What a Former Monk Can Teach You About Building a Healthy Inner Voice
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Jay Shetty, author, life coach and more isn't here for simple hacks and quick tips to better your mental health. He's here—in his life and yours—for the long and difficult journey that ultimately leads to progress, growth, and understanding.
"I don't want to give a short-term fix to what I really believe is a journey people need to go on," Shetty recently told Men's Health. "Of course we know that gratitude has benefits and exercise has benefits and having deeper sleep is fantastic. We know all of these things... But I want to encourage people to really start a [mental health] journey. You've ignored that feeling for too long."
For Mental Health Awareness Month, Shetty—who is the host of the On Purpose podcast, a former Hindu monk and the author of Think Like A Monk — chatted with psychiatrist and Men's Health advisor Dr. Drew Ramsey on the Instagram Live show Friday Sessions about his perspective on men's mental health, therapy, and the development of emotional intelligence. The conversation marked the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, but is certainly just the beginning of conversations around men's mental wellbeing.
After acknowledging the trying aftermath of the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX, Shetty and Dr. Ramsey dove into a related conversation about mental health in the modern era.
"At the very root of mental health is the quality of our thoughts and our ability to experience, express, and understand what to do with different thoughts, ideas, interactions, and conversations," Shetty told Dr. Ramsey. "When we think about our physical health, we think about muscles and parts of our body. But I think if we asked most people about the parts of their minds, most of us would struggle to know what are the parts of the mind."
But for Shetty, unlocking the mysteries of the mind isn't the sole key to better mental health. Shetty pointed to the idea of intelligence as something outside the mind that is a true guiding force for a more grounded life.
In the conversation, Shetty described the nebulous intelligence of that "wise voice" telling us to slow down or take a moment, encouraging us to be humbled by and aware of our surroundings.
"From a monk perspective, we are always trying to rise above the mind in order to engage with our intelligence to redirect the mind," he said. "So I would say that mental health is a strong intelligence that is able to guide, direct, and lead the mind as opposed to being led by the mind."
When approaching conversations about mental health, Shetty said he pulls from his background as a monk, but also pulls from western well-being practices, aiming to create a healthy balance in thought and approach. He said that being around monks and their approach to the mind since his teen years was key to his own journey with mental wellbeing. Though influenced by Eastern principles, Shetty said he also values the Western preoccupation with structure in creating a tangible journey toward better mental health.
"Western culture is great at his creating structure and creating systems and creating processes for getting from A to B," Shetty said. "A lot of the other ideologies that are out there are sometimes more ethereal. They are more realization-based. A lot of it is really self-discovery and personal realization from personal application as opposed to knowing what an external journey could look like."
For many people struggling with their mental health, part of that journey to improved wellbeing could involve therapy. During the talk, Shetty took time to acknowledge the importance of therapy, speaking about the value of vulnerability and the "unique perspective" offered by someone outside of your circle.
In fact, the podcast host recently worked to demystify therapy through his On Purpose podcast by recording a real therapy session from start to finish. (See an interview he did with Men's Health about finding purpose here.)
"I think we talk a lot about, 'People should go to therapy for this' and 'These are the benefits of therapy,' but it's kind of like describing an amazing restaurant without taking someone there," Shetty said.
Though therapy can be a Michelin star-worthy experience, that doesn't mean it isn't difficult, and Shetty recognizes this. But he also asserted that the journey toward better mental health is undoubtedly important to start sooner rather than later.
"When you start that journey, it doesn't mean you sort it out that year," he said. "It doesn't mean you solve it. It just means it's better to start now than waiting another five years."
Watch the entire conversation below:
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