb and release trapped energy. Relax and stretch to relieve muscle tension. Shake your limbs. Do some quick physical activity to release the stress of the day. This is a great way to relax before going to bed.

To learn more about Cepeda's business mindset and life coaching, visit her website or her Instagram pages @classicntailored and @mindandbusiness.co.