Importance of Physical and Mental Hygiene

Life for many of us involves constant struggle, often feeling like an endless competition for our bodies. Our body is the main tool we rely on to navigate these challenges, and it must be kept in good shape to compete effectively and enjoy the full benefits of health. The human body is an amazing machine that functions best when all its parts are working well together. Therefore, to maintain a healthy body, it is essential that all its organs perform their functions properly. 

Classification: Environmental hygiene includes: 

1. Personal care practices like bathing with soap, ensuring fresh air and ventilation, and having access to good food and light. 

2. Community aspects such as water supply and drainage systems. Personal hygiene can be divided into: a) Physical hygiene, which involves exercise and yoga practices. b) Mental hygiene, which includes techniques like shatkriyas.

Personal hygiene is important for both our body and mind. It involves daily habits that help us live a healthy life. Physical hygiene includes taking care of our senses like our eyes, nose, mouth, skin, and ears, as well as bathing, wearing clean clothes, and washing our hands. 

We can keep up our physical hygiene by exercising and doing yoga. In many developed countries, people really focus on physical hygiene, and there are simple ways to stay clean, like drinking clean water. For internal hygiene, we can practice techniques like dauti, basti, neti, nauli, trataka, and kapalabati to stay clean inside. Internal hygiene also means keeping our thoughts clean.

Mental hygiene is crucial for a balanced life, as it highlights the mind's impact on overall health. Sigmund Freud pointed out that the unconscious mind significantly influences psychosomatic illnesses like hypertension, mental stress, and depression. 

Therefore, to avoid these psychosomatic issues and their complications, it's essential to practice mental hygiene. This can be achieved through positive thinking, prayer, and meditation.

Personal hygiene is all about understanding your responsibilities towards your body and making an effort to keep it clean and healthy as part of your daily routine. In fact, personal hygiene is often more important than just eating good and nutritious food when it comes to your physical and mental well-being. 

There are two main types of hygiene: physical and mental. Physical hygiene is basically the science that focuses on promoting and maintaining health. It involves staying clean and taking care of your appearance so that you meet basic social standards and don’t become a burden on yourself or others. It's important to look tidy and avoid any unpleasant odors.

It's important to maintain a tidy appearance. The goal is to encourage good personal hygiene and respect for our surroundings. Personal hygiene involves things like wearing clean clothes, taking baths, washing hands, and taking care of your feet. These habits should be taught from a young age and continued throughout life.

For your hair, make sure to shampoo it at least once a week. After washing, dry it properly. Brush your hair 3 to 4 times daily using a soft brush or a wide-toothed comb. Remember to clean your brush and comb every time you wash your hair. 

It's also a good idea to oil your scalp once a week, ideally about an hour before you wash your hair. For your skin, using soap and water is key to keeping it clear, so aim for a bath once or twice a day. You don't need to use germicidal or antiseptic soaps every day. A bath sponge is great for scrubbing, just make sure to rinse off thoroughly after soaping. Always dry off with a clean towel and try not to share soaps or towels with others.

Taking care of your teeth is super important! Make sure to brush them twice a day and rinse well after every meal. Don't forget to brush before bed! It's also crucial to clean out any food stuck between your teeth. Use toothpaste that isn't too harsh. 

For your hands, always wash them with soap and water before and after meals and after using the bathroom. Make sure to scrub between your fingers, under your nails, and the back of your hands. After washing, dry your hands with a clean towel. When it comes to nails, if you want them to grow long, you need to keep them clean. 

Short nails are easier to manage. Healthy nails come from a healthy body, so if your nails are brittle or discolored, it might mean something's wrong. For your feet, give them a good scrub with a sponge or foot scrubber when you take a bath, and dry them well with a clean cotton towel, especially between your toes. Don't forget to keep your toenails trimmed!

Menstrual Hygiene: 

No woman feels entirely at ease during her period, so it's important to use sanitary pads or napkins to manage the flow. They should be changed every 6 hours to avoid risks like toxic shock or infections. Keeping clean is crucial. Cleaning the sense organs: For the nose, inhale 2 drops of sesame oil in each nostril every morning to protect your eyes, nose, and ears from illness while nourishing the tissues in your head and neck. 

This practice strengthens your sense organs and can help prevent headaches. For your eyes, you can clean them with cold water, do eye exercises, and practice Trataka to avoid infections and improve eyesight while strengthening eye muscles. For your ears, using mustard oil to remove wax can enhance your hearing and prevent infections.

For your tongue: 

Start by swishing warm water in your mouth to help loosen plaque. Then, wet your tongue and apply a good amount of cleanser. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush or a tongue scraper to clean from the back to the front and along the sides. For cleaning your gastrointestinal tract, try Vamana and vastra dhauti techniques. These help clear out excess bile, acid, and undigested food, boosting your body's energy. 

An enema is useful for cleansing the lower gastrointestinal tract and can help prevent constipation. To keep your urinary tract healthy, drink plenty of water to promote urination and flush out waste. Other ways to maintain good physical hygiene include hydrotherapy treatments like hip baths, arm baths, and steam baths, as well as balanced eating habits. Don't forget to incorporate exercises, meditation, and pranayama into your routine for overall wellness. Personal and physical hygiene is really important!

Environmental hygiene refers to keeping our surroundings clean and is split into two parts: domestic hygiene and community hygiene. Domestic hygiene focuses on maintaining cleanliness in our homes, which includes using soap, storing and preparing food safely, disposing of waste properly, ensuring good lighting and ventilation, and having access to fresh water. 

It also involves protecting our homes from pests like rats and insects. On the other hand, community hygiene aims to enhance basic sanitary services, which include the proper disposal of human waste and other garbage, ensuring food safety, controlling pests, and providing adequate housing. The advantages of practicing physical hygiene include fostering a sense of cleanliness, compassion, and awareness, while also helping to purify our body, mind, and intellect.

Genetic factors: 

Schizophrenia (a mental disorder that affects personality)

Social issues: 

• Stress

• Low income

• Unstable family situations

• Anxiety.

Ways to prevent mental health issues: 

Primary prevention :

Focused on the community by enhancing social activities and promoting overall health.

Secondary prevention: 

Through early detection, screening, and mental health counseling.

Tertiary prevention: 

Aiming to shorten the illness duration by alleviating stress for families and communities.

Other techniques: 

• Breathing exercises 

• Relaxation techniques.

Signs of bad mental health include excessive worrying, getting angry easily, having trouble sleeping, mood swings between feeling sad and happy, feeling consistently unhappy without a clear reason, avoiding social interactions, and experiencing fear without any real cause. 

To manage mental well-being, one can pray to find peace, think positively, chant Aum to create good vibes, change their surroundings, practice breathing exercises, meditate, relax, and use techniques like SMET for stress management and MSRT for mental clarity. In conclusion, taking care of both physical and mental health is essential for overall well-being, and it's important to keep both aspects in balance for a healthy life.