Mental hygiene works in the same basic principles as, for example, dental hygiene. Plaque forms on our teeth and if we don‘t remove it continuously by regular brushing, we will have problems sooner or later. It's the same with our psyche. Throughout the day, we expose it to stress and other mental strain, and if we don't regularly alleviate this strain, we will sooner or later get into trouble.

We put a strain on the psyche just by changing activities frequently, by not being able to group work into smaller units and devote an hour to one task, finish it, and then devote ourselves to another. Instead, we change activities from one to another very quickly. Clients I encounter in my practice often complain that they do too much. That they were too busy. And when I ask them in what sequence they do their work, it turns out that they spend some time writing, some time on the phone, and they generally divide their attention between different activities. When we then analyze it in more detail, we find that the individual types of their work activities could be grouped into longer time units. This would allow these distracted, overworked people to focus on one thing for a certain period of time and not skip. High dynamism and great flexibility put a strain on our psyche, it is simply not built to handle too fast changes in the long term. And if we expose it to such rapid changes day after day, we should do the exact opposite during our free time. A simple example: a person who is confined to an office from morning till evening and has to quickly switch from one activity to another at work should engage in simple monotonous activities over the weekend, preferably outdoors (cycling, hiking with light to moderate effort, chopping wood, mowing the lawn). So that their psyche transitions into a completely different mode than what they experience at work.

It is similar to when someone works physically, such as a lumberjack or a mover, and daily exposes their musculoskeletal system to significant strain. To be more precise: they unilaterally strain specific parts of their musculoskeletal system. For such a person, especially if they are older, it is not ideal to set a goal to dig the garden at the weekend after the working week. They should instead spend Saturday and Sunday in peace, read a book and give their tired muscles and joints a rest.

This means that people who have sedentary jobs and work mentally are recommended to do the exact opposite. Being outdoors provides oxygen, sunlight and movement boost the production of serotonin in the body, a substance often called the "hormone of good mood." And most importantly, to stay active. To engage in prolonged physical activity that ideally includes an aerobic component – meaning it should involve some physical activity or exercise where the muscles work for an extended period at a high heart rate and with a significant supply of oxygen. Aerobic exercises include activities such as jogging, swimming, or cycling. The point is that stress produces adrenaline in the body, which most people with mentally demanding jobs are unable to process effectively, leading to potential harm within the body. Therefore, it is recommended to do aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week, during which these hormones, which the body produces under stress and does not process, can be "burned".

The body and psyche are interconnected, difficulties in one of them usually manifest in the other. Modern scientific disciplines that deal with the human psyche are increasingly emphasizing the importance of the symbiosis of these two components. In fact, they are rediscovering the old Tyrš motto: a healthy mind in a healthy body.

But be careful, when we say that it is necessary to do the opposite of what occupies us at work during our free time, that after many hours of sedentary work, some movement and muscle effort are beneficial, we must always consult our body while doing so. We must listen to it. If we leave work truly exhausted in the evening but push ourselves to go to the gym according to our New Year's resolution, where we will squeeze out even more energy, we can only make the fatigue worse. This means completely exhausting yourself, causing a virus or, in the worst case, causing an injury. So listen to your body and, in some cases, consider whether it might be better to go for a massage. Or at least treat yourself to a bath with aromatic oils and pleasant music. That‘s why relaxation and wellness zones are also being created in gyms. They are not just about hedonistic pleasures, but about balancing the stress. It's great to strengthen the body through training, but as every bodybuilder knows, it's equally important to give it thorough rest. Muscles grow during recovery.

Simply, there are situations when our body advises us to indulge in restful relaxation. This can include many forms. For example, I try to refer my clients to classical music, which is incredibly calming and has a positive impact on concentration and thinking. Finally, even lying down next to your child and just talking to them, or next to your partner, can be a great form of relaxation. You can start thinking out loud together, for example, about planning a vacation, just let your thoughts flow freely. Sure, you need to be careful that you don't have extremely different opinions about the vacation, as that could quickly disrupt the pleasant flow of thoughts. You can relax by cooking your favorite meal or going on a pleasant visit.

Otherwise, if we're not too tired and have enough energy for some physical exertion, then we don't have to just work out at the gym and play sports. Just clear out the apartment or garage. Get to work! It has a double beneficial effect: it's a physical activity that keeps us moving, and at the same time it helps us create order at home, which makes us happy because we've done something useful for ourselves, which is somewhat fading nowadays. Our clients say they don't even remember the last time they shoveled, carried a wheelbarrow with a load, whitewashed a wall. And when you start doing housework, follow the seasons. Start in the kitchen, make jams and fruit buns in the summer, cook, fry, dry and pickle mushrooms in the autumn. This teaches people to go into the countryside and to observe it more closely. I always encourage my clients to do this. Go into the countryside and explore it, observe it, and enjoy it and the amazing creations of shapes and colors, the play of light and shadow. I think we miss such moments of stopping and enjoying. That is also mental hygiene. Go into the countryside in every season, even when the weather isn't nice. You know the situation when you sit gloomy at home, locked between the walls and it's cold and cloudy outside. Who would want to go out? No one, but in such moments, we should push ourselves purely out of self-love, because we want to do something for our body and mind. I have a fresh experience that when we overcome ourselves, it's worth it. Some time ago, after a very long time, I tried to persuade myself to start cross-country skiing again.  And in my youth, I used to compete in cross-country skiing at a top level. So when I finally got to go to the mountains, stop there, get out of the warm car, put on my cross-country skis and hit the trail... I suddenly felt very happy inside. Not only from the exercise, but also from the beauty of nature. After a long time, I was alone in the middle of a deep winter forest, surrounded by frosty branches. Then a bubbling stream appeared, frozen at the edges with ice chunks that glittered as the sun shone on them. These were experiences that we don't encounter in the city or at home. I always realize that we live in today's world where we have navigation in our cars and phones, and there are no unknown paths. So when I go out into the countryside, away from human houses, and set a goal that I will seek based on intuition and memory, guided by signs and markers, and consult a paper map, I will strengthen that weakening sense of orientation in the landscape. And at the same time, I set a goal, some direction for a while, and lose the fear of being aimless, lonely, and without purpose.

Each of my lectures on mental hygiene always ends with these seven pillars, which form the basis of mental hygiene: