According to the World Health Organization (2022) mental wellness is defined as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.”

Investing even a short amount of time each day into bettering one's mental health may have profound effects on one's ability to deal with adversity, stress management, and happiness. To maintain mental wellness, it's important to take preventative measures now, before problems occur. The following are some simple practices to include into your daily life if you are new to the idea of mental wellness:

Be present: Check in with yourself and pay mindful attention to the activities you're engaging in. Bring your attention on the here and now, particularly the enjoyable aspects of it. Being present increases our capacity to connect with ourselves and others. According to research, mindfulness and meditation can improve depression and anxiety, reduce chronic pain and improve quality of sleep.

Practice gratitude: Daily gratitude practice can lead to feelings of appreciation and hopefulness. A strong sense of self can be developed by concentrating on the people and things for which we are grateful. Though not every day may be pleasant, there is always something positive to be found. Our long-term happiness can increase by over 10% just by writing down a gratitude list for five minutes each day (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

Prepare a wellness plan: Similar to an exercise plan, create a wellness plan for your mental health. This might be compiling a list of coping strategies, people you can turn to for support when life feels overwhelming, and daily meditation.

Discover what you enjoy: It's easy to let the demands of life weigh us down to the point that we neglect the things that are meaningful to us. Schedule in some time every day to do something you like or something that is fun for you.

To improve one's mental wellness is never a waste of time. Identify a single actionable move you can do to better yourself, then commit to taking that one step. People who are emotionally healthy have a strong sense of self-worth, are able to regulate their emotions and actions, and understand how to cope effectively with adversity. Our therapists at Summit’s Edge Counseling are ready and available to assist you in developing mental wellness.

Authored By: Julianna Robinson, LCSW

References:

(2022, June 17). Mental health: strengthening our response. Mental Health: Strengthening Our Response. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Meditation and mindfulness: What you need to know. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know