Mental health
describes a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of a mental
disorder. From the perspective of 'positive psychology' or 'holism', mental health
may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between
life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Mental health
can also be defined as an expression of emotions, and as signifying a
successful adaptation to a range of demands.
The World Health
Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the
individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses
of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to his or her community". It was previously stated
that there was no one "official" definition of mental health.
Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional
theories all affect how "mental health" is defined. There are
different types of mental health problems, some of which are common, such as depression
and anxiety disorders, and some not so common, such as schizophrenia and Bipolar
disorder.
Most recently, the field of global mental health has emerged, which has been defined as 'the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide'. Being mentally and emotionally healthy does not preclude the experiences of life which we cannot control. As humans we are going to face emotions and events that are a part of life. According to Smith and Segal, “People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook in which they also remain focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good” (2011). In order to improve your emotional mental health, the root of the issue has to be resolved. “Prevention emphasizes the avoidance of risk factors; promotion aims to enhance an individual’s ability to achieve a positive sense of self-esteem, mastery, well-being, and social inclusion” (Power, 2010). It is very important to improve your emotional mental health by surrounding yourself with positive relationships. We as humans, feed off companionships and interaction with other people. Another way to improve your emotional mental health is participating in activities that can allow you to relax and take time for yourself. Yoga is a great example of an activity that calms your entire body and nerves.
According to a study on well-being by Richards, Campania and Muse-Burke, “mindfulness is considered to be a purposeful state, it may be that those who practice it believe in its importance and value being mindful, so that valuing of self-care activities may influence the intentional component of mindfulness” (2010).
