Wednesday, May 18, 2011

How Healthy are you...Mentally?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and today, in fact, many psychologists are blogging on the topic of Mental Health. So what is "Mental Health" and how can you tell how healthy you are?

The World Health Organization defines mental health as -- "A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. "

You can also think of Mental Health as encompassing our thoughts, feelings and actions, particularly in response to stressful life situations. Picture a continuum of Mental Health, ranging from:

occasional stress/mild distress
(no impairment)


emotional problems or concerns
(mild impairment)

emotional disorders
(moderate to significant impairment)


Most
people, throughout their lives, will find themselves using adequate coping skills and negotiating the challenges of life reasonably well, without leading to significant impairment in daily functioning (i.e., eating, sleeping, relating to others, problem-solving skills, etc.)
However, if major negative life events occur and/or problems are perceived as insurmountable, one's coping skills can become overtaxed or may be inadequate to manage the stress. This is when an individual may develop an emotional disorder and encounter more significant impairment.

One reason for Mental Health Month is to raise public awareness. We know that many individuals with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek treatment. Possible reasons may include lack of awareness of one's own state of mental health and the need for help, and/or the social stigma of mental disorders that still exists. Just as someone would attend to their Physical Health, there are effective treatments available to restore Mental Health. If you or someone you care about is experiencing Mental Health problems, help is available.
For more information about Mental Health issues and treatment, go to:
www.apa.org/topics
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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Visualize that Happy New Year

You probably haven't heard the greeting Happy New Year for a couple of weeks, now that we are officially into 2011. But we all still wish that for ourselves and one another.

Today someone sent me a photo of herself, taken over the holidays, as she stood outside experiencing her first snowfall. It was beautiful to see the excitement on her face -- and reminded me of how powerful images can be. Using our minds to visualize is another tool we have to help us create that happier and healthier New Year.


Choose a photo that brings a smile to your face. Whenever you are starting to feel down or over-stressed, close your eyes, take some nice deep diaphragmatic breaths (from your belly) and visualize that scene. Stay with the breathing and the image for 3 - 5 minutes. When your mind wanders, that's ok, just gently bring it back and start your breathing again. After this meditative break, you will feel calmer and have more emotional energy to handle whatever was troubling you. Even if it is just to say, "I know I can't do anything about this so I have to let it go for now."

And for those of us who are working on keeping our New Year's Resolutions....If you're having doubts that you can follow through, or haven't set any goals for yourself, it's not too late! For some tips, go to our January 14, 2010 Blog Post below: How to Make your New Year's Resolutions Happen.