Unique Ways Incense Plays a Positive Role for Mental Health

Due to the calming and relaxing qualities of incense, it is often a go-to when it comes to mental health. In this article, we'll be discussing mental health and incense. We'll share some general mental health tips and also share some unique ways incense plays a positive role in mental health. Let's begin by defining mental health.

What is Mental Health?

Mental health according to WHO, the World Health Organization, is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or hercommunity." 

This definition is a bit lengthy so we'll split it into four parts and look at it in sections. The first part says mental health is a state of well-being where the individual hasrealized their own abilities. A huge aspect of stable or healthy mental health is self-confidence, self-realization, and self-contentment. Not knowing who you are can be very stressful hence why it's important to realizeyourself and your abilities. Proper self-realization will lead to confidence and security which then reduces the chances of poor mental health. This is because poor mental health is influenced by insecurities and stress.

The next section mentions the ability to cope with the "normal stresses" of life. Life is an uphill battle. It doesn't necessarily get easier, we simply get stronger. Poormental health can render you vulnerable to the stresses of life. Everyone can relate to how infuriating everything is on a bad day. All of a sudden the sound of cars makes you even angrier and the traffic is unbearable. Naturally,these situations are uncomfortable however as humans we grow a thicker skin and become accustomed to a certain level of discomfort when we experience it for a while. Poor mental health leaves its victims constantly overwhelmedand unable to handle any degree of stress.

The third section of the definition mentions working productively and fruitfully. To have good mental health you need to enjoy what you do. That is why the word "fruitful"is included. Productivity is important in every job or endeavor. Productivity means getting the work you need to do done.

Finally, the last section of the definition entails contributing to your community. A good community is important for good mental health. You might have some people in your life whomake everything seem brighter and better. That is a good community. The well-being of the community is an individual and group responsibility. It is important for the members of the community to take care of themselves beforethey can take care of each other. You can not pour from an empty cup.

Now that we know the basics of mental health, how do you take care of your mental health?

How to Take Care of Your Mental Health

In this section and the next, we'll be discussing general tips for mental health care then we'll be placing focus on incense and how incense can be helpful for mental healthcare.     

1. A Good Environment - Your immediate environment has a considerable impact on the state of your mental health. Your community entails theplace where you spend a lot of your time and the people you spend your time with. Although this may not be true in all cases, it is true in a lot of cases. Your environment plays a huge role in your mental health. If you sufferfrom poor mental health, examine your environment and see if that's the problem.

If it is then consider doing something about it. In some cases, you won't be able to take immediate action for several reasons, i.e. financial, familial, legal, or even sentimental.In cases like these, you can start to take small steps so that you can leave those situations as soon as possible.

2. Patience - The other tip we'll be sharing is patience. This may be confusing but we'll expand on it. Be patient with yourself. Ifyou have poor mental health there's a high chance you're constantly beating yourself up about it or being very abrasive and impatient with yourself. You need to treat yourself with compassion.

How You Can Use Incense To Improve Your Mental Health.

Incense has a history with mental health. The most mainstream relationship is the one between incense and aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a form of therapy that employs the use of thesenses particularly the senses of smell, touch, and taste. Incense generally embodies feelings of ease, relaxation, and peace. These are practices that can be used to improve one's mental health. Let's take a lookat three practices you can intertwine with incense for maximum benefit.  

1. Meditation - Meditation entails sitting with one's thoughts. This is an effective way to tackle one's thoughts. Your thoughts havea massive influence on your life hence why a lot of gurus place emphasis on having control over your thoughts. If you struggle with overthinking then consider meditation so you can properly view and notice your thought patternsand possibly the triggers of certain thought patterns. Burning incense while meditating can help you drop into deep meditation much faster and help you stay there for much longer.

2. Journaling - Writing down one's thoughts is the next step after meditating. Now that you have identified your thoughts it's timeto write them down and see if you can spot any patterns, repetitions, and triggers. A familiar and calming fragrance like lavender or rose can be helpful while journaling.

3. Mindful Movement - Exercise has many benefits to the body and the mind. We recommend starting with yoga because it is often slow and mindful.Incense is beneficial to the yoga practice in the same way it is beneficial to meditation.

If you're more spiritually inclined, you may consider using incense sticks like the Dragon Blood Incense Stick to cleanse the atmosphere from any vengeful or depressing spirits. Incense is unique in the way it aids mental health because it intensifies and improves the benefits of normal mental health tips.