Basic Components of Mental Health
What Are Some Basic Components of Mental Health?
While everyone has a unique flavor of mental health, there are many different ideas about what conditions or qualities support a period of stable mental health. Three of the most studied and important qualities associated with conditions of stable mental health include how we think, how we manage emotions, and how we behave in interpersonal relationships. Let’s look at these ideas closer.
Thoughts About Self, Others, Future
It can be said that an individual with stable mental health will likely possess a degree of flexibility in how she thinks about herself, thinks about others life situations, and understands available options for the future. The notion of possessing flexibility in one’s thinking patterns includes moving away from an all or nothing thinking patterns (right/wrong, good/bad, success/failure) and taking a more inclusive and open perspective about oneself, others, and options in the future. An example of all or nothing thinking might be “I am so stupid and others are smart”. An example of a more inclusive and less rigid thought might be, “I sometimes have trouble, I imagine others also struggle, it will get better.”
Accepting and Expressing Emotions
When it comes to emotion, many of us have trouble managing emotions and sometimes feel hijacked by strong emotions. An individual with stable mental health often takes an approach with his emotions that includes “acceptance of” vs. “control over” emotions. Keep in mind that acceptance of an emotion is not saying we like the emotion; rather, acceptance includes acknowledgement that an emotion is present and giving oneself permission to have and feel the emotion. For example, if you are feeling sad, scared, hurt, or happy you give yourself permission to feel sad, scared, hurt, or happy. Many of us have rules about emotion and this leads to judging emotions as either right/wrong or good or bad. Accepting emotion is not the only step; however, an individual must also express an emotion in a healthy and non-destructive manner. Finding a level of congruence between how I feel and how I express a feeling is a good way of expressing emotion in a healthy manner. For example, when we are happy we might laugh and when we are sad we might cry. Putting on “a happy face” when feeling sad is an example of showing incongruence in ones emotional experience. Finally, keep in mind that expression of emotion is influenced greatly by cultural norms and cultural background.
Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships
Human beings are inherently social animals and benefit from being in relationships. While this is true, it is takes time and effort to build and maintain relationships. Relationships that seem to support mental health tend to include mutually satisfying interactions, healthy and non-violent communication and behavior, and a basic level of trust in another person. Trust is a major issue in relationships and includes the difficult step of letting down one’s guard enough to allow another person to see who we really are. Many people find that being real and authentic in relationships, to the extent that they are safe and non-violent, brings great happiness and emotional support. Alternatively, living in the world in ways that are not fully you, because of fear of judgment or cultural discrimination, can often lead to stress and feelings of loneliness.
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