Is absolute mental health possible?
Being mentally healthy does not mean simply not having any disabilities: according to the World Health Organization, mental health is a state of well-being in which a person is able to realize his or her potential, cope with normal stress, work productively, and contribute to the life of the community.
Maintaining this condition is as important as maintaining physical health. Jenna Macchiochi in her book “Immunity. The science of how to be healthy” has repeatedly said that psychology and immunity are closely related, so the common expression “all diseases come from nerves” is true. “The immune response is one of many tools the body uses to respond to positive and negative circumstances. Immune cells do not just passively implement the protective mechanisms inherent in them; they actively respond to external signals, primarily from the brain, and act in accordance with them.”
Jenna Macchiochi. "Immunity. The science of being healthy"
The Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud defined mental health as “the ability to love and work,” and in this definition one can see the energetic model of the psyche that he developed. According to it, healthy development is directly related to the effective redistribution of energy towards life goals and personal life. Sociologist Talcott Parsons defined mental health as “a person’s ability to function fully in major social roles.”
. At the same time, the scientist argued that absolute mental health does not exist, since a person can manifest himself in completely different ways in different social roles, especially since he is exposed to external circumstances. Only some are more susceptible to destruction, while others are less.
Use less social media
We often overdo our time on social media and it takes a toll on our mental health. More and more people prefer virtual communication to real communication and spend all their free time on gadgets. Try deleting social networks from your smartphone and viewing them only on your computer. You will feel how much free time you have for other things and relaxation. You can also turn on silent notification mode when you are doing work tasks or spending time with loved ones. Try to let social networks distract you from real life and real impressions as little as possible.
Mental health criteria
Awareness of a sense of continuity between the physical and mental self
Continuity of mental and physical self means that you constantly experience yourself as yourself. For example, after waking up, you almost immediately remember who you are and where you are, and are aware of this throughout the entire period of wakefulness. In the case of mental disorders, a person may periodically not understand who he is and why he is in this or that place, how and why he performs this or that action.
Constancy and identity of experiences in similar situations
If the same situations provoke different states, this is a signal that you should listen to yourself. Let's say you're usually happy when your team hits KPIs. However, if you suddenly begin to experience other conflicting emotions in this situation, such as irritation, it may be time to be wary. It can manifest itself not only in work situations, but also in everyday situations, for example, while walking the dog.
Critical attitude towards yourself
Being critical of yourself (in moderation, of course), and doubting some of your actions is normal and necessary for regulating behavior. Asking yourself the questions “Is this really true?”
,
“Can I do this?”
, a person admits that he is not the ultimate truth. However, excessive self-criticism that interferes with your daily routine is a reason to start worrying.
Correspondence of mental reactions to the strength and frequency of influences and social circumstances
When your emotions match the circumstances, you feel happy if the situation suggests it, and upset if something unpleasant happens. The criterion makes it clear that experiencing both positive and negative emotions is normal. The main thing is that they arise in appropriate circumstances.
The ability to manage your behavior
A mentally healthy person is able to recognize and control his emotions, he consciously takes actions and understands their purpose. In case of any deviations, a person may do something unusual, non-standard and inadequate to the situation - for example, run sharply, break dishes, go to another place and only then understand what he has done.
The ability to plan one’s own life activities and implement these plans**
Mentally healthy people are able to plan their lives and take appropriate actions to realize their desires. In other words, they understand what they are striving for and know what can bring them closer to this or that goal.
Be grateful for what you have
We very quickly get used to everything good, and we stop noticing that we have it. At the same time, we begin to complain that we don’t have something, lament that we lack something. When we say gratitude to someone or for something, it always evokes positive emotions, makes us happy and reduces stress levels. When we don't notice the good around us, we become immersed in negativity and painful emotions. Pay attention to all the good things that happen to you and you will feel much better.
Don't forget about live communication
Live communication allows you to receive much more signals and information that people need to fully perceive each other. No virtual channel conveys to us the smallest details, micro-movements in the voice, facial expressions and other important details in communication. It is full-fledged live communication that enriches us mentally and to a greater extent allows us to record positive moments in relationships. Make personal appointments with friends and family as often as possible, especially if it’s easier for you to stay at home and not go out. It is very important not to close yourself off from the world and live communication and purposefully build personal interaction with others.
Spend more time in nature
Breathing fresh air is very beneficial for efficient brain function. No matter how many plants you have at home, it is important to go outside from time to time, and best of all, go out into nature. No environment inside the house can visually, auditorily or kinesthetically replace what the forest, mountains and fields give us. We live too little time in developing cities, but we spent many millennia in nature for our civilization to be able to change what is inherent in us evolutionarily. When we move away from nature, we do not get enough visual contrasts, noises, smells, tactile sensations that we would like to receive in our cozy homes. Our homes may be state-of-the-art and comfortable, but nothing man-made can replace time spent outdoors.
Get enough sleep
Healthy sleep is vital for a person. With sleep disorders, for example, insomnia, breathing problems may occur and the brain is poorly enriched with oxygen. If a person sleeps shallowly, he does not get enough sleep phases, and as a result, he may suffer from lack of sleep and constantly feel tired. When treating mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, sometimes it is enough to build a normal lifestyle and normalize sleep. It is enough to establish the most important physiological functions of a person, and everything changes.
To feel good and not have problems sleeping, you need to develop a routine. It is advisable to get up before 8 o'clock in the morning, but not earlier than 7. If you still need to get up at 6 because of work or other matters, then it is advisable to go to bed no later than 22:00. You need to wake up gradually, give yourself time to recover from sleep, lie in bed for a while, and then calmly get dressed and start your business so that the day does not seem crumpled. Ideally, you should adhere to your personal biological rhythm of waking up and get up when you feel comfortable.
- Diseases and disorders
Move more and play sports
Movement is life. A person is, first of all, a body that needs physical activity both for survival and for intellectual activity. The areas of the brain that are responsible for intelligence are closely connected with those that are responsible for physical activity in the sensorimotor cortex. And the development of our intellectual abilities is associated precisely with physical activity.
To feel good and not have problems sleeping, you need to develop a routine.
But physical activity is different, and it is absolutely not necessary to exhaust yourself with training and build up piles of muscles. It is best to walk more and use transport less. And if you really want to work out in the gym, you need to do it carefully, according to an individual program and under the supervision of a trainer.
Prevention and stress resistance
The pace of modern life and conditions in many areas of employment are such that people are constantly exposed to stress. If you do not know how to cope with them and neutralize their negative impact, the likelihood of depression, anxiety and restlessness increases. And they, in turn, are fraught with more serious mental disorders. But how can you determine your mental health status? Unlike Western countries, in our country visits to psychiatrists and psychologists are not so common, and people do not always have the opportunity to visit expensive specialists. You can determine your exposure to negative influences and your ability to cope with them by a set of some important symptoms. If you are constantly irritated, anxious and have trouble sleeping, constantly feel dissatisfied or angry, or are subject to sudden mood swings, this may indicate a stressful state and its negative impact on your body. The first thing to do in such a situation is to seek advice from a specialist doctor. You should also check out some tips to help maintain mental health and balance.
Most of us are familiar with the word stress resistance from lists of required qualities from job advertisements. This requirement means the ability to work effectively in tense situations, concentrate and endure significant intellectual, volitional and emotional stress without harm to oneself and one’s activities.
Here are some modern ways to prevent mental health and reduce stress:
Method 1
- Determine the nature of your stress: find the root causes. Try to look at the problem globally. Take time to be alone with yourself and write down in a notebook everything that causes you anxiety.
- Make a plan to reduce the impact of stress in your life. This is necessary to make dealing with stress methodical. Include mandatory rest in your daily routine. Once you have identified sources of stress, try to spend less time on them. Don't overload your schedule with work. Find time to pursue hobbies and communicate with loved ones and friends. Recognize that you can't control everything. There will always be stressful elements around you in life, but their impact can be minimized. By eliminating the causes of stress that depend on you, you can learn to overcome external negative elements.
- Share your problems with other people. These could be relatives, friends or work colleagues. This way, you won't have to deal with your stress alone, and an outside perspective will help you find an effective solution to the problem.
Method 2
- Eliminate stress, resolve disturbing situations immediately. Don’t harbor grudges against your friends and family – immediately openly discuss all controversial issues with them. Likewise, resolve work conflicts and quarrels immediately. If stress is caused by uncertain events and scenarios, think through them in detail and make decisions as quickly as possible.
- Avoid hanging out with people who cause you stress. If you are dating a person who only causes you pain and resentment, it is time to end the relationship. If relationships with work colleagues cause stress, keep communication with them to a minimum. In general, spend less time hanging out with negative people and make friends with positive people. They can make your life happier.
- Minimize the occurrence of stressful situations. If you feel uncomfortable in crowded clubs, you shouldn't go there with friends just for company. If the commute to work is annoying, listen to light music on the way. Don't rush, give yourself enough time to prepare important events (weddings, vacations).
- Learn to cope with stress. In conflict situations, always think before you speak. Remember that other people are also influenced by various negative factors, be kinder and more forgiving. It is better to be happy than to be right, so you need to be able to remain silent at a certain moment and refuse criticism.
Method 3
- Get physically active. This will help you be healthier and in control of your life.
- Meditate. Set aside 20 minutes a day for meditation.
- Get a massage. It's great for relaxing after a busy day.
- Eat right. Meals should be balanced. It is important to get enough energy at breakfast.
- Follow a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
