How do you know that you are mentally healthy? What factors are important for staying mentally healthy? What can affect mental health? And how do you know that it is disturbed? We will get to the bottom of all these exciting questions in this article.
What is mental health?
According to a newer definition of mental health from 2015, mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own capabilities, copes with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and successfully, and can make a contribution to the community.”
This definition represents a significant step forward, as it is often said that mental health is simply the absence of mental illness. However, it can lead to misunderstandings because people might think that they are only mentally healthy if they constantly feel good, i.e. only have positive feelings.
But even a feeling of well-being can signal a mental illness in some situations , for example if someone feels good when they see people dying, for example in a war or natural disaster. At the same time, a desperate person is not automatically depressed, i.e. mentally ill, because despair can also be a very healthy psychological reaction, for example if you are unexpectedly laid off or someone close to you suddenly dies.
So you can be in good mental health and still feel sad, angry or unhappy from time to time – simply because situations that provoke these feelings are part of life. Only people who are mentally healthy react appropriately ( ).
What are the most common mental health problems?
More than one in four adults meets the criteria for a mental illness over the course of a year. The most common mental health problems in Germany include anxiety disorders, depression, and disorders caused by alcohol and drug abuse ( 2 ).
These diseases are often treated with medications that have many side effects, instead of getting to the root of the cause or using alternative methods to alleviate the symptoms. Our articles look at these diseases from a holistic perspective and show ways in which you can support your body naturally.
Our articles How to overcome fear , Phobias: types, causes and natural anxiety relief , Depression: These measures can help and Holistic ways out of addiction deal, among other things, with which diet and other lifestyle changes are important for mental health problems and which nutritional supplements or medicinal herbs you can take to improve your quality of life.
What factors threaten mental health?
It is believed that there is not just one factor that is responsible for our mental health being threatened and us developing a mental illness. Rather, it is a combination of several factors. These include the following:
- Biological factors: e.g. genetic predisposition due to mental illness of the parents
- Psychological factors: e.g. low social support, poor coping strategies, traumatic experiences in childhood, chronic stress in everyday life
- Social factors: low education, low income, conflicts in the family
Some people are particularly vulnerable and therefore at greater risk than others of developing a mental illness. This vulnerability can be inherited or learned from parents or close relatives. For such vulnerable people, the risk of developing mental disorders is increased when they are exposed to stress, such as stress in a relationship or at work, the loss of a loved one or pet, a separation or job loss.
For example, there are people who, due to genetic factors, become addicted to alcohol relatively quickly, while others do not develop an addiction even after a long period of alcohol consumption. The former are therefore more vulnerable and therefore more prone to mental illness.
If they have learned from their role models to turn to alcohol in stressful situations (“Come on, have a shot first”), this can quickly develop into an addiction. Other people react to challenging situations with fear or withdrawal because they grew up with a parent who suffered from anxiety or depression. They are therefore more susceptible to these disorders themselves.
The crucial point is that when these stresses occur, no resources or protective factors are available – only then can mental health be affected ( ). Resources refer to things in life that provide strength and support – these can include hobbies, positive relationships with family, partners or friends, and a fulfilling job. If no resources are available, this can lead to those affected turning to alcohol or other drugs when they have problems, or falling into depression.
What is important for mental health?
As already described, resources and protective factors are important for mental health. In this context, we speak of resilience . You can read how you can increase your resilience under the previous link.
Lifestyle also has a significant impact on mental well-being. Lifestyle affects all areas of daily life – including nutrition, exercise, sleep, dealing with stress and emotions, and social contacts. Below we describe nine areas in more detail that are important for mental health and show ways in which they can be strengthened.
1. Strengthen resources
Resources are very individual and can affect different areas for each person, but they help to master challenging situations without falling into a slump and thus protect against mental illness. “Resources” refers to all the things in life that you are good at and that give you joy and strength and energy. Perhaps you have certain goals that you want to achieve, such as learning a certain profession or doing further training that you have long dreamed of or finally living in a house in the countryside. Hobbies (sports, music, art, dancing) and of course positive relationships with family, friends, partners or pets can also be helpful in difficult phases of life.
2. Get enough sleep
To maintain or promote good mental health, your body needs enough rest and sleep. For adults, seven to nine hours of sleep is recommended. However, pay attention not only to the length of your sleep, but also to the quality of your sleep . Try to do calming activities before bed – these include reading, taking a relaxing bath or listening to calming music. Make sure you sleep in a quiet environment, without disturbing noises (e.g. from your cell phone) and that the room is well ventilated and dark.
3. Rest and relaxation
Make sure to incorporate periods of rest and relaxation into your everyday life. During these periods, you can take a leisurely walk in the forest or park, read a good book or sunbathe on the balcony. Targeted relaxation or mindfulness exercises such as meditation also calm the body and mind and thus support mental health. Examples of relaxation exercises include progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson or autogenic training . Mindfulness exercises such as mindful walking, mindful breathing or mindful perception of the body (“body scan”) can be found in our article Mindfulness: The healing power of the moment .
4. Healthy diet
It is essential for mental health to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole foods and healthy fats from nuts, seeds or cold-pressed oils. In many of our articles, whether about depression or bipolar disorder, we have already reported on studies that show that nutrient deficiencies promote mental illness. You can read about which foods are best to eat in a healthy diet and which you should avoid in our article Healthy Eating: The 25 Rules .
5. Avoid addictive substances
Avoid alcohol , nicotine and other drugs as much as possible, as these are harmful to your physical and therefore also to your mental health. In our article Depression caused by medication , we also describe how even common medications such as antibiotics, antidepressants or the contraceptive pill can have a negative impact on our mental well-being.
6. Regular exercise and time in nature
For good mental health, it is important to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine – preferably in nature. People are not made to sit indoors with artificial lighting and stuffy air all day. Studies also show that a walk in the forest, for example, has a positive effect on our stress levels not only through the beneficial effects of exercise, but also through the mere presence of nature. If you do not want to or cannot invest extra time in exercise, combine it with everyday activities – for example, cycle to work or to the shops or walk.
7. Active stress management
Stress promotes many physical and mental illnesses – for example, the immune system suffers, the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased and mental illnesses such as burnout or depression occur more frequently. In order to cope well with stress , it is important, among other things, to take breaks and relax, for example with the help of relaxation methods, massages, yoga or meditation. Regular exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, also helps to reduce our stress levels. Also make sure you eat healthily (see above) and include stress-reducing foods in your diet – this will help your body to cope better with challenges.
8. Social contacts
A stable social environment is essential for mental health. Regularly make time for friends or family members who are good for you – with whom you can have fun and talk about things that concern you. Be open to new acquaintances who enrich your life. The positive feelings that arise when you spend nice, fun hours with other people release happiness hormones and mean that you can also get through difficult life situations well.
9. Positive emotions
Positive emotions strengthen the immune system and heart, lead to a greater sense of meaning and positive relationships, and even lead to a longer lifespan. Since negative feelings such as anger, fear, or sadness require more attention, positive emotions must be actively trained (4). We give you three suggestions on how you can best achieve this:
- At the end of the day, write down three things that went well and that you found nice and positive, for example, “I got up the courage to go jogging today” or “I had the courage to talk to my cute neighbor today.”
- Before you go to sleep, think of an experience for which you are particularly grateful and review it again with all your senses.
- Schedule time for so-called “mini-vacations” in which you engage in activities that you associate with positive emotions: for example, drinking a hot cup of tea or coffee, meeting a dear friend, or watching a movie under a cozy blanket on the couch.
How do you know that your mental health is affected?
If your mental health is compromised, your quality of life, your well-being and possibly other areas such as social relationships or performance will suffer. Below we list some symptoms that may indicate this.
- Mood swings: Are you full of joy and euphoria one moment, and overwhelmed by sadness, aggression or even indifference the next?
- Sleep disorders: Do you have trouble falling asleep over a long period of time, do you wake up several times during the night or do you feel completely exhausted ( burn out ) in the morning? In our article Ending sleep disorders and insomnia we present natural methods on how you can improve your sleep.
- Depression: Do you constantly feel listless, exhausted or sad and do not enjoy the things you normally enjoy?
- Difficulty concentrating/memory problems: Do you often have difficulty concentrating on work, homework or reading? Do you find it difficult to remember what you have learned or do you often misplace objects such as keys or your cell phone? Many natural methods can help you improve your concentration – read our article Lack of concentration: 16 tips for better focus .
- Inner restlessness: Do you often feel tense and nervous inside, do your thoughts jump quickly from one topic to the next and do you suffer from dizziness, heart palpitations or sweating?
- Excessive fears: Do you have excessive fears about certain things or situations? Are these fears associated with physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, dizziness or shortness of breath? In our article How to stop a panic attack you will find tips on how to deal with your fears.
All of these symptoms can have both physical and psychological causes. If you experience any of the symptoms over a longer period of time, it is best to contact your GP and have them check whether there are organic causes. In a further step, you can contact a psychologist, psychotherapist or alternative practitioner for psychotherapy to work on the psychological causes of your symptoms and find your way back to your mental health.
