Mental Health Day

What is Mental Health

Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem. If you’re in good mental health, you can:

make the most of your potential
cope with life
play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.

Some people call mental health ‘emotional health’ or ‘well-being’ and it’s just as important as good physical health. Mental health is everyone’s business. We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. But sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to any one of us. Everyone is different. You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time. Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same. It can change as circumstances change and as you move through different stages of your life. There’s a stigma attached to mental health problems. This means that people feel uncomfortable about them and don’t talk about them much. Many people don’t even feel comfortable talking about their feelings. But it’s healthy to know and say how you’re feeling.

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WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY (10TH OCT)

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Information & Support

Mental Wellbeing or Mental Health explained

Mental Wellbeing or Mental Health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.   Mind's booklet on 'How to improve mental wellbeing' says good mental health is about your behaviour - what you do. Good mental health is when: 

You care about yourself and you care for yourself.
You look after your physical health – eat well, sleep well, exercise and enjoy yourself. 
You see yourself as being a valuable person in your own right. 
You judge yourself on reasonable standards.
You don't set yourself impossible goals, such as 'I have to be perfect in everything I do', and then punish yourself when you don't reach those goals.

Our mental wellbeing is dynamic and it can change from moment to moment or day to day.   If you have good mental wellbeing you are able to:

feel relatively confident in yourself 
feel and express a range of emotions
build and maintain good relationships with others
feel engaged with the world around you
live and work productively
cope with the stress of daily life
adapt and manage in times of change and uncertainty

We all have times when we have low mental wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope. Common life events that can affect your mental wellbeing include: loss or bereavement loneliness  relationship problems issues at work worry about money  Other times there is no clear reason for why we feel the way we do - which can be frustrating. No matter the reason, it can be helpful to remember that you deserve to feel good and there are steps you can take to improve and maintain your mental wellbeing! If you are concerned or afraid and anything relating to your mental health is affecting your normal daily life or causing you distress, you should consider seeking further professional support. 