If it's not broke don't fix it...right? No! One of the best methods of mental health recovery is to maintain an environment prone to mental health and mental illness recovery. Staying mentally healthy is a way of life, not something you do when things start to go wrong. Keep reading for your top 10 tips to staying mentally healthy! Remember sometimes, the best treatment is prevention.
For access to some great cutting-edge research aside from the tips below, check out the Mental Health Center of Denver's Research and Evaluation Team's publications.
1) Stay Physically Active: the human mind developed in an environment requiring one travels the equivalent of 12 miles per day for sheer survival (and no that doesn't mean jumping in the car and flooring it!). Recent research has proven that increased physical activity can actually create new brain cells (once thought of as a static number), this explains why nearly every mental healthcare consumer at facilities such as MHCD are strongly encouraged to begin an exercise regiment immediately.
2) Stay Socially Active: we are social creatures, thus one's support network, be it family or friends, is of immense importance to one's general well being. It is of course ok to take a few nights to yourself, but don't stay shut in. Go out, keep your social relations strong.
3) Get a Hobby: find something creative outlet that you want to do just for yourself. Depending on what you chose, a hobby can be a great avenue into sports clubs, night classes at a local college, or staying physically active; plus if its something you enjoy it will be much easier to stick with!
4) Be Self-Reflective: you know those few nights a week I said it was ok to just take a night to yourself? Do it! Read a good book, walk your dog, just think things over. Examine where you are in life, where you want to be, and where you've come from. Be honest and complimentary to yourself. You are a brave, amazing person, so act like it :)
5) Play: play is actually tremendously important for staying mentally healthy. Devoting time to just having fun can recharge your battery, revitalize your social networks, and reduce stress/anxiety.
6) Maintain a healthy diet: this goes along with staying active. Stay healthy, both in terms of exercise and in terms of eating. Now don't go crazy here, you don't want to make yourself miserable by being the food-police, just be conscious of what is going into your body. And allow yourself some leg-room to cheat once a week or so!
7) Set goals: when people are feeling depressed, aimless, or like they are just going through the motions, often times its because they are lacking general direction. Set realistic goals for yourself so you are continuously aiming at something, this is a practice known as positive dissonance (you are constantly reaching for a new goal you set, thus you are always striving further and further even if you accomplish a goal along the way). Importantly though, one must not take this too far and find no joy in overcoming a given sub-goal; this will prove to demoralize the individual. You should celebrate your successes! Each and every one of them, and then push yourself to be even better. Once you reach your goal, set another one to get even further! This will constantly drive you, give you reasons to celebrate as you attain goals, and will increase your general level of content and mental health.
8) Balance free time: this is very important! Don't let yourself just lay in front of the TV. That is actually conducive to depressive environments. Relax, watch some TV, read a book, go for a walk, spend time on your hobby. Do it all, not just one of them.
9) Examine your locus of control: in the midst of your self reflections, it is important to examine just where your locus of control is. Are you blaming everyone else for things? Or are you taking on all the fault? Nothing is one sided, remember that. Especially if your depression is focused around relationship woes. Think of what you really did, what others really did, accept that its in the past and that the best thing to do now is learn from it and live on to never make that mistake again!
10) Don't be afraid to seek help: It is a great shame that seeking out mental health professionals in America has become a taboo or secretive endeavor! If you are worried about your mental health, you should be proud of yourself for putting forth an effort to improve yourself. If you are in the general area, I would recommend a recovery-based treatment center such as the Mental Health Center of Denver, or MHCD. The only shame in finding help is not getting help when you can benefit from it!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2615483
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Importance of Mental Health
What is mental health?
Though no concise definition exists, mental health is basically your attitude and approach to life. Psychological, environmental, genetic, or physiological factors have a profound effect on overall mental development.
What is mental illness?
Mental illness impairs your ability to perform routine tasks, foster healthy relationships, or cope with anger or stress. It may be classified on the basis of extreme mood swings, irrational or destructive thought patterns, and behavioral problems.
How important is mental health?
Your mental health has a huge impact on every aspect of your life.
Self-image
Good mental health means appreciating your achievements and accepting your shortcomings. A mental illness can cause an inferiority complex, a negative body image, and intense feelings of self-hate, anger, disgust, and uselessness, which could mutate into extreme depression, psycho-social disorders, or eating disorders.
Education
Students with mental problems socially isolate themselves, and develop anxiety disorders and concentration problems. Good mental health ensures an all-round educational experience that enhances social and intellectual skills that lead to self-confidence and better grades.
Relationships
Mental health largely contributes to the functioning of human relationships. Mental illness can hamper even basic interactions with family, friends, and colleagues. Most people suffering from mental illness find it difficult to nurture relationships, have problems with commitment or intimacy, and frequently encounter sexual health issues.
Sleep
An inability to handle stress or anxiety can cause insomnia. Even if you mange to fall asleep, you may wake up a dozen times during the night with thoughts of what went wrong the day before or how bad tomorrow is going to be. You may develop severe sleeping disorders which leave you exhausted and less productive.
Eating
People with mental disorders are more prone to indulging in comfort eating or emotional binges. Finding comfort in food is something we all do from time to time. But with a mental illness, it becomes difficult to control yourself. Overeating can lead to obesity, which puts you at a risk for heart disease and diabetes, in addition to creating an unhealthy body-image.
Physical health
Your mental state directly affects your body. For example, stress can lead to hypertension or stomach ulcers. People who are mentally healthy are at a lower risk for many health complications.
So make a conscious effort to improve and maintain your mental health.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/788844
Though no concise definition exists, mental health is basically your attitude and approach to life. Psychological, environmental, genetic, or physiological factors have a profound effect on overall mental development.
What is mental illness?
Mental illness impairs your ability to perform routine tasks, foster healthy relationships, or cope with anger or stress. It may be classified on the basis of extreme mood swings, irrational or destructive thought patterns, and behavioral problems.
How important is mental health?
Your mental health has a huge impact on every aspect of your life.
Self-image
Good mental health means appreciating your achievements and accepting your shortcomings. A mental illness can cause an inferiority complex, a negative body image, and intense feelings of self-hate, anger, disgust, and uselessness, which could mutate into extreme depression, psycho-social disorders, or eating disorders.
Education
Students with mental problems socially isolate themselves, and develop anxiety disorders and concentration problems. Good mental health ensures an all-round educational experience that enhances social and intellectual skills that lead to self-confidence and better grades.
Relationships
Mental health largely contributes to the functioning of human relationships. Mental illness can hamper even basic interactions with family, friends, and colleagues. Most people suffering from mental illness find it difficult to nurture relationships, have problems with commitment or intimacy, and frequently encounter sexual health issues.
Sleep
An inability to handle stress or anxiety can cause insomnia. Even if you mange to fall asleep, you may wake up a dozen times during the night with thoughts of what went wrong the day before or how bad tomorrow is going to be. You may develop severe sleeping disorders which leave you exhausted and less productive.
Eating
People with mental disorders are more prone to indulging in comfort eating or emotional binges. Finding comfort in food is something we all do from time to time. But with a mental illness, it becomes difficult to control yourself. Overeating can lead to obesity, which puts you at a risk for heart disease and diabetes, in addition to creating an unhealthy body-image.
Physical health
Your mental state directly affects your body. For example, stress can lead to hypertension or stomach ulcers. People who are mentally healthy are at a lower risk for many health complications.
So make a conscious effort to improve and maintain your mental health.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/788844
The Mental Health Benefits Of Being Happy
Have you ever noticed how depression and anger are physically draining? Maybe you've never suffered from clinical depression, but you certainly know what it feels like to carry the burden of anger, fear, anxiety, and sadness on a smaller scale. These are all human emotions and they are completely natural, but indulging these feelings for longer than necessary is physically harmful to both mental and physical well-being. Now take a moment and remember the feeling of pure happiness. When happiness is pure, it takes little effort and energy to promote it. Being happy might seem like a cliché thing to promote, but there are many mental health benefits of this necessary emotion.
Let's take a closer look at the many positive emotional payoffs of happiness:
Successful relationships:
Studies have shown that happier and more stable individuals often possess relationships that are healthy. Relationships can include anyone from parents, friends, coworkers, and intimate partners. Regardless of the individuals we communicate with, our balanced mental state promotes a more rational state of mind. This state of mind allows for greater thresholds of anger and sadness, which in turn, provides more insightful, rational, and healthy communication. Studies have also shown that individuals with rich social lives exude healthier mental well-being and are regarded by their friends as more enjoyable individuals.
Longer Life:
A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic articulated that individuals who were primarily optimistic in life were shown to live longer. In contrast, those who identified as pessimistic, or were regarded as such by friends, were shown to live increasingly shorter lives.
Success in work:
The happier the individual, the better the production and quality of work completed in the workforce. It is said that happiness allows an individual to not only create his or her own motivation to work hard, but also possess the potential to deal with work stressors. Further, these individuals are shown to possess higher gross income, receive better job evaluations, maintain a job for a longer duration of time, and receive positive praise from coworkers and bosses alike.
Great self control and coping methods:
Coping is something that proves particularly challenging for those lacking happiness in their lives. Studies have shown that rational, happy individuals will possess a greater likelihood to deal with the everyday stressors of relationships, work, and life in general. Their positive rationalization allows for a more clear and realistic indication of particular scenarios, giving way to a healthier and more sound view on the situation at large.
It might be easy to read the above and question, "well, how can I be happy?" If you thought this, you are not alone. While no one can give you a formula for happiness, there are many exercises that one can implement to create healthier thinking.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6792912
Let's take a closer look at the many positive emotional payoffs of happiness:
Successful relationships:
Studies have shown that happier and more stable individuals often possess relationships that are healthy. Relationships can include anyone from parents, friends, coworkers, and intimate partners. Regardless of the individuals we communicate with, our balanced mental state promotes a more rational state of mind. This state of mind allows for greater thresholds of anger and sadness, which in turn, provides more insightful, rational, and healthy communication. Studies have also shown that individuals with rich social lives exude healthier mental well-being and are regarded by their friends as more enjoyable individuals.
Longer Life:
A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic articulated that individuals who were primarily optimistic in life were shown to live longer. In contrast, those who identified as pessimistic, or were regarded as such by friends, were shown to live increasingly shorter lives.
Success in work:
The happier the individual, the better the production and quality of work completed in the workforce. It is said that happiness allows an individual to not only create his or her own motivation to work hard, but also possess the potential to deal with work stressors. Further, these individuals are shown to possess higher gross income, receive better job evaluations, maintain a job for a longer duration of time, and receive positive praise from coworkers and bosses alike.
Great self control and coping methods:
Coping is something that proves particularly challenging for those lacking happiness in their lives. Studies have shown that rational, happy individuals will possess a greater likelihood to deal with the everyday stressors of relationships, work, and life in general. Their positive rationalization allows for a more clear and realistic indication of particular scenarios, giving way to a healthier and more sound view on the situation at large.
It might be easy to read the above and question, "well, how can I be happy?" If you thought this, you are not alone. While no one can give you a formula for happiness, there are many exercises that one can implement to create healthier thinking.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6792912
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