What is Mental Health?

One of the most difficult concepts to define is the idea of mental health. In school, much of our learning is focused on mental illness and dysfunctional behaviors that we often overlook what are mentally healthy and functional behaviors.

As Asians, we have a difficult time separating our physical wellbeing with our mental wellbeing. In fact, in some discussions I have had with fellow Filipino psychologists, we could not find an exact translation for the concept of “mental health” or even just for the word “mental” for that matter. In fact, when we experience pain, it can both be physical as well as emotional. And so, there is a real difficulty in explaining the idea of mental health to many Asians.

And yet, mental health is something that we need to understand as well as we can if we are to work towards it. And making it a goal is certainly a very good thing for anyone.

So, what are the most important features of a person who strives towards mental health? Most psychologists would agree in the following:

• Capacity to enjoy life. This does not mean that they are never sad and are always enthusiastic. It simply means that they understand the choices they have and make full use of this knowledge to serve their purposes. They know how to enjoy themselves and maximize the potentials of any given situation, even when there is very little in which to take pleasure.
• Resilience. This begins with a good understanding of their inner strengths and areas of improvement. With this knowledge, they are able to maximize what they know about themselves to adjust to any given situation. They are able to admit their own readiness to face certain situations and bounce back as quickly as they can when faced with challenges and adversities.
• Balanced life. Mentally healthy people are also rather well adjusted in their lives. They are able to balance the extremes in their lives. They are able to take care of the basics, such as, eating balanced meals, sleeping well, and exercising regularly. They also need some alone time, to be quiet and to connect with themselves. There is also time to connect with others and to enjoy the company of friends, to be intimate with at least one other person.
• Ability to adapt. As events unfold in one’s life, one needs to be able to adjust to various circumstances. A mentally healthy person is able to do adjust to various circumstances and people. They accept their faults and failures and are open to improving themselves.
• Self-actualization. People who are well are able to work towards self-actualization. As I wrote in a previous entry, these people “are able to maximize their potentials and become the persons they have always wanted to become. Such people are often able to accept themselves for who they are. Similarly, they are also able to accept others in equal measure. They face reality squarely and are able to adapt themselves in ways that accommodate the situation they face. “

 After writing what makes a person mentally healthy, I do understand that it is an ideal that cannot be fully attained by any one person. I guess that is why there is always room for even better mental health no matter where you are in your life. It is a goal that we can all strive towards.