Nobleman creative

By Tricia Diaz

Introduction

Many people think that mental health is the norm and that mental illness is something that just happens because of trauma or abuse. This is partially true. Good mental health, just like anything else, can be practiced and consistently done until it forms a habitual part of a person’s life. In this article, we will discuss good habits for mental wellness. Here goes:

1.Be Kind to Yourself

One way to achieve good mental health is to forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made and your inherent flaws and idiosyncrasies. You are indeed human and no one is perfect. As a human being, you will not always get it right or do everything according to plan. As human beings we are fallible and we are not gods and we cannot treat ourselves, like we should be perfect all the time. We act with the information that we have present at the time. When we make mistakes, we should just try to resolve them without allowing the weight of them to engulf our lives.

2.Basic Self Care

Self-care is talked about a lot today. Self-care that is as basic as getting out of bed, taking regular showers, combing and styling your hair and being clean in general is a simple way to achieve good mental health. You do not need expensive spa treatments to achieve good mental health as this could cause financial problems later and could be a source of mental stress. Yes, you need to treat yourself from time to time, but self-care does not need to be extravagant. It could be simple self-maintenance.

3.Examine Your Thought-Life

One habit that ensures that you have good mental health, is to examine your thought life. Routinely observe and become aware of the thoughts that replay or ruminate in your mind. Ask, are these thoughts positive or negative? What are my thoughts towards myself and others? Are these thoughts healthy or are they a source of distress?

4.Express Yourself

Finding different ways to express yourself, whether it is through art, talking, journaling, dancing or cooking or a mixture of all the above help to achieve good mental health. Expressing yourself helps you to achieve good mental health by uncovering the source of mental distress in your life.

5.Carefully Work on Your Flaws Without Self Judgement

We all have flaws. Working on them helps us to become better individuals. By practicing self-development and learning how to take criticism without feeling that it is an attack on your personality, helps you to grow and become mentally strong.

6.Ditch Perfectionism

Many people want to be the best. They fear mistakes and believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. This belief is based on fear. Fear of unworthiness breeds perfectionism, because you tend to believe that if what you do fits a certain criterion of perfection, then you will be worthy or deserving of attention or praise. This stress response causes issues and stops people, from taking risks, and potentially reaping fantastic rewards. Ditch perfectionism and take a risk to achieve what you want to achieve. Nothing great starts perfect. For example, most startups iterate or constantly work on things to change. That’s why there are software updates. They did not start perfect. Just like them you just need to start.

7.Act In Love

In everything, act in love and love one another and yourself. In your relationship with God, yourself, and the greater world; always act with love. Treat others with love and how you want to be treated. This is key to a healthy society.

Conclusion

By practicing these seven (7) habits, anyone can achieve good mental health and maintain a healthy sense of self.