Can Mental Health Problems Be Prevented?

How do you spot someone who is mentally healthy? Researchers state that those who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and behaviour, able to face the challenges of life, maintain and build strong relationships and recover easily from setbacks. Your mental health isn’t a given though – it requires as much effort and work as your physical health. There are many benefits to good mental health, such as a lowered risk of depression, a contented outlook and the ability to cope with the ups and downs of life. It will also boost your overall mood and well-being, build up resilience and lead to a more contented life overall. The term mental health refers to our overall psychological well-being, including your self esteem, the quality of your relationships, and how you cope with your feelings and any difficulties in your life. There’s more to good mental health that just being free of mental health problems – it encapsulates far more than people realise. Depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns all come under the umbrella term ‘mental health problems’, but just because you don’t have these doesn’t necessarily mean that you have good mental health.

 

So how do you know if you’re mentally well? People who have good emotional and mental health generally have a sense of contentment, a zest for life and the ability to have fun. They are able to deal well with adversity and stress, rather than succumbing to anger and upset easily. They have a healthy balance between work and play, finding equal time for activity and rest. These people are able to maintain good, fulfilling relationships, and have a strong sense of confidence in their bodies and actions. They find it easy to adapt to change, learn new things and take up new routines without worry or difficulty. While generalised, these features are common in people who have a sound, healthy mental health. All in all, positive mental health helps you to make the most of life and all it offers, enabling you to lead a full lifestyle with strong relationships, fulfilling activities and a productive work life. Life can be difficult, angering and stressful, but if you’re mentally fit and agile, you can bounce back and learn from it.

There are a number of ways of improving how you live your life and the effects your lifestyle has on your mental health. For example, connecting with others is a great way to do this. Why not volunteer and help someone out just for the pleasure of making life easier for them? Spend time with friends and family, rather than spending time at home on your own. Join groups and clubs in your local area, learn a new skill and make friends with new people – these are all things that can help you to feel more fulfilled. You can also make positive changes to your lifestyle, such as limiting alcohol, quitting drugs and smoking, and getting plenty of exercise. Taking better care of yourself isn’t just a change you make when you want physical adaptations – it can do wonders for how you feel as well. It will also help you to manage your stress levels, something that can have a negative impact on your mental health. Staying calm, relaxing more often, and doing things that make you happy will all have a positive effect. If you’re worried about your mental health, speak to your GP who can advise you of ways you can make a positive impact on how you feel.

Categories: depression, health, health problems, Healthy, life, mental, Mental Health, people, Positivity, strong relationships, term mental

Live Long and Foster: Strong Relationships Benefit Health

If you’re taking care of family wellness, there’s one thing you need; other people. Obviously, you need more than just you to make a family, but research shows that connecting with others is vastly beneficial to your wellbeing. Not only does interaction raise your spirits, but it also does wonders for your health.

 

According to the results of prominent researcher Sheldon Cohen, PhD, from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, if you form close bonds with other people, you’ll live for longer than those who don’t foster meaningful relationships. In one of his studies, Dr Cohen analysed the autobiographies of 96 psychologists and 220 literary writers for words that indicated close relationships, such as father, mother, neighbour, sister, brother etc. The writers who used the most of these words in their stories had lived for longer than those who used these terms less often. Moreover, a 2007 study from University College London found that people who have more negative interactions in their closest relationships are more likely to develop heart disease.

 

So how do you strengthen your relationship wellness?

 

1. Accept the things you cannot change. People are different and flawed and, no matter how hard you try, you’re never going to fix the things you don’t like about someone. Love the people in your life for the people that they are, warts and all.

 

2. Accentuate the positive. You can choose to look at annoying habits in others as deal breakers or irritants, or you can try to see them as charming quirks. That’s just part of who they are, and you might even miss those little annoying behaviours if they were gone.

 

3. Show your appreciation. Even if your loved ones are “supposed” to do certain chores, make sure you say thank you – a little gratitude goes a long way.

 

4. Walk a mile in their shoes. Your style of handling conflict or difficult situations may be different to the other person’s. You may rather hash it all out, but your loved one may be an internal processor, and would prefer to think things through alone. Accept the difference, and try to adjust the way you interact.

Categories: Acceptance, Appreciation, health, live, longer, nbsp, people, positive thinking, Relationships, strong relationships