What is Mental Wellness?
“Mental wellness” and “mental health” appear to be interchangeable terms but there are some differences to be noted. Mental wellness covers the aspects of a person’s overall positive functioning, whereas mental health pertains to the brain’s health and emotional stability. Mental wellness helps determine the life a person currently leads.
What Is Mental Health?
Overall mental health is the state of a person’s mental functioning. A new definition by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that mental wellness is when someone is mentally healthy, has emotional resiliency, is capable of managing the demands of daily life, has healthy relationships, and can function in society.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 20% of adults in the United States struggle with a mental health disorder. A mental health disorder is a disturbance that negatively impacts our ability to function productively and our physical and mental state.
More About Mental Wellness
Mental wellness is the achievement of a positive state of mind in a holistic sense. Mental wellness is more than just the absence of mental illness, it represents healthy functioning and stability in the social, emotional, and psychological realms.
Mental wellness includes:
- Being able to cope with the challenges of life
- Being emotionally resilient
- Sustaining healthy, strong relationships
- Being aware of your abilities and strengths
- Your ability to work productively to perform daily tasks
Mental wellness balances your emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health.
Ways To Improve Mental Wellness and Mental Health
Some great ways to improve mental health and wellness include:
- Developing Coping Skills. Healthy coping skills can make stressful situations easier.
- Reducing stress. Mental health can be affected by the presence of chronic stress, so it is wise to better handle stress by learning ways to reduce it, like yoga, tai chi, or meditation.
- Visiting family and friends. Emails and texts are fine, but nothing is better than visiting a friend or loved one in person for social well-being.
- New fitness goals. An excellent way to improve every area of wellness is through exercise.
- Starting a gratitude journal. Your mental wellness and health are boosted when you look at your daily blessings. Keep a gratitude journal to write down everything you are grateful for.
- Getting enough sleep. Getting good sleep can help mental health immensely. Sticking to regular sleep routines can be beneficial.
- Listening to music. Music can be soothing to the mind and invigorating to the soul. Making music a priority in your daily life can help your mental wellness.
- Volunteering your time. Doing something kind for someone else can improve your mental wellness. Use your compassionate nature and skills to get involved with a local charity to help others.
- Taking up a new hobby. Boost mental wellness by testing your boundaries. New hobbies to try are learning a new language, kayaking, or making jewelry.
- Getting involved in a cause. Making a difference is the best way to stand up for a cause. You can reach out to a local organization to offer your assistance.
- Seeing a therapist. If you are feeling your mental wellness is not where it should be, it may be time to reach out to someone to discuss your mental health conditions. A psychiatric nurse practitioner with Synergy Mental Wellness can provide resources for mental health disorders.
What is a Mental Health Condition?
Mental illnesses range from mild to severe and affect a person’s mood, behavior, or thinking. The following factors can contribute to mental health conditions:
- Biological factors
- Life experiences
- Family history of mental health problems
Some common mental illnesses and mental disorders include:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Anxiety disorders
Early Warning Signs of a Mental Health Problem
The following behaviors or feelings are early symptoms of poor mental health:
- Low or no energy
- Feeling numb
- Low self-esteem
- Feelings of unexplained pain
- Feeling helpless
- Unexplained aches
- Using drugs
- Drinking excessively
- Taking unnecessary risks
- Inability to focus on regular activities
Achieving Better Mental Health and Wellness
Synergy Mental Wellness can help you build resilience to everyday stressors and make healthy choices because mental wellness is an active process that always continues. We can discuss your situation to determine if you are suffering from a serious mental illness that needs more resources. Your mental well-being and overall health are our main goals. Contact us today using our secure online form.