The Importance of Mental Health

Maintaining mental health is no joke. Ever since I started the path on getting a degree in psychology, I have learned about the importance of making sure my personal mental health is good. In an article by Dr. Glen Xiong, he states, "Mental health is integral to living a healthy, balanced life." (Xiong, 2018) Our mental health is such a large part of our lives that if ignored can have severe consequences in my opinion. What exactly happens if you leave mental illness untreated? Here are some of the consequences according to Joel Young:

1. Worsening Mental Health Issues

2. Unexplained aches and Pains

3. Chronic Physical Health Problems

4. Homelessness and Job Stability issues

5. Victimization and Trauma

Young explains each of these consequences in his article on Psychology Today. One of these consequences that he mentioned is something that I have noticed in my own life when I have neglected my mental health. I have high stress that sometimes I bring on myself and other times it is due to work related stress. In his article, Young states, "When a mental illness becomes to challenging to deal with, sometimes the body bears some of the burden. You might involuntarily tense your muscles, leading to headaches and muscle pain. Or maybe chronic stress will lead to gastrointestinal distress." (Young, 2015) Every person is different in what they may experience. Something that I started doing in my own life to be proactive in maintaining good mental health is spending some time thinking of positive things that happened during my day and thinking of things that I am thankful for. This helps me to maintain a positive mindset and be more optimistic about life.

What are some proactive things that you can do to be proactive in maintaining your personal mental health? Here are 10 proactive things you can do according to thedailypositive.com:

1. Get enough sleep.

2. Pay attention to your feelings.

3. Spend time in nature.

4. Spend less time in front of electronics.

5. Spend some time alone.

6. Say "no".

7. Practice deep and calm breathing.

8. Limit alcohol and caffeine intake.

9. Practice forgiving yourself.

10. Listen to your instincts.

If you want to read more on this article the link to the website is: "https://www.thedailypositive.com/10-proactive-mental-health-practices/."

I thought that all of these points are great ways that you can be proactive in maintaining good mental health. One point that I think I will start practicing is learning to forgive myself. I am my own worst enemy and am the most critical of myself. I always want to be the best at everything I do and never want to fail. However, I have learned that it is okay to fail sometimes. When we fail, we are able to learn from that failure and grow from it.

My challenge to each person who reads this article is to try to find one thing on this list that will help you maintain your mental health. Think of something that makes you happy and make an effort to do it consistently each day. Let me know if it makes a difference in your life.

References:

Post, Guest. “10 Proactive Mental Health Practices.” The Daily Positive, 2017, www.thedailypositive.com/10-proactive-mental-health-practices/.

Xiong, Glen. “Why It's Important to Care for Your Mental Health.” Medium, Doctor On Demand, 5 Oct. 2018, blog.doctorondemand.com/why-its-important-to-care-for-your-mental-health-834c8670b889.

Young, Joel. “Untreated Mental Illness.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 30 Dec. 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201512/untreated-mental-illness.