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Mental wellbeing and mental health go hand in hand. In simple terms, mental health is how you think, feel and act. It can affect your daily living and relationships.
Mental health is basically how you handle yourself and make your choices. Mental well-being is about living a stress-free life and utilising all your mental and physical resources efficiently in harmony with the inner soul.
Wellbeing has a much broader aspect than just nutrition, exercise, and weight management, it’s about overall wellness and happiness in life.
Your body is the most sophisticated machine. Bodily functions keep working even in sleep. You perceive, interpret and react to all the surrounding information without often being conscious of it.
Your mind is like the capital of the country you live in. Mind is where thought comes. We categorize the mind as conscious and subconscious mind.
You accept your thinking, emotions, and feelings, sometimes you don’t accept them and blame other things that are happening around you. Meditation is an amazing process to win over intrusive thoughts.
Let’s explore health
You think you are healthy if you have not been diagnosed with any illness and don’t have any pain that makes you uncomfortable. People can be heard saying ‘I have never been sick in my life; I never had any illness in my life; I have never needed to take medications, so I am just fine!’ However, mental health is of equal importance and preventive steps need to be taken.
Health is associated with the absence of disease or disability. But at times when your medical reports are fine, still, you may not be able to feel well at all. Similarly, if one does not have a clinical diagnosis of anxiety or feeling depressed, it does not mean that one is mentally healthy.
What is Mental Health
According to World Health Organization (WHO) – mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can make a contribution to his or her community.
Despite the definition, there are still numerous complexities when defining something as mysterious as mental health. Thanks to advanced medical research and techniques including fMRI and Electroencephalograph (EEG), we can better understand the linkages between the brain and mental issues.
Wellness
Over a period, several theories have come to define wellness. From holistic to natural, spiritual to psychological; everybody appears to be talking about wellness but without any integrated approach. The most important and accepted concept of wellness has eight dimensions i.e. physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, financial, occupational, social, and environmental.
Am I well? Am I healthy? When do I need to visit a doctor? Is the pain that I am suffering have to live with or deal with? Is it psychological or physical? These questions are seeking answers.
Despite all the technological advances, you are more stressed than ever. Despite all the comforts, you are more uncomfortable than ever. Everybody seems to be having an opinion about the issues at hand, but there is no choice where every opinion comes together and gives us a solution.
If your mind has some unanswered questions which are constantly troubling you, it’s time to address them including seeking help from a mental health professional.
You all know that your mental health is extremely important. By taking care of your mental health, you can feel happier, more positive, and better equipped to get the most out of your life. The following are the ways to help you as part of your daily lives to boost your mental health and wellbeing.
1. Connect
Connect with those around you that are family, friends, and neighbours. Look to spend meaningful time with people each day. Instead of sending an email, WhatsApp, or messaging, opt to talk to someone whom you can trust. But talking about trust also invites a debate. Speak to someone new, ask how someone’s weekend was, and carefully listen when they tell you to arrange a catch-up with friends.
Join a club or group of people who share a common interest that adds value to your life. These connections are the cornerstone of your life and invest time in developing and strengthening them. Building these connections will enrich you every day.
2. Be active and eat well
Look for ways to be active every day. Go for a walk. Step outside, stretch, cycle, play outdoor games, do some gardening, or dance. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Being active every day causes changes in your brain which can positively affect your mood. Exercising makes you feel good.
Being active and exercising will demand a balanced diet. For the mind to be in a positive state, the body should also be healthy so don’t ignore regular meals, especially breakfast.
3. Keep learning
Learning is about new skills and information about topics that interest you. You can keep learning by trying something new, updating your skills – rediscovering an old interest; signing up for a new course; fixing a bike; taking a new responsibility at work or learning to play a musical instrument; trying a new recipe, or making an old one with new twists. Set a challenge, you enjoy achieving.
Learning can make you more confident and boost your self-esteem – it can also be fun learning. Learn to manage day-to-day stress.
4. Give
Giving is about a small act of kindness. Whether that be your time, patience, words, or smile. The smallest act can count. Do something nice for a family member or a friend or a stranger without any expectations. Thank someone who once brought a smile to your face. A surprise note will do wonders.
5. Take notice
Take notice to be present in the here and now. Pay attention to the world around you – nature, people, your thoughts, and feelings. Be curious. Catch the sight of the beauty, remark on the unusual, notice the changing seasons, and savor the moment.
Becoming more aware of the present moment and reflecting on your experience will help you appreciate what matters to you.
6. Sleep and rest
Get enough sleep for your body and mind to feel fresh. Sleep is the first thing that is compromised when we are busy or stressed or have a demanding schedule. Bad sleeping habits are even bad for mental wellbeing.
7. Reach out for help
Feeling stressed, worried, angry, sad, or unable to cope with your present lifestyle, reach out to friends and family. Make changes in your daily activities and schedules. It’s a good idea to meet mental health professionals and ask relevant questions to which you are unable to find an answer. Your Psychologist will guide you to find answers to nagging worries and dilemmas. It may be related to professional life, personal life, relationship, or family matters.
If your mental or emotional state gets disturbed – help is always available. Talk about it, and take professional help – a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a counselor. Make mental health and wellbeing your priority.