Positive mental health is not simply the removal of unwanted symptoms, but is instead achieved by an active lifestyle that includes daily experiences to help with personal happiness, health, and feeling a sense of productivity. Unfortunately, we tend to spend more time talking about mental health, examining mental health diagnoses, and applying potential remedies (i.e. counseling, medications) toward symptoms (i.e. depression) to help people feel better rather than actively living with positive mental health. Most kids today can be heard throwing around labels like “ADHD” and “PTSD,” yet the vast majority of kids could not tell you specific things to do each day in order to experience positive mental health. Only when we learn the antecedent conditions that drive mental illness can we begin to live our lives in ways that are more congruent with positive mental health, and more protective of mental illness. So let’s talk about living positive mental health, not simply steering clear of things that negatively impact mental health.
What are life experiences that enhance mental health?
Living with positive mental health is an active process, and is largely dependent on the choices we make each day. If you choose to be physically inactive, or spend your time with pessimistic people, there’s a good chance you will experience less-than-optimal mental health. The good news is there are many things you can do each day that will dramatically increase the chances for positive mental health, including:
- Physical activity. Moving your body is easily one of the best ways to feel good! No need to run a marathon (though you can if you like!), as any kind of daily movement is better than sitting sedentary.
- Connection to people. Talking to people and being a part of a group gives people a feeling of worth, and this can be accomplished by means of school, community, or work connections.
- Sense of accomplishment, self-worth, and value. We feel our best when we have accomplished something, especially when we had to work hard for a positive result. Some people experience accomplishment through grades, others through work achievements, and still others by means of hobbies and other interests.
- Support and empathy from loved ones. Having people there to listen to us during times of distress can really help with mood state, as well as validate our feelings and provide hope for the future.
- Being afforded a chance to be heard (catharsis). Sometimes in life we simply need someone to hear us out, and this purging of our thoughts and emotions is known as catharsis.
- Engaging in activities. Simply being involved in things, whether it’s sports or other personal interests, provides a sense of being and value.
While none of the above ideas are guaranteed to make you happy, you have a much greater chance of experiencing positive mental health by doing these things on a daily basis. Move your body, engage with others, and take on tasks and projects that challenge you to be your best! Yes, positive mental health is achieved by being active, and there are many ways we can apply ourselves that helps with our self esteem and mood state.
Final thoughts
Steering away from things that bring you down in life is a good thing, but that’s usually not enough if the goal is to live with positive mental health on a daily basis. Feeling good is an active process, and not experienced by simply steering away from certain bad things. In fact, just the idea of taking control of your life has been found to be an important component related to positive mental health, so start today by getting more involved with others and taking on new challenges!
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