Experiencing positive mental health is not just about avoiding stress and life challenges, but instead occurs by actively engaging with the people and world around us each day in order to cultivate our personal happiness. While you might have a good day by avoiding a traffic jam, a spilled coffee, and a dispute between a couple co-workers, your day could be great by getting enough rest at night, completing a physical workout, sharing hearty laughs with friends, and dedicating a few minutes each day to a hobby or interest that you love. The point is that positive mental health is something that we do, and not something that simply happens as a product of waking up each day. The activities that most impact our mental health — and that are under our control — include our daily habits, attending to our social and emotional well being, managing our personal stress, and seeking help when needed.
Practicing positive mental health
An important place to begin when examining mental health is the recognition that positive mental health is not simply avoiding mental illness. Yes, steering clear of psychopathology is important, but to live a life with positive mental health it takes active, ongoing effort. A funny 1980’s commercial from Dunkin Donuts helps illustrate that going through the motions in life, even without experiencing mental illness, is not maximizing life to its fullest.
In order to experience positive mental health, we must go beyond the mundane, and put forth active effort on a daily basis. As the saying goes, if you keep on doing what you have always done, you will keep on getting what you have always got. Rather than going through the motions, try to instead take more control of the ways in which you spend your time, including the company that you keep. By having a sense of control of your life, stress decreases and confidence increases, all resulting in better mental health.
It’s always worth it to do the occasional audit of how you go about your days, including how efficiently you use your time, and how regularly you do the things that make you happy. Are you getting enough sleep so that you awake each day with energy? Are you keeping up with responsibilities, and making efficient use of your days? Do you create opportunities to smile, and share a laugh with others? Do you tap into your creative self, be it through artistic expression, and/or creating things (a new dinner!)? Do you allow yourself to try new adventures, go to new places, and meet new people?
The choices we make each day, even the seemingly small ones, directly contribute to the type of day we will have — for better or for worse. When we enjoy life and display a healthy, positive attitude, the world around us reciprocates by means of others showing more interest in us. These interpersonal exchanges, over time, greatly contribute the quality of our overall mental health.
Final thoughts
Experiencing positive mental health is akin to getting your body in good physical shape — meaning it takes work! If you want to feel good mentally, why wait around for things to happen when you can take control and make things happen? Sure, some good days may happen by chance, but you might be surprised at just how many good days actually happen as a direct result of your effort and attention to mental health. Start today by taking control of your decisions, thinking, and behaviors, and experience a better overall mental health!
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