So we took a break from mental health for a while to look at a few more fun topics. (Did you groove today?) Now I'd like to swing back and talk about something that I found while digging around the net the other day.
We've talked a lot about mental health, and there are thousands of websites out there dedicated to helping people understand and cope with different kinds of mental illnesses and disorders, but we never really defined what mental health is!
The American Psychiatric Association has long been the organization that defines mental illnesses and disorders. It has only recently started to note that mental health is more than just the lack of mental illness. Through a study of the characteristics that make up mental health, there has been a realization that there are different levels of mental health among people who do not suffer from any form of mental illness. Here are some of the characteristics of what makes up mental health:
The ability to enjoy life
While it is important for us to plan for the future, we have to have the ability to live in the moment and enjoy life. If our entire life is consumed with planing for the future and what may come, we don't stop and enjoy our everyday lives.
Resilience
This is our ability to bounce back from adversity. We all know that some people handle stress better than others. Those who are able to deal with their lives and what they have been given seem to have more resilience than those who repeat the hardships in their lives by continuing to stress about them.
Balance
Balance is very important in life. We have to balance time we spend with others with time that we spend alone. We have to have a work-life balance. We have to balance the amount of energy we spend looking out for others with the amount that we spend looking out for ourselves. People who can find this balance have better mental health that those who let the scales tip to one side or the other.
Self-actualization
This has to do with how we deal with what we are given in life. Some seem to flourish and exceed expectations with what they are given in life, while others seem to squander the gifts that they are given.
Flexibility
People who are very rigid in their lives often fall prey to stress because of the inability to cope with changing circumstances. Those who can roll with the punches seem to have better mental health, and the ability to better deal with the major challenges that life sets forth.
There are many other factors to mental health, such as the ability to form strong relationships, self esteem, and even healthy sexuality. How a person deals with grief and loss also contributes to a persons mental health.
As always, I remind you that overall health encompasses a lot of factors, taking little steps towards healthy living makes a HUGE difference!
We've talked a lot about mental health, and there are thousands of websites out there dedicated to helping people understand and cope with different kinds of mental illnesses and disorders, but we never really defined what mental health is!
The American Psychiatric Association has long been the organization that defines mental illnesses and disorders. It has only recently started to note that mental health is more than just the lack of mental illness. Through a study of the characteristics that make up mental health, there has been a realization that there are different levels of mental health among people who do not suffer from any form of mental illness. Here are some of the characteristics of what makes up mental health:
The ability to enjoy life
While it is important for us to plan for the future, we have to have the ability to live in the moment and enjoy life. If our entire life is consumed with planing for the future and what may come, we don't stop and enjoy our everyday lives.
Resilience
This is our ability to bounce back from adversity. We all know that some people handle stress better than others. Those who are able to deal with their lives and what they have been given seem to have more resilience than those who repeat the hardships in their lives by continuing to stress about them.
Balance
Balance is very important in life. We have to balance time we spend with others with time that we spend alone. We have to have a work-life balance. We have to balance the amount of energy we spend looking out for others with the amount that we spend looking out for ourselves. People who can find this balance have better mental health that those who let the scales tip to one side or the other.
Self-actualization
This has to do with how we deal with what we are given in life. Some seem to flourish and exceed expectations with what they are given in life, while others seem to squander the gifts that they are given.
Flexibility
People who are very rigid in their lives often fall prey to stress because of the inability to cope with changing circumstances. Those who can roll with the punches seem to have better mental health, and the ability to better deal with the major challenges that life sets forth.
There are many other factors to mental health, such as the ability to form strong relationships, self esteem, and even healthy sexuality. How a person deals with grief and loss also contributes to a persons mental health.
As always, I remind you that overall health encompasses a lot of factors, taking little steps towards healthy living makes a HUGE difference!
