Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. For example, depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness. Emotional health is one of the most important components of mental health.
There are seven basic emotions:
Even though there are seven basic emotions, there is a large number of other feelings we can experience. We can experience multiple emotions quite often. This is the experience we sometimes called 'mixed feelings'. Emotions can play an important role in how you think and behave. The emotions you feel each day can compel you to take action and influence the decisions you make about your life, both large and small. Part of being emotionally healthy is the ability to cope with and manage emotions.
Studies show that when we label our emotions, this helps us to come to terms with them. Finding the right words to express our emotions can be tricky, but it's a skill we can develop. We ignore emotions in the hope that they will disappear. But they rarely do. Suppressed 'primary' emotions can cause difficult 'secondary' emotions.
Take a moment right now to invest in your own mental health. Think about the way you feel right now. Then, name it! Tell yourself, “I'm feeling ____.” If you can, say why you're feeling that way too. “I'm feeling stressed because I was stuck in traffic this morning and I don't like to be late.” Just that simple sentence can remind you this is temporary, as well as validate what you are feeling, which both allow that feeling to hold less power over you! If you like, click the button below to type your current feeling. Your mental health matters. Be kind to yourself. Take a moment to do one small thing for your mental health today.