Whether you realize it or not, mental health plays an important role in your overall well-being.
The National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) has stated: “It is true that many of us struggle with depression, grief, body image or other conditions.” In fact, “one in five people will be affected by a mental illness throughout their lives”.
When you are mentally healthy, you can enjoy your life and the people in it, feel good about yourself, maintain good relationships, and deal with stress.
It is normal for your mental health to change over time – we all face difficult situations in our lives. Building positive habits is a great way to support your mental health when you’re doing well and helps build skills to use if you’re facing symptoms of a mental health condition.
Awareness:Mental health awareness needs more than a month of attention | Opinion
Exercise:Walk, bike or hike this May to celebrate National Sports and Physical Activity Month
Tips for good emotional and mental health
Given that uncertainty seems to be the “norm” in this fast-paced society, as is reported in the news every day, particularly in the realm of politics at the moment, wouldn’t it be nice to have some strategies for achieving good mental health and improve our emotional well-being?
Emotionally healthy people do better when they are in control of their emotions and behavior. These people can build strong relationships, bounce back from setbacks, and handle life’s challenges. However, you may be wondering, “How can I improve my own emotional health?”
What is emotional or mental health?
Emotional or mental health refers to your overall psychological well-being. Having good mental health is not just the absence of mental health problems. It refers to the presence of positive characteristics. Not feeling bad is not the same as feeling good. Although you may not necessarily have negative feelings, you still need to do things that make you feel positive in order to achieve mental and emotional health.
Mentally and emotionally healthy people have:
- a feeling of satisfaction
- The ability to cope with stress and bounce back from adversity.
- The flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change.
- The ability to build and maintain satisfying relationships.
- A sense of meaning and purpose, both in your activities and in your relationships.
- The ability to find a balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.
- Passion for life and the ability to laugh and have fun.
- Self-confidence and high esteem
Now that we have defined what emotional health is and looked at some of the characteristics of people who are in good mental health, we can summarize some of the main components that can help us achieve this state. To summarize, some important components are as follows:
Role of physical health in mental and emotional health
Improving your physical health leads to experiencing greater mental and emotional well-being. Exercise (physical activity), for example, not only has the potential to strengthen the heart and lungs, it also releases endorphins, chemicals that can energize us and improve our mood and outlook.
Consider the following recommendations:
- get enough rest
- Learn about good nutrition (and practice it)
- Exercise to relieve stress and improve mood
- Get a dose of sunlight every day (10 to 15 minutes per day)
- Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs.
Take care of yourself to improve mental and emotional health
Pay attention to your own needs and feelings to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health. Try to maintain a balance between taking on daily responsibilities and doing things you enjoy so that stress and negative emotions are less likely to build up.
Taking care of yourself will prepare you to meet challenges when they arise. Consider the following:
- Do things that have a positive impact on others.
- Practice self-discipline.
- Learn or discover new things.
- Focus on enjoying the beauty of art or nature.
- Manage your stress levels (stress management strategies can help bring you back into balance, such as meditation or yoga).
- Limit unhealthy habits like worrying.
Supportive Relationships as the Foundation of Emotional Health
As human beings, we are social creatures and have an emotional need for positive relationships and connections with others. Finding social interaction with someone who is a good listener will foster a supportive relationship, as they can “hear” the feelings behind your words and not interrupt, judge, or criticize you.
Develop a relationship with someone you can talk to regularly, which can lead to a supportive relationship of listening to each other. Some possible ways to connect with others:
- Step away from your computer/TV screen.
- Take some time each day to be with the people you like, face to face (make it a priority).
- Volunteer (doing something that helps others).
- Become a member (join networks, social action, conservation, special interest groups).
Problems related to mental health are particularly prevalent in our society. Some recommendations to help address this problem (in part) may include dietary approaches and physical activity interventions, as well as mental health screening and appropriate consultation and follow-up.
Certainly, a multifaceted approach seems to be the one that may have the best chance of addressing the important social problem of mental health.
An additional area of interest in relation to a person’s mental health status is that of emotional intelligence defined as the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. You can find a summary at psychologytoday.com.
Additional Resources
Here are links to a couple of national resources for more information on mental health:
Mental Health America (MHA), founded in 1909, is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of people living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. For more detailed information, go to mhanational.org.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Check out this resource at nami.org.
The pandemic, inflation, and political turmoil are factors that add to our anxiety levels today. And when these stresses lead to more serious mental health issues, there are a host of treatment options and resources available in the region.
Use this link to listen to the May 19 WFSU-FM radio broadcast, which focused on local mental health resources. news.wfsu.org.
Mark A. Mahoney, Ph.D., has been a registered dietitian/nutritionist for more than 35 years and completed graduate studies in nutrition and public health at Columbia University. He can be reached at [email protected].
