What is Mental Health?
Achieving exceptional mental health is not taught in the current school curriculum. We are only taught knowledge and skills. Nothing about the definition of mental well-being. Excellent Mental health does not mean the absence of mental illnesses. Being mentally healthy also does not mean that we are happy all of the time. It is being the best version of a human being you can be. It involves a lot of pain, discomfort and disappointment. But it also allows us to get the results that we want.
Why is Mental Health So Important?
We are often told to focus on our physical and spiritual health. However, more emphasis should be on our psychological health – our brains. It helps us to learn how to manage pain, overcome adversity and develop mental resilience.
Why Should We Want To Be Mentally Healthy?
Your thoughts create your interpretation of your life. Everything you create in your life is from your mind. How you think about yourself and the world is the most important thing because it creates your world. The world out there is what you make it to be. How you think influences your physical and spiritual health. We do not learn about this consciously except when we take the initiative to seek out personal development content such as reading self-help books.
Do You Have Excellent Mental Health?
Below are 3 signs that tell you if you have excellent mental health.
1. You Have Emotional Balance
You experience both the positives and negatives of life. You take responsibility in choosing to experience joy or pain.
2. You Take Action
You schedule Action on your calendar and follow through. You do not wait to feel inspired or motivated to do the things that will give you the results you want.
3. You Have Internal Control
You are not dependent on anyone else or any external circumstances to make you feel emotions. Only your own thoughts decide your feelings.
How I Can Relate To These 3 Signs As A Student
You can learn more about the other signs in this episode by The Life Coach School podcast to know more. But in my opinion, these 3 signs are the most relatable to me, as a student.
Firstly, having an emotional balance allows me to fully experience what university life has to offer. There will be ups and downs and I have signed up for all of them.
Secondly, I want to seize the opportunities I have as a university student to build my emotional wealth. In order to find out what I truly like and/or dislike, I have to go for that introductory workshop or join that CCA. In order to develop my public speaking skills, I have to first step out of my comfort zone and actively participate in class. These goals can only be achieved through taking action.
Lastly, we are bound to interact with our peers and professors at university. For instance, sometimes, I disagree with my friends over a particular issue. Having internal control stops me from trying to control them. I allow my friends to be who they are. They do not trigger my anger or any negative emotions. Only my thoughts can trigger it. If I am not feeling my best self, I do a thought download. If I can, I write out what my thoughts are and why I am thinking this way. Through this small exercise, I usually find out the reason why I have that feeling and try to redirect my mind to thoughts that serve me instead.
I am still working on improving my mental health and valuing it over what others think of me. However, I hope this has given you a general understanding of what having excellent mental health is like, and I believe you are capable of achieving it.
Are you willing to be uncomfortable to get the results that you want?
