Mental Health. We all have it. But what is it actually?
RAELENE HURRY, MED, REGISTERED CLINICAL COUNSELLOR – VITALITY COLLECTIVE, SURREY THERAPIST
For many people, mental health is stigmatized and thought of only in terms of mental illness or it is simply not acknowledged as something that is as real as a physical ailment like a broken bone or cancer. The reality though, is that mental health is something we all have and it should be as normalized as our physical health. So, what is it exactly?
While there are comprehensive definitions, essentially, “mental health is our ability to respond to challenges” (MindMattersAustralia). How well we respond to life’s challenges can be a good indication of how we are doing emotionally. Just like our physical health, our mental health is on a continuum with mental illness or disorder on one end and positive mental well-being and living life to your fullest potential on the other end. Where we are on this continuum is not static; we tend to fluctuate depending on a variety of factors. These are known as risk and protective factors.
Risk Factors
Risk factors, such as our genetic make-up, our life experiences and circumstances, chronic illness, isolation, and pressures at home or work can negatively impact our mental health.
Protective Factors
Protective factors, such as healthy, supportive relationships, friendships, or family members can positively affect our mental health. Also, a sense of self-efficacy, or belief in one’s ability to have control over their own behaviour and motivation or control in their social environment, can also benefit our mental health and offset the risk factors we face.
The more protective factors we have when we are small children, the better equipped we are to bounce back from risk factors. When our risk factors add up over time, or it feels like they knock us down with a forceful blow, it is the protective factors that help us bounce back.
How Our Mental Health Can Be Affected
Sometimes, we try to deal with the challenges we face and the emotions that result from those challenges, independently, or silently because we don’t want to burden others with our problems, we feel shame or embarrassment about what we are going through, or we have unrealistic expectations for ourselves to be able to handle everything life throws at us. We also may avoid dealing with our struggles until we find ourselves more irritable than normal, distracted, unmotivated, emotional, angry, overthinking, anxious, depressed, or having interpersonal challenges, and wondering why. If you are having trouble sleeping, waking up tired, or noticing that your frustration, worry, sadness, anger, or lack of productivity is interfering with your personal, social, or academic/work life, your mental health may need some attention.
How to Support Your Mental Health
There are a wide variety of things you can do to support your mental health. It is important to remember all aspects of your wellness are important for your mental health.
Nutrition
Taking care of your physical health through good nutrition is just as important for your mental health. If you are low on essential vitamins and minerals, your body and mind suffer. Try keeping a record of the foods you eat, how your body feels, and your moods for a week; this can help you reflect on the connection between foods and moods.
Movement
The power of movement cannot be underestimated for your physical and mental health; exercise releases important neurotransmitters such as endorphins, endocannabinoids, and dopamine. Dopamine is important for regulating your heart rate, helping you sleep better, and assisting you in managing your moods. Also, exercise promotes neuroplasticity in your brain, which means your brain develops new ways of learning and dealing with things and you are more able to deal with the risk factors that you face.
Relationships
Align yourself with people who have similar values and be intentional in your relationships; reciprocity, effort, and openness are important parts of creating a trusting relationship that may become a protective factor for you. Reach out to someone you trust and share what you are going through.
Spirituality
Tap into your spiritual or religious beliefs; perhaps you can connect to something larger than yourself such as a god, goddess, buddha, energy, or nature that soothes your soul and helps you feel connected.
Gratitude
Practice Gratitude daily. Our brains have the amazing ability to grow and change, developing new neural pathways that respond to what we expose it to; practicing daily gratitude has been scientifically shown to make us feel happier.
The Power of Thoughts
It is necessary to notice and challenge your thoughts; are they self-defeating or self-critical and feeding the cycle of anxiety, depression, or avoidance? Can you reframe them into something motivating? You speak to yourself more than anyone else ever will; a little kindness and compassion will go a long way to support your mental health.
Counselling
Thinking about how mental health exists on a continuum may help us realize that we don’t have to be at the far end of it, struggling with a mental illness, to get help. Think of your mental health like taking care of a car. Some of us wait until the car breaks down to take it to a mechanic for repairs, some of us follow the maintenance guidelines in the car manual and take it in for regular tune-ups, helping to prevent bigger breakdowns. Perhaps it’s worthwhile to get the regular oil changes and tune-ups to keep the car running smoothly. Your mental health is similar; counselling can be accessed periodically, as maintenance to support your mental health, or more intensely, when you feel you are further along the continuum or when you have specific challenges or goals you are working through. Where are you on the continuum right now and what are you doing for your mental health?
Mental Health. We all have it. We need to take care of it.
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArOTqcMH2G0&list=PL9UEe9G9Im9fipGf9Tcl97QmfCzvvxGxb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArOTqcMH2G0&list=PL9UEe9G9Im9fipGf9Tcl97QmfCzvvxGxb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvnT7HwOZic&list=PL9UEe9G9Im9fipGf9Tcl97QmfCzvvxGxb&index=2