Mental health is equally important as physical health. Mental health will make your mind positive so that your body can function well emotionally, psychologically, socially and influence the way you think, feel and behave. Good mental health also helps determine how to manage stress, relate to other people, and make choices. If your mental health is disturbed, your thoughts, mood and behavior will be affected, resulting in your physical condition and quality of life decreasing.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services refers to mental health as a person’s “emotional, psychological, and social well-being.”
When in good mental health, a person has a generally positive outlook, can complete daily tasks, maintain relationships, and engage in meaningful recreation. It includes a sense of balance and empowerment to set boundaries and achieve life and work goals, one step at a time.
Mental health will impact physical health and social life. As the saying goes “in a healthy body there is a strong soul”, mentally healthy people will have a lower risk of chronic diseases, such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, stomach and heart disease. Mentally healthy people can communicate well, get along easily, have healthy friendships and are more able to make positive contributions to the community or people around them.
Mental Health Is Related to Physical Health
The NIMH reports that some mental illnesses like depression and anxiety can cause unexplained physical symptoms. The CDC also reports that mental illness can increase the risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease, and has acknowledged that severe mental illness may increase a person’s chances of becoming seriously ill after contracting COVID-19. Chronic physical health problems can also contribute to mental health issues.
Factors such as proper diet, sleep and exercise can positively impact your mental health. On the other hand, lack of sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise can hamper your ability to manage stress and life’s demands. Sometimes mental health symptoms can lead to somatic symptoms due to tension, worrying thoughts or other reactions. Hence, there is a circular loop between mental and physical symptoms.
Mental Health Helps You Maintain a Positive Self Image
We as humans sometimes put ourselves down. But how you view yourself in general is a big factor in your mental health — in particular, your self-esteem and self-worth. Having good mental health can help you recognize your strengths and limitations, as well as have confidence in your own abilities and ability to maintain a healthy level of self-esteem.
Mental Health Impacts Your Brain and Cognitive Function
Have you ever noticed that when you are in an anxious or depressed mood, you can’t think straight? Just as poor physical health can affect internal organs such as the heart and intestines, poor mental health can also affect how your brain works.
Your mental health influences your cognitive processes such as perception, thinking, memory, reasoning, and problem solving. This includes clear thinking, the ability to concentrate and make decisions, as well as the ability to learn and adapt to new information and experience.
Mental Health Impacts Your Relationships
Mental health is a big part of how we socialize and react to other people around us. Having good mental health can help you develop positive, meaningful relationships with other people. This has to do with the way you communicate and talk to others, the way you set and maintain healthy boundaries, and the way you empathize with others.
When someone is in a good mental health condition, they can generally find success and satisfaction in their life. They tend to have more positive attitudes and views, they are more confident in themselves as individuals. They usually have goals, a sense of stability in life, and can complete everyday tasks such as going to school or maintaining a career. Those who have positive mental health conditions usually have the ability to make friends, maintain relationships, and engage or connect with other people.
These actions, while they may seem easy for some people, are not so easy for those who are struggling with mental health issues. Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, for example, unfortunately interfere with a person’s ability to cope with negative emotions, build friendships, and sometimes, even get out of the house.
Good mental health can positively influence how we feel, how we live our days, and how we realize success in the future. Meanwhile, mental health disorders can cause us to feel bad about ourselves, get lost in negative thought patterns, and have trouble connecting with others or finding motivation to get help.
