The Importance of Mental Health

Mental health is a state of well-being that enables a person to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their community, according to the World Health Organization. It is very important for achieving optimal and positive individual performance, and results in better functioning of society. 

There are several factors that can contribute to mental health deterioration. Among them, we can mention the following:

• Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse, and stressful experiences, whether real or perceived
• Family history of mental health problems
• Lifestyle, such as diet, physical activity, sleep management, and problematic substance use

When a mental health condition worsens, it causes the person to function poorly, whether in their private, social, academic, or work life. According to Medline Plus, the website of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, signs that may suggest a mental health problem include:

• Changes in your eating or sleeping habits (having insomnia or sleeping excessively)
• Isolating yourself from people and activities you enjoy
• Having little or no energy
• Feeling empty or as if nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Having severe mood swings that cause problems in your relationships
• Having thoughts and memories that you cannot get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking about hurting yourself or others
• Not being able to perform daily tasks such as caring for your children or going to work or school

As I mentioned earlier, if we want to promote quality of life on a personal, family, and collective level, it is important to look after our mental health. As a helping professional, I would like to share some tips that can help maintain good mental health:

• Try to maintain balanced physical health: As a system, human beings need to have balance both mentally and physically; one dimension can affect the other. Take your medications as prescribed. Physical exercise releases endorphins, which help us feel better. Walking can be a good start. 
• Eat properly
• Keep track of your sleep hours and try to enjoy a pleasant sleep.
• Promotes positive thinking: Positive self-affirmations can help us become more resilient in the face of life's situations.
• Wake up in the morning, give thanks for a new day, and say a phrase or mantra to guide your day, for example: "Today will be a great day," "I am grateful for another day of life."
• Do leisure activities: Read a book, watch a movie or series, call those important people. Listen to music, sing, dance. 
• If you have time, volunteer; it promotes an indescribable sense of well-being.
• Have a primary support group, which could be your family, friends, a spiritual advisor—in short, someone you can count on to talk to about various topics, including your emotional well-being.
• Keep an eye on your emotions. If you notice a change in them, talk about it with someone you trust or a mental health professional.

Remember, at Centro Ararat psychologists available at all our clinics who can provide you with tools to support your emotional well-being and promote your mental health.

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