11 Oct 3 essential skills for your mental health
As I’ve been saying for almost 2 decades now, happiness requires little more than practising a few simple disciplines, each and every day.
Happiness comes, therefore, from good habits.
And happiness also correlates positively, not surprisingly, with mental health. So these 3 skills designed for good mental health will help you manage stress, anxiety and depression AS WELL AS enjoy happiness, joy and contentment…
via Psychology Today by Meg Selig
What Is “Mental Health?”
Would you like to improve your mental health? I don’t think many people would answer “no” to that question. There’s always something to work on, whether coping better with frustration, reducing needless anxiety, or, on a happier note, learning to savor the positive events in life.
But what is “mental health” exactly? Most mental health professionals agree that “mental health” is more than just the absence of mental illness. The World Health Organization (WHO), for example, stresses that health, including mental health, “…is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
There are numerous helpful definitions of mental health (I’ll share a few below), but my favorite is this one:
A mentally healthy person is someone who can learn from the past, live in the present, and plan for the future.
I heard this definition of mental health from a philosophy professor that I worked with over 25 years ago. Her definition is certainly memorable—at least, in all these years, I’ve never forgotten it.
Below I’ve listed skills that might help you “learn from the past, live in the present, and plan for the future.” As you look over the list, think about areas you already excel in. Then choose one skill to work on that would bring you more confidence, peace of mind, or relationship harmony.
Skill Set 1: “Learn from the Past”
To “learn from the past,” you might need self-reflection skills, such as the following:
- Self-Compassion: Self-compassion helps you face setbacks and disappointments without getting discouraged or self-critical. In addition, self-compassion allows you to forgive your Past Self for mistakes or imperfection.
- Growth Mindset: A “growth mindset” gives you the resilience to learn from both failures and successes.
- Self-Knowledge: When you know your strengths, weaknesses, values, and interests, you can know and express your best self and make good career choices.
- Relationship Intelligence: With a little analysis, you can figure out what makes a relationship satisfying for you and what you can do to build better relationships.
- Gratitude: Focusing on what you are grateful for can lift your spirits, among multiple other benefits.
To cultivate these self-reflection skills, you need an action plan. General strategies might include: seeing a therapist, taking a class, reading a book on the topic, or engaging in a regular practice, such as the “three good things” or “small successes” exercise…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE