What Does It Mean To Be Mentally Healthy?
Emotional health or mental health is an important part of overall health. Mental health is not about an absence of illness, it’s more about how well someone feels as they are coping with the challenges life brings. It’s the ability to keep problems in perspective and bounce back from setbacks. Being emotionally healthy does not mean that you are happy all the time. It means you are aware of your emotions, both positive and negative. Emotionally healthy persons can tell when a problem is more than they can handle on their own.
What Can You Do To Improve Your Mental Well-Being?
There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health. These are some things that you should try to be aware of:
- Be aware of your emotions and try to notice what in your life makes you sad, frustrated, or angry, and address or change those things;
- Express your feelings in appropriate ways, and let people close to you know when something is bothering you;
- Think before you act – give yourself time to think and be calm before you say or do something you might regret;
- Manage your stress and change situations causing you stress;
- Learn relaxation methods to cope with stress;
- Strive for a healthy balance in your work and play life;
- Take care of your physical health – exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, and get enough sleep;
- Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol; and
- Connect with others because we are social creatures and need positive connections with other people.
What Should You Consider In Maintaining Mental Health?
People who have good emotional health can still have emotional problems or a mental illness. Mental illnesses occur when your feelings, emotions or thinking become disturbed. Just like you can become physically unwell, you can become mentally or emotionally unwell. Mental illnesses often have a physical cause. It could be a chemical imbalance in the brain. Stress and problems with family, work, or school can trigger a mental illness or make it worse. If you have an ongoing emotional problem, seek counseling, support groups, and talk to your doctor. Your doctor can help you find the right type of treatment.
What Questions Should You Ask Your Doctor?
- What steps should I take to improve my emotional health?
- Would medicine help me be able to cope better?
- Should I see a therapist or counselor?
- How does my physical health affect my emotional health?
- What stress management techniques would work best for me?
Resources
For more information about mental health go to:
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mental Health
- National Institute of Mental Health
You Can Also Reach Out To Missouri’s Statewide 24-Hour Crisis Hotlines:
- Arthur Center ACI Hotline: 800-833-2064
- Behavioral Health Response ACI Hotline: 800-811-4760
- Burrell ACI System: 800-494-7355
- Clark Center ACI Hotline: 800-801-4405
- Comm Care ACI Hotline: 888-279-8188
- Compass Health Crisis Line 888-237-4567 or online here
- MOCARS ACI Hotline: 800-356-5395
- Ozark ACI Hotline: 800-247-0661
- Pathways ACI Hotline: 800-833-3915
- Burrell Behavioral Health Central Region: 800-395-2132