MY SECRET
TO STAYING
POSITIVE
Though it requires as much attention as our physical wellbeing, most of us neglect our
mental health. Group fitness guru Marietta Mehanni shares four practical actions to
maintain a positive outlook, even in tough times.
D uring the recent pandemic
lockdown, I received an email
asking what my secret to
positivity was. Through the tough
times. how did I stay positive and show up
with a smile on Facebook Live every day? I
knew instantly what my answer was: I
actively look after my mental wellbeing. The
email, however, prompted me to consider
the various contributing factors and to write
them down. Here, I’ll share those with you, in
the hope that something that works for me
may also be of some help to you.
With regards our physical health, we
make sure that our bodies get good nutrition
and rest and move regularly. In our industry,
we also focus on improving specific aspects
of fitness such as strength, balance,
flexibility, endurance (muscle and cardio)
and range of motion. However, it is also
about having balance, so that our lives do
not become entirely consumed by nutrition
or training. The aim is to keep a good sense
of perspective.
I strongly believe that mental health
requires just as much attention and
concentrated effort as physical health.
The problem is, most people pay very little
attention to this aspect of their being. As
with physical health, this neglect will catch
up with us eventually, especially in a crisis.
So, what is my ‘secret’? Here are four
things I do to try and keep my mind as
healthy and resilient as my body.
1. Meditation
Every day I meditate for approximately 20
minutes. I started meditating 12 years ago,
and it took some time to get to a point where
I could do it for this long, and on a daily basis,
but it was worth the perseverance. Lately, I
have also added a second meditation in the
middle of the day.
The immediate effect of meditation is an
almost instantly more relaxed mind, as well
as the ability to concentrate and focus better.
The longer-term effect is that I feel
detached. This is something that most people
do not understand until they experience it.
It doesn’t mean that I don’t have empathy
or experience a range of emotions. What
it means is that I don’t experience despair,
depression or fear, and I enjoy an underlying
feeling that everything will be OK. Trust me,
I did not used to feel this way, and every day
was an emotional roller coaster, which was
incredibly draining.
Detachment provides the mental space
to view the world, and then have a conscious
mind that can make a decision separate
from what is happening around you. This
is called being ‘unconditional’, and means
that, even when confronted with pessimism
and negative tension, I don’t react, but
instead maintain a state of being relaxed and
satisfied. I know, deep down, that everything
is going to be alright. This long-term effect of
meditation is profound.
2. Journaling
Every day I journal about what makes me
happy and the things that are going well in
my life. This is an important muscle in our
minds that we often fail to strengthen. I have
been doing this for nine years and it has
really helped me to maintain perspective
when dramas occur. When I have drama, it is
often short lived. Focusing on drama brings
more drama.
42 | NETWORK WINTER 2020