Mental health is a topic talked about everywhere which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is “a state of well-being in which a person can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, realize their potential and contribute to the community.” Having good mental doesn’t necessarily refer to the absence of mental illness. It focuses on how you lead your life, with how much positivity and the way you function amidst all the stressful events as you can also lead a normal life even after showing mental illness symptoms.
Positive mental health covers many aspects of life including emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Emotional well-being refers to experiencing more positive emotions like love, joy, elation, and happiness and having fewer negative emotions. Social well-being is how we behave socially; interact with others and contribute to our society. Psychological well-being refers to applying the positive aspects in your life and flourishing. Spiritual well-being includes the belief in a higher power, spirituality that can be religious and is said to serve a better purpose in mental health.
Psychiatry focuses on spreading positive mental health, prevention of mental illness, recovery, and treatment for the ones suffering. Positive psychiatry is a relatively new term coined in 2013 by Dilip Jeste, a psychiatrist which is defined as “the field of psychiatry that aims at promotion of positive well-being by various practices for the ones who are at a risk of developing a mental, physical or behavioral illness.” It not only aims to fix psychological or psychiatric issues but also to increase positivity and well-being among the ones having several illnesses. Its role is significant in the patients experiencing stress or those who have previously gone through a traumatic experience and are currently undergoing a phase called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Here resilience plays an important role in overcoming the stress or trauma and coping up with life. This is known as post-traumatic growth where we learn to grow despite all the painful incidents that have taken place in our lives.
There are several ways to counter negativity and induce a positive mentality which includes developing relationships with new people or polishing the already existing ones. Exercise has proven to be a major factor in enhancing both physical and mental health and reducing depression. Following a proper and healthy diet can also improve your mental health to a significant level. Yoga and meditation have been observed treating many mental and physical abnormalities in many individuals.
As we have now learned the basics of maintaining positive mental health, I will discuss the recovery perspective and various other methods to lead a normal and stress-free life.
