What is Mental Health?

There is a lot of conversation in society about mental health challenges – anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, eating disorders, trauma, and more.

 

But what is the experience of mental health? What does it feel like to be fully connected to your self? 

 

Human beings are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings. Each of these facets of the human self have their specific needs and demands in order to flourish. 

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Below is a list of interrelated elements that together comprise a working definition of mental health. Each of these impact your mood, your sense of self, and your ability to actualize your vision for your life. 

 

Physical Needs:

1. Exercise - your body is designed to move

2. Nutrition - vitamin and nutrient deficiencies directly impact your mood and emotions

3. Sleep - rest is essential to heal and restore the mind and body

4. Balanced hormones - they are integral to regulating your nervous system

5. Gut health - your microbiome constantly communicates with your brain and nervous system

 

Emotional and Spiritual Needs:

1. Emotional regulation - having strategies to heal emotional pain and trauma, which live in subconscious memory; knowing how to create emotional safety for yourself

2. Secure connection - you are wired to be social; human beings need acceptance, belonging, touch, affection, trust, safety, and love to thrive

3. Purpose and meaning - having a connection to something greater than yourself and your own personal needs

4. Creativity - knowing how to get “in the flow” of creative inspiration; experiencing flow is one of the most accessible paths to happiness

5. Play - human beings learn best through the innovation, experimentation, and pleasure of play

6. Eustress - beneficial stress that pushes you to reach, challenge, expand, and accomplish your goals and desires

7. Opportunity - the existence of paths to express and fulfill yourself in society and the outer world

8. Erotic and sexual fulfillment - you are physically wired to reproduce, as well as to experience deep emotional and physical pleasure through the sexual experience

9. Nature - you are intrinsically connected to all life around you

10. Balance between emotional security and emotional freedom - the balance between attachment and authenticity is at the core of every human being

 

You are designed on every level to thrive. You are also wired to face and overcome challenges. Any issue in your life has a solution. To quote famed trauma and addiction therapist Dr. Gabor Maté, “Any roadblocks lead you to your true self. That true self you got disconnected from is still available to you.” Envision and feel who you really are, and know you can make wholeness your reality.