crucial that you feel comfortable with yourself. To do this, you must not forget to
put healthy, balanced ... with yourself and get to know yourself better— and more
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Talking about mental health Health and wellness newsletter
What do happiness, peace of mind, pleasure and satisfaction have in common? These attitudes or emotions all attest, to some extent, to our mental health, which is defined as the ability to harmonize our desires, ambitions, talents and feelings, despite the obstacles we need to overcome every day. A question of balance Mental health means achieving psychological and emotional balance so that we feel good about ourselves, have satisfactory relationships with other people, and are able to face life’s demands. Consequently, being able to effectively manage our emotions, adapt our behaviour to different situations, and establish or maintain good interpersonal relations all constitute signs of good mental health.
Managing emotions Every day, our mental health is put to the test. Events of all kinds make us feel intense emotions such as sadness, doubt, anger or anxiety. Most of the time, we are able to control them by ourselves and maintain our mental balance. However, from time to time, the effort required is so great that our balance is affected. At that point, you may need to consider consulting a third party whose assistance will enable you to improve your psychological well-being, no matter what happens.
Healthy mind, healthy body If you want to maintain good mental health, it is crucial that you feel comfortable with yourself. To do this, you must not forget to put healthy, balanced meals on the menu, and to accompany them with physical activity.
Just as sleep is necessary for bodily regeneration, psychological rest is essential for mental regeneration. You must allow yourself to have rest periods, which will help you get in touch with yourself and get to know yourself better— and more sincerely. These moments of repose should also help you accept your failures, as well as your successes, and love yourself for what you are and not what you would like to be.
Taking care of yourself and others People who take care of themselves are also able to take care of others. Their behaviour demonstrates an openness with regard to themselves and the people around them. Their ability to listen, pay attention and respect others, their strength of character and their sense of responsibility also benefit the people around them. When we refuse to let ourselves be ground down by the outside world, by respecting our own needs and pace of life, part of ourselves — often a neglected part — reclaims its rights, especially its affective, intuitive and creative dimensions. Without these dimensions, our relation to the world becomes mechanical, stereotypical and dull. Paying a little attention to ourselves brings us closer to an internal state of balance, which benefits our friends and family and makes us less vulnerable to the unforeseen events of life.
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Pleasure generates a positive emotion – a sense of being truly alive, comfortable with oneself, and comfortable with one’s inner being.
Self-esteem Based on the way human beings perceive their own abilities and value, self-esteem is an essential ingredient of good mental health. People who have good self-esteem are generally self-confident, don’t doubt their own abilities and have a good opinion of themselves. Conversely, people who lack self-esteem tend to put themselves down and are often shy, anxious and depressed. Having a good self-image, knowing yourself and accepting yourself as you are, with both your strengths and weaknesses, will considerably enrich your life. When we feel good about ourselves, the relationships we have with other people are more satisfactory and we are more pleasant to be around. We are better able to face the demands life puts on us. In other words, we’re happier. Our mental health depends critically on our self‑esteem. It means believing in our own value, as well as our right to friendship, love and happiness. It influences our whole life: our thoughts, actions and feelings.
10 tips for staying in good psychological shape Just as healthy eating and physical activity have beneficial effects on our health, certain psychological fitness exercises can help us keep in good mental health, and even improve our condition. Keeping in good mental shape requires daily learning, which starts from the inside, with our attitude towards ourselves and life.
Tip 1: Learn to love yourself the way you are
and don’t try to please everyone. Everybody’s different: some people are made to get along with each other, others aren’t.
Tip 2: Enjoy your work; you’ll see a huge difference. Tip 3: Manage your time efficiently. Learn to say no and to set limits.
Tip 4: Surround yourself with positive people who value and like you. Tip 5: Be altruistic and receptive. Offer your
support, encouragement and compliments to family members, co-workers and friends, and don’t forget to learn to receive them as well.
Tip 6: Don’t forget yourself. Continue to dream and work to achieve your dreams and projects. Tip 7: Be optimistic. Don’t linger on your faults, weaknesses and mistakes. Such thoughts poison your life and destroy your self-esteem.
Tip 8: Be positive. Don’t hold unfavourable
prejudices against yourself. Think about your successes and the things you’re satisfied with.
Tip 9: Strive for personal growth. Showcase the qualities you have successfully used instead of attaching too much importance to your mistakes. Tip 10: Respect yourself; pay attention to your own desires and expectations.
Content provided by Pro Health Group Inc.
www.standardlife.ca The Standard Life Assurance Company of Canada GE11702A GL
10-2012
©2012 Standard Life, image reproduced under licence.
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