Mental Wellness

What Is Mental Wellness?

Mental wellness is not the absence of mental illness alone. It’s more of an internal fortitude that allows you to build resilience and thrive.

Mental Health vs. Mental Wellness

Mental health and mental wellness are often used interchangeably, though subtle differences exist.

The American Psychological Association (APA) describes mental health as “a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, good behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish constructive relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life.”

Mental health and mental illness have traditionally been viewed as mutually exclusive, where the presence of one meant the absence of the other. However, because you can have good mental health even if you have a mental illness such as depression or anxiety, some studies suggest that these two things actually coexist on separate spectra, meaning that they can occur together, and the presence of one doesn’t exclude the presence of the other.

Similarly, mental wellness involves social, mental, emotional, and functional processes. Social interactions, mental health, emotions, physical health, and function all play into mental wellness.

Both physical and mental health can influence mental well-being. This relationship is complex and can be affected by factors within oneself and outside factors such as life stressors and social support.

How to Improve Your Mental Wellness

Because there are so many aspects to mental wellness, there are many ways to address it. Some tips for improving mental wellness include:

Making More Social Connections

By building positive connections with others, you increase your social support, which can improve your overall satisfaction, give you new people to share activities with, improve your emotional support, and develop a sense of belonging and self-worth.

Staying Physically Active

Physical activity can improve mental health, as it has been associated with improved self-esteem, mood, quality of life, and cognitive function. Physical activity has been shown to improve the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. This leads to decreased cortisol levels and increases the natural endorphins your brain produces. The increase in endorphins leads to a decrease in anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Trying New Things

Developing new habits and getting out of your comfort zone stimulates the brain and allows it to rewire itself. This process is called neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to adapt and rebuild itself. When you learn new things, the brain forms new connections. These new connections become stronger the more you use them.

Being Generous

Kindness and generosity are aspects of social connectedness. Both receiving kindness and being kind have been shown to positively affect mental health as an antidote to isolation and an improved sense of belonging.

Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation is the practice of being aware of the present moment and not allowing any internal or external distractions. Mindfulness has been shown to improve overall mental health by minimizing stress and maintaining mental well-being.

Getting Enough Sleep

Experiencing sleep disorders or a lack of sleep increases the risk of mental health disorders. Even in people without underlying mental illness, sleep deprivation can lead to increased anxiety and distress. Addressing underlying sleep problems is important in a holistic approach to addressing mental well-being.

Why Is Mental Health Important for Overall Health?

Improving mental health and mental well-being can help improve your overall health. Mental health impacts brain health and cognitive function. It affects perception, thinking, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Poor mental health can also cause physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, headaches, stomach issues, muscle pain, and more.

For example, the American Heart Association (AHA) has identified depression as a risk factor for poor outcomes in patients who have had a heart attack. Depression, anxiety, and stress can increase your blood pressure and heart rate. The body also produces increased cortisol in response to stress, and this can lead, over time, to heart disease and stroke.

Depression has also been associated with other chronic conditions such as diabetes, chronic pain, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. People with chronic diseases and depression tend to have more severe symptoms of both their chronic disease and their mental health conditions.

How To Boost Your Mental Wellness

Working with your healthcare team to address your physical health concerns is one of the first steps to addressing your mental health. Improving your chronic health conditions can positively impact your mental health.

A healthy diet can boost your mental wellness. This can mean including fruits, whole grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy, vegetables, and healthy oils to help boost neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which play a role in depression and anxiety. Boosting these neurotransmitters can help improve overall mental health. Limiting foods high in fat, sugar, salt, or highly processed foods can also help with mental health.

Regular exercise can also positively affect mental health. Neurochemicals, such as endorphins and endogenous opioids produced in the brain during exercise, help nerve cells grow and connect, supporting mood regulation.

Because mental health and mental well-being are so intimately connected, the steps you take to improve your mental well-being are also ways to boost your mental health.

Taking Control of Mental Health

Whether you start an exercise program, learn a new hobby, change your diet, or make new friends, taking a holistic approach to your mental health can improve your mental and physical well-being.

Taking small steps today can have a big impact on your health in the future.