What is Mental Health?
At times, life can feel like a whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, and challenges which can have a negative impact on our mental health. Most of the times that challenges arise, we have the resilience and strength to find solutions and solve our problems. However, sometimes our ability to draw on our strength and problem-solve is much harder. At times we can feel mentally or physically exhausted and simply not have the energy or inclination to face another problem.
Even when life is good most of the time, there are still times that life can deal us some difficult cards which can make our mental health go up and down. It can feel like we are in the ocean with big waves coming like life’s problems coming toward us, and usually we can ride over the top of the waves and stay afloat, but some waves hold us down for too long and we cannot catch a breath.
Some of the things that can impact our mental health include pressure, expectations, illness, chronic pain, disability, unemployment, financial problems, housing problems, work stress, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, infidelity, communication breakdown, parenting or co-parenting after divorce. These can be new or sudden events which can take you by surprise and throw you sideways, or they can be long-term, unrelenting, chronic situations which wear you down over time.
On the other hand, you may feel that your mental health is in good health, and you might feel ready to make the most of life, ready to use this empowered feeling to put yourself forward for that promotion. You may feel like you are in the right mental health to start a new relationship, start your own business, or follow a dream. You may wish to learn more about yourself to maximize your potential, or feel ready to deal with old wounds that you have never felt ready to face before.
We all know that we need to take good care of our physical health by eating well, getting enough rest, exercising regularly, having check-ups, engaging in enjoyable activities while keeping unhealthy things (alcohol and risky behaviours) to a minimum. We go to the gym, go for a walk, get a skin check, see the dentist and many other things to take care of our physical health.
But do we pay the same attention to our mental health? How do we take care of our mental health? We may do yoga, mindfulness, breathing exercises, self-care, journaling, or creative arts. We might read books, listen to music or podcasts, learn new things, or have a long soak in the bathtub with candles and wine. We could spend time with friends or spend time alone in quiet meditation. We could learn more about ourselves and reflect on ways to improve the way we think, feel and interact with the world. We might like to learn how to catch ourselves in the moment and change how we respond to challenges or feedback. We could take time to notice the best parts of ourselves and enjoy feeling good about who we are, how loved we are, and what we have to give.
Key Point: It is super important for our overall wellbeing that we give our mental health the same attention as our physical health. Most of the time we can take care of our own mental health; however, just like with our physical health, sometimes we may need to reach out for some help or encouragement from a professional.