What is Mental Health?

By: Marissa Pollet / September 19, 2023

When we say the term “mental health” a lot of different thoughts about what that truly means comes to our minds. What does mental health mean to us as individuals and how can we balance our daily stressors, make healthy choices and relate to others effectively? Our mental health is broken down into three categories that affect how we think and feel and provide the framework towards a path of wellness. The three types of mental health are our emotional, psychological and our social well-being. Let’s take a look at how these three factors can impact our mental health and what we can do to gain insight and awareness and stay towards health and wellness.

Emotional

Our emotions as individuals play a large role in how we navigate a stressful situation when it occurs in our lives. It is quite often easy to let our emotions get the best of us and react based off feeling versus fact in that given moment. We have all allowed our emotions to get the best of us, which is ok, but having the ability to think clearly during the moment and cope after an emotionally charged event lays the foundation for how we can better react in these types of situations. First and foremost, if you are finding yourself struggling emotionally, forgive yourself. It’s ok to make mistakes and to learn from them, taking away what you would like to change and improve upon in the future. Don’t be afraid to look at the contributions you make around you on a given day and give yourself credit where deserved. Have you supported a friend that needed you or engaged in kindness towards a stranger? We often look towards the negative and not the positive which can dampen our emotional well-being and has us overlook how amazing we truly are on a daily basis.

Psychological

The way we feel about ourselves and those around us contributes to our psychological and mental health. Three important factors balance our psychological well-being and keep us on a healthy path of mental wellness. Our sense of autonomy, competence and relatedness are all equally important in our basic psychological needs. How can we balance these and strive to keep them in check when our minds are powerful tools? Have you been faced with a challenging decision and stayed strong focusing on your values and core beliefs? This helps feed your sense of autonomy, realizing that you are in control and are capable of making choices in your own life. Competency builds our psychological well-being as we can face a challenge head on even if it’s difficult and trust in ourselves to get the job done. Maybe you were given a task at work that was daunting or decided to take on a new project outside of the home that was out of your comfort zone. Seeing a finished project or a task completed off a list allows us to see that we are competent people, and our goals are obtainable. Support systems and feeling connected towards others is all about our relatedness. Think about the core people in your life that you can always count on and vice versa. Connections with those around us, especially in times of need, are so important!

Social

Social connections are so important and make us feel grounded by the support and care of those around us. Who do you have in your network that builds you up and you can learn on in times of need as well as moments of joy? Even if your circle is small, it is important to maintain relationships that are healthy and supportive. Social support can help reduce stress and is linked to a longer life expectancy.

Why Mental Health Matters

Mental health matters and it is important to not overlook it if you are feeling like you are in need of some support. Our minds are our most powerful tool for how we face and cope with the challenges around us, which is why communication and self-realization is key. The more we understand the way our mind works on an individual basis, how to facilitate change and growth, and to seek help when needed, the easier our path will be towards obtaining mental wellness.