Mental Health 101

In the past the focus of mental health was directed towards problems such as depression and anxiety. Today there is a shift towards a holistic approach that includes mental wellness, mental fitness and other qualities that help an individual grow and flourish.

Those with good mental health are more likely to:

• cope effectively with life’s difficulties and challenges;
• perform better at school and work;
• have satisfying and lasting social relationships and intimate partnerships;
• be employed; and
• enjoy a good quality of life.

 

The qualities of good mental health

Good mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness. Review these qualities keeping in mind your own mental health:

• I generally feel good about myself
• I am able to accept life’s disappointments
• I don’t become overwhelmed by emotions, such as fear, anger, love, jealousy, guilt, or anxiety
• I have lasting and satisfying personal relationships
• I feel comfortable with other people
• I can laugh at myself and with others
• I have respect for myself and for others, even if there are differences
• I can meet life’s demands and handle my problems when they arise
• I make my own decisions
• I shape my environment whenever possible and adjust to it when necessary

Other qualities highlighted by various mental health resources include being able to: regulate emotions (manage them in healthy ways); respond to disappointments proportionally, and; realistically evaluate the importance of both successes and failures.

Enhance your mental health

• Engage in healthy behaviors

Eating a nutritious diet, getting sufficient quality sleep and engaging in regular physical activity are associated with better mental health and a reduced risk of mental illness. Indeed, it is unreasonable to expect to be mentally healthful if you are not engaging in these behaviors.

• Build resiliency

Resiliency is the ability to “bounce back” from stressful experiences, and to approach negative events in a constructive manner.  Resilient people recover quickly from difficult situations and are often better off because of the experience.

Resilient people develop and use their internal resources—known as assets—such as problem solving skills and communication skills. They also identify and use external resources such as supportive community organizations.

• Change the way you think

Your thoughts have a powerful effect on your feelings and, in turn, on your mental health.

You can challenge and change unhelpful, dysfunctional thoughts into realistic, helpful ones using the Cognitive Therapy approach. A central technique in CT is cognitive restructuring, where you identify problematic thoughts, examine them, and then restructure them into more helpful thoughts.

• Build good critical thinking skills

Lack of good critical thinking skills is a contributor to many mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, depression, low self-esteem). Treatment for mental health problems often includes changing thinking through the building of good critical thinking skills. For example, people with depression often focus on the negative aspects of a situation or have illogical thoughts related to it. People with anxiety also tend to overestimate the chances of bad outcomes.

• Change the way you feel

Cultivating positive emotions like joy, contentment, interest and gratitude enhances mental health. A powerful way to enhance positive emotions is to “count your blessings." Focus on what is good in your life. Be thankful for what you have. Also helpful are to prioritize activities that give you joy and purpose, and to find positive meaning in experiences. 

• Set realistic goals

People who set unrealistic goals tend to be unreasonable in their assessment of their talents, resources and various aspects or conditions of the situation. They set themselves up for failure, and when they don’t succeed it causes much misery. They may feel that they are worthless if they fall short of their goals, or make mistakes in attempting to achieve them.

Many people are so sure of their success that they fail to make plans in case they don’t succeed. 

• Challenge materialism

At the heart of consumer culture is the idea that having wealth or “stuff” will allow us to secure our needs and move closer to an idealized identity. Material objects are often associated with attributes like success.

People who are materialistic and pursue extrinsic goals like money or status are more likely to be anxious and depressed, less satisfied with life, and have more psychological problems.

If you critically examine yourself, you may realize that it is not wealth or stuff you want; rather, it is the feelings you hope to get from these things, such as security, love, or intimacy. Possessions will not build character or estimable personal qualities. Challenge the belief that having certain things will make you happy or help you become the person you aspire be. Practice and build self-control by delaying gratification: before you buy something take a day to think about it.

• Cultivate a healthy social network

Positive relationships are associated with better mental health. Having people in your life that care for you and that you care for increases your sense of belonging and self-worth. Friends can celebrate with you in good times and provide instrumental and emotional support in difficult times.

Having a few good friends is more important than having many friends. Social networks like Facebook make it easier to make new connections and to keep in touch with old friends. However, research reveals that online relationships are not as meaningful or beneficial as face-to-face encounters.  

Just as important as nurturing healthy relationships is cutting ties with bad (“toxic”) relationships that zap your energy and drag you down. Commit to breaking these unhealthy ties. 

• Give of yourself

Generosity benefits mental health in many ways. It is associated with reduced stress and depression, helps build social connections and enhances a person's sense of purpose. Serving others can increase well-being and life satisfaction, build empathy and gratitude, and give you a more balanced perspective on yourself and others.

One way to give of yourself is to volunteer. You don’t need to volunteer to benefit from giving of yourself. Even small daily gestures (e.g. helping a mother carry her stroller down the metro stairs) can make a difference in your mood and your sense of self-worth and purpose.

Be careful, however, not to give more of yourself than you are able to as this will overwhelm you and contribute to poorer mental health.

• Express your spirituality

Spiritual expression and growth involves building self-awareness and self-acceptance, connecting meaningfully with something beyond oneself, and developing a sense of meaning and purpose.

There are many ways to positively experience your spirituality. They include spending time in nature, using creativity and art, engaging in observances like meditation or prayer and participating in a faith community.

• Get help when you need it

There are many mental health related programs and services that can help you in times of need. To learn more about resources, click here.