Mental health. What determines its well-being, and how to preserve it?

 Denote the criteria for mental health:

 

1. Awareness and feeling of continuity, constancy and identity of one's physical and mental "I".

In the complete absence of this criterion, depersonalization and derealization occur, when your own body or its parts seem alien, you see the world and yourself as if from the outside.

 

2. Feeling of constancy and identity of experiences in situations of the same type.

 

“When I am very unhappy with my wife, I endure, keep quiet and call the boxing coach.” In other words, if your behavior in the same type of situations is impossible to predict, something is wrong with your mental health.

 

3. Criticality to oneself and one's own mental production (activity) and its results.

This criterion can be designated as the ability for self-observation and self-analysis, for reflection. The ability to evaluate what a person says and does, and evaluate the consequences of those words and deeds.

 

For example, “I know that I am a hypochondriac (a person who is extremely fixated on the sensations of his own body, looking for diseases in himself) and for any reason it is easier for me to go to the doctor than to engage in self-soothing. I do not believe in psychotherapy, although I know that I am physically healthy. I am ready to pay for consultations and tests, and these people in white coats with attentive eyes are my most effective psychotherapy. And that's the price of my hypochondria."

 

3. Correspondence of mental reactions (adequacy) to the strength and frequency of environmental influences, social circumstances and situations.

 

Here there are some difficulties associated with the difference between environmental and social influences. Sometimes the environment itself can be mentally unhealthy: in Soviet times, people with views that did not correspond to the authorities were assigned to a psychiatric clinic.

In general, the criterion can be explained as follows: if a person attacked you with a cry of “kill you, you bastard!” on your mild critical comment, then the adequacy of his mental reaction to your “environmental” impact is a big question.

 

5. The ability to self-government behavior in accordance with social norms, rules, laws.

Do you remember the production charges at enterprises in the Soviet years? Here the situation is the same as with the previous criterion. Anything can become the norm. If “bringing pets to work” becomes the norm, then someone who refuses to drive in accordance with this norm will be considered mentally ill.

 

6. The ability to plan one's own life and implement these plans.

 

The frontal lobes of the brain are responsible for the ability to plan and act in accordance with these plans. People who are not capable of planning and implementing plans are very suggestible, led, they are easy to manage, they do not have their own will.

 

7. The ability to change the way of behavior depending on the change in life situations and circumstances.

 

Although the last on the list, it is one of the most obvious criteria for mental health. The ability to be adaptive, having the flexibility of thinking and behavior are important functions of a healthy human psyche.

 

So how do you maintain your truly valuable mental health?

Highlighting the psychological problems that arise in people in the workplace or in the micro-social environment, informing about how to cope with them, helps to increase stress resistance and improve a person’s mental health. And in general, a detailed orientation in any activity provides a reduction in anxiety, which can increase productivity, reduce stress, and reduce the risk of mental ill-being.

 

Creative activities (planting plants, breeding animals, various hobbies) have a positive effect on strengthening mental health.

 

Mental health promotion includes activities that may include creating an environment that supports mental health.

 

An environment that respects and protects basic human needs. Preserving his rights is the foundation of mental health. In the absence of the security and freedom afforded by rights, it is difficult to maintain a high level of mental health.

 

Therefore, first of all, it is important to respect the boundaries of oneself and other people;

Listen to yourself, your feelings and experiences, emotions, bodily sensations;

Accept your own life experience with gratitude;

Replenish the resource (Find for yourself that activity during which you will feel better, lighter, inspired). Choose what makes you happy;

Avoid activities based on negativity. Try to find for yourself the meaning of the activity that you are doing;

Doing physical exercise;

Walk;

Do not forget to take time for yourself (maybe it will be a trip to the park with your loved one or massage, yoga, meditation);

To reduce the level of anxiety and stress, unsubscribe from those news publics that give rise to these feelings in you;

Practice a digital detox. Or at least put your gadgets away 2 hours before bed.

Spend more time with family and friends. With the environment with which you are comfortable.