Mental Health

People who are emotionally healthy know how to balance their stress.

They are able to handle life stressors well because they learned effective coping skills to deal with them. When problems come, whatever these may be, they are able to bounce back and move on.

Easier said than done.

For starters, most people take their mental health for granted. They only focus on it when problems come, and by then it is already too late. The fact is, the more time you invest in your mental health, the better off you will be. There are other things you can do to boost your mood and improve emotional resilience, but first we need to define what is mental health.

What Is Mental Health Exactly?

Mental Health refers to your overall psychological well-being.

It includes a balance between social, emotional and psychological areas in your life. It is about your ability to interact with others, form new relationships and your capacity to deal with adversity.

Some will believe that mental health is simply the absence of mental problems such as depression, stress or other mental conditions. When in fact, being emotionally healthy is both the lack of significant psychological problems and the presence of positive characteristics within a person.

Did You Know?

Psychological studies show that your mind and your body are strongly linked. A positive outlook can help keep you healthy.

• 80 percent of Americans say that during the past few years they have become more aware of how their mental health and emotions can affect their physical health (APA 2005)
• Two-thirds of all office visits to family physicians are due to stress-related symptoms (American Academy of Family Physicians)
• 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress ("The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life", Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D., and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D.)
• Employees receiving mental health counseling lowered the usage of medical insurance by 31 percent(Group Health Association)
• Research supports the idea that having a positive outlook can extend one's life ("Emotional Longevity: What Really Determines How Long You Live," Norman B. Anderson and Elizabeth P. Anderson, 2003)

Source: American Psychological Association

Easy Tips for Mental Health



• Be at peace. Learn more about yourself, and acknowledge the things that make you happy. Give yourself permission to be satisfied with who you are and what you have accomplished.

• Make time for family and friends. This is your time to be a better person. Treasure those around you and be there for them.

• Your body goes through a lot. Treat it well. Regular physical activity has shown to help reduce the symptoms of depression and stress.

  A good nutritional diet can help your body cope better with life problems. Some vitamin supplements are known to lessen the symptoms of several mental conditions, such as depression. For example, some studies have found that the lack of nutrients such as - calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, selenium, zinc, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids - lead to depression. For more information, ask your primary care physician or nutritionist.

• Help others. Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to do something special. Realizing that you have given a hand to another person will help you feel better. Also, giving your time to help others is a good way to meet people with similar interests.

• Recognize your accomplishments.

  Give yourself permission to break away from the negative messages you give yourself. This will take time but be patient. Your mind has learned this behavior and won’t give it up without some effort. Instead, rephrase those comments into something positive.

• Keep your goals realistic. Don’t fall for the Mount Everest Syndrome. Don’t set your goals too high too soon (e.g., buying a house that you can’t afford or losing an excessive amount of weight in little time). If you do, you are setting yourself for failure.

  Be as ambitious as you’d like to be. Feel free to dream about anything you want to do, but make sure you give yourself ample time and patience. Remember, most big accomplishments are the accumulation of small and realistic goals. They do add up in the end in a good way.

• Reward yourself. You try to do things right. Whatever the outcome, reward yourself often. Life is a journey. Enjoy it while you can.

Online Citations

10 Tips for Mental Health. Describes a guide on improving mental health. Canadian Mental Health Association.

Mental Health. Provides information on good mental health. The Women's National Health Information Center.

Mind Enhancement. Reviews simple strategies to improve mental health. Epigee Mental Health Fitness.

How to start a weight loss program. Offers a guide on setting realistic goals for weight loss. Discovery Health.




Article created: September 10, 2010

Updated: June 23, 2011

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