Renowned Indian writer Chetan Bhagat on Saturday offered his two cents on the importance of mental fitness at THE WEEK Health Conclave in New Delhi.
The 51-year-old author, who released his latest novel, '12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story' a month ago, breaks down the essential tenets of 'mental fitness' into simple everyday habits and thought patterns, backed by a clean, no-nonsense PPT presentation.
He begins with a broader discussion of terms casually thrown around in the mental health field—mental and physical fitness, mental and physical health, and mental and physical ailment—before delving into his own mental health situation in 2018.
Bhagat explained that he had been in a bad mental space in 2018, identifying himself (back then) with most of the traits of a person suffering from a lack of optimal mental health.
He also explained that this mental health crisis pervaded many areas of his life, making him unhappy, demotivated, and pessimistic, despite his success as an author.
Reflecting on his wonderful transformation over the years, seen in two pairs of before-after pictures in the PPT, he explained that the transformation was slow and gradual, and done using the help of simple lifestyle changes.
In addition to adopting a better mindset and self-reflection, he also spoke about Dr Paul Conti's work on mental models, and how this understanding of mental fitness helped him reframe his thinking.
Bhagat next enters a discussion on the nature of happiness, before coming to the Big Six—a series of lifestyle changes that he felt could do wonders for the soul. The key facets of the Big Six are:
Sleep
He said that getting 7-8 hours of sleep in a properly dark and sufficiently cool room is very important, as is aligning one's sleep with their circadian rhythm and then sticking to a particular sleep time daily.
Light
Exposure to sunlight, long-known to be a great source of Vitamin D, is especially beneficial in the morning, the author said. He recommends ten minutes of sunlight, preferably not from the window of one's room, but outside.
Movement
For Bhagat, moving your body is extremely important, the effect of which is seen in his own transformation. He advocates at least 3-4 hours of exercise per week, involving a good mix of cardio and resistance training.
Nutrition
The author does not advise people to cut out fats completely from their diet, opting instead of a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. He also recommends consuming minimally processed, whole foods as much as possible.
Social connections
Stressing on the importance of distancing oneself from negative interactions and people, he also highlights how valuable positive energy interactions could be—especially when these lead to a sense of community.
Stress control
Pointing out the the fact that a small degree of (coping) stress was usually useful in getting tasks done, he flags excess stress was the real problem, offering solutions like meditation, cold exposure, and journaling to curb it.
