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Definitions of
mental health are changing. It used to be that good mental
health meant you had no diagnosable mental illness. Now, more
mental health professionals are taking a "positive
psychology" approach and recognizing that mental health is
more than an absence of illness, it is a state of health.
Consider these key
characteristics when assessing your own mental health:
Ability
to enjoy life - Can you
live in the moment and appreciate the "now"? Are you
able to learn from the past and plan for the future without
dwelling on things you can't change or predict?
Resilience
- Are
you able to bounce back from hard times? Can you manage the
stress of a serious life event without losing your optimism and
a sense of perspective?
Balance
- Are you able to juggle
the many aspects of your life? Can you recognize when you might
be devoting too much time to one aspect, at the expense of
others? Are you able to make changes to restore balance when
necessary?
Self-actualization
- Do you recognize and
develop your strengths so that you can reach your full
potential?
Flexibility
- Do
you feel, and express, a range of emotions? When problems arise,
can you change your expectations - of life, others, yourself- to
solve the problem and feel better?
You can gauge your
mental health by thinking about
how you coped with a recent difficulty. Did you feel there was
no way out of the problem and that life would never be normal
again? Were you unable to carry on with work or school? With
time, were you able to enjoy your life, family and friendships?
Were you able to regain your balance and look forward to the
future?
Taking the pulse of
mental health brings different results for everyone; it's unique
to the individual. By
reflecting on these characteristics, you can recognize your
strengths, and identify areas where your level of mental fitness
could be improved.
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