Cornerstones of Good Mental Health

Two important cornerstones of good mental health are resiliency and the ability to develop supportive relationships. Even though disappointment, loss and change are normal events in life; they often cause feelings of stress, sadness and anxiety. People who lack good mental health can be overwhelmed by these feelings. Resiliency, the ability to persevere in the face of adversity and bounce back after traumatic or stressful events, is a vital component of good mental health. Resiliency provides the coping mechanisms people rely on to maintain the focus, flexibility and creativity necessary to weather difficult events.

The ability to recognize emotions and express them appropriately is a key component of resiliency. Resiliency allows people to balance negative emotions with positive ones, preventing a slide into depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. Increasing flexibility and providing balance in your life can improve resiliency. The following actions suggested by the American Psychological Association can help you build resiliency:

• Allow yourself to experience strong emotions. However, be aware that strong emotions may need to be avoided if they threaten to interfere with your ability to function.
• Be proactive about addressing problems as they occur, but learn to stop and relax when you need to reenergize.
• Spend time with loved ones and allow their support and encouragement to nurture you.
• Cultivate the ability to rely on others, but learn to rely on yourself, too.

Like resiliency, supportive relationships are important to good mental health. We are social creatures who crave companionship. We draw emotional strength from the support of other people. Developing an ability to forge positive relationships with others may take time and effort, but those connections are vital to our emotional health. Use these tips to help build strong, supportive relationships:

• Turn off the computer or television and socialize with family, friends and neighbors. Facebook and Twitter will never give you the same feeling of comfort or understanding as real, face-to-face human contact. So much of communication is expression and touch; things that are lost in the virtual world. To build supportive relationships, you need to connect with other people personally.
• Shared interests and helping others can forge bonds between people. To meet people who share your interests, join clubs or volunteer. Invite someone you enjoy to continue a conversation over a cup of coffee. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship!

How to Improve Your Emotional Health

Emotional health is as essential to our well-being as physical health. Mentally healthy people are in control of their emotions and behavior. Emotional health allows us to weather the roller coaster ups and downs of life, handle daily challenges and build enduring relationships to create  productive, fulfilling lives. When life hits a bump in the road or disaster strikes, emotionally healthy people have the strength to keep moving forward and the resilience to believe that life will get better. While many Americans work at improving their physical health, few realize the equal importance of actively working to improve mental health.

What is mental health? HelpGuide.org defines mental or emotional health as “your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.”

People who are emotionally healthy share some common characteristics:

• They feel content. Life has meaning and purpose and is filled with satisfying relationships and activities.
• They enjoy life and people, laugh often and know how to have fun. They have created a comfortable balance between work and play, rest and activity, family and work.
• They enjoy learning new things and adapt readily to change.
• They have learned to cope with stress and adversity successfully, and when faced with problems are optimistic that life will improve.
• They have high self-esteem and project self-confidence.

There is a strong connection between mental and physical health. Adequate sleep, regular exercise, proper nutrition, a daily dose of sunlight, limiting alcohol and avoiding cigarettes and other drugs improve physical health while increasing energy and lifting your mood, contributing to positive mental health. Physical exercise releases endorphins that reduce stress and lift mood, helping to combat anxiety and depression. Adequate sleep decreases the risk of depression and increases resilience. Ten to 15 minutes of sunlight a day increases happiness.

It’s as important to nurture your mind and emotional health as it is to take care of your body. Try these strategies for decreasing stress and building positive emotions:

• Feel the world through your five senses.
• Explore your creativity.
• Share your life with a pet.
• Take time for contemplation.