13 Oct Three Lessons Of Mental Well-Being That Rarely Get Talked About
via Forbes by Rasmus Hougaard
Amidst days full of pressing priorities, busy schedules, and mounting responsibilities, mental well-being is something we constantly strive for, but it can be awfully hard to define. What does mental well-being feel like, and how do you know when you achieve it?
There is no universally accepted definition of mental well-being as it can have connotations for different people, at different stages in life, and in the midst of different circumstances. But, there are a few realities of mental well-being that, when accepted, can help us all achieve the desired state we seek.
Lesson Number 1: Strive for feeling right instead of feeling good
From a young age, we are taught to seek out good-feeling emotions, to avoid stress and negativity, and to be in pursuit of happiness. But this perspective overlooks the basic truth that life is full of challenges, and that to become adaptable and resilient, we must learn to work through them, not try to avoid them.
Instead, consider what it might be like to strive to feel right instead of to feel good.
Maya Tamir, psychology professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has said that happiness “is about having experiences that are meaningful and valuable, including emotions that you think are the right ones to have.” The key to a life of fulfilment and wellness is having the emotions and the emotional experiences that one desires or wants, which can include both positive and negative feelings.
Her research goes on to show that certain emotions, like fear or anger, are necessary states to experience on the path to some larger goal. “If emotions are regulated for instrumental reasons, people should want to feel pleasant emotions when immediate benefits outweigh future benefits, but when future benefits outweigh immediate benefits, people may prefer to feel useful emotions, even if they are unpleasant. “
As it turns out, the good life may not be about feeling good as much as it is about feeling right…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE
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