Dimensions of Health Series: Intro to Mental Wellness: Essay 4 of 7
Mental wellness is simply how we think (thinking patterns), how we feel (emotion patterns), and how we act (behavioral patterns). Our mental processing consists of biological factors, family history, and life experiences. There is a range of mental health ailments and conditions, some that need professional medical attention, and others are able to take a self-inventory and begin to incorporate tools into daily life, or a combination of both. Everyone is different and will address their mental wellness differently.
Of all the factors that impact how our mental wellness is formed I believe life experience to be the most influential. From our first breath before we have any cognitive understanding our immediate environment is already beginning to train our brain. This situation could be for better or worse, depending on the family and home environment. People raised in poverty, family tension, or who have suffered abuse will approach their mental wellness very differently from those who grew up in a productive and safe environment.
How we view ourselves, our lives, and our world can either improve or impair the condition of mental wellness. The uncomfortable extremes of emotion that come with mental health are the following:
- Feeling too up = mania
- Feeling too low = depression
- Not feeling = disassociation or isolation
Ideally, we will find balance and begin to identify when we are too close to a severe emotional range and take action accordingly. Some people will develop “mental illness” when they spend long periods of time in any extreme.
How to begin taking inventory of mental health:
Ask yourself how you are feeling, are you feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or nothing at all? Ask yourself how long or how often you feel this way, can you identify this? Is there anything that made you feel better when you previously felt this way? Are you having trouble with relationships or meeting personal and professional goals? Do you need someone to help you in this process? Be compassionate with yourself and without judgment. Maintaining a neutral sense when dealing with mental health will allow a person to become less emotionally involved in the process which can ease suffering.
Wisdom: “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t” John Green
Play with these tools:
- Start a journal
- Work with positive affirmations
- Talk to a friend or professional
Self-love will save your soul ~ Kristen
Resources: National Suicide Prevention Line: