Mental Health

In the past years, the mental health field has focused mainly on mental illness. It is only as the field has matured has it begun to respond to intensifying interest and concerns about disease prevention and health promotion.

Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being component included in the World Health Organization's definition of health: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease". It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders. Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. It is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

Ten Tips for Mental Health

1. Build Confidence

   Identify your abilities and weaknesses together, accept them build on them and do the best with what you have.

2. Eat right, Keep fit

   A balanced diet, exercise and rest can help you to reduce stress and enjoy life.

3. Make Time for Family and Friends

   These relationships need to be nurtured; if taken for granted they will not be there to share life's joy and sorrows.

4. Give and Accept Support

   Friends and family relationships thrive when they are "put to the test"

5. Create a Meaningful Budget

   Financial problems cause stress. Over-spending on our "wants" instead of our "needs" is often the culprit.

6. Volunteer

   Being involved in community gives a sense of purpose and satisfaction that paid work cannot.

7. Manage Stress

   We all have stressors in our lives but learning how to deal with them when they threaten to overwhelm us will maintain our mental health.

8. Find Strength in Numbers

   Sharing a problem with others who have had similar experiences may help you find a solution and will make you feel less isolated.

9. Identify and Deal with Moods

   We all need to find safe and constructive ways to express our feelings of anger, sadness, joy and fear.

10. Learn to Be at Peace with Yourself

    Get to know who you are, what makes you really happy, and learn to balance what you can and cannot change about yourself.

Mental Health is how a person feels, thinks and acts in life. It is the capacity to think rationally and logically and to cope with the transitions, stresses, traumas and losses that occur in all lives, in ways that allow emotional stability and growth.

In general, mentally healthy individuals:

• value themselves
• perceive reality as it is
• accept realistic limitations and possibilities
• respond to realistic challenges & carry out their responsibilities
• establish and maintain close relationships
• deal reasonably with others
• pursue work that suits their talent and training
• feels a sense of fulfillment that makes the efforts of daily living worthwhile