Mental well-being

Positive mental health is a key factor to good health and well being and is vital to everyone.
The word 'mental' means 'of the mind'. It describes your thoughts, feelings and understanding of yourself and the world around you.
The word 'health' generally describes the working order of your body and mind. So when we talk about 'mental health' we are referring to the working order of your mind.

Why is it important to maintain positive mental well being?

Good mental health helps us to:

  • enjoy our life, the environment and the people in it
  • make the most of our potential
  • be creative, learn, try new things and take risks
  • play a full part in our family, workplace, community and among friends
  • cope with difficult times in our life, and in time, move on and enjoy our lives once again.

Mental well being problems affect our thoughts and feelings and change how we see the world. Some feelings associated with poor mental well being are sadness, anxiety, hopelessness or low self-esteem. It is these feelings or disorder of thoughts that contributes to a compromise of your 'mental wellbeing' and your ability to carry on with 'normal life' is inhibited.

Our mental well being doesn't always stay the same but constantly changes. It is affected, for good or bad, by circumstances in everyday life such as in work, home or school , our personal relationships and even our housing. Some circumstances can make us feel happy and full of beans whilst others such as moving house, falling out with a friend or losing our job can make us feel down, anxious or stressed. Generally though, negative feelings are temporary and we are able to overcome setbacks.

Sometimes our feelings can overwhelm us and they can develop into a mental health problem which we might need help to overcome. This could happen to any one of us at any time of life. Mental health problems are actually quite common. One in four people in the UK will have poor mental health at some point in their lives that affects their daily life, relationships or physical health. Mental health problems can be mild to moderate such as anxiety disorders or depression or more serious problems such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. The good news is that the majority of people who experience mental health problems can get over them or learn to live with them, especially if they get help early on.

Facts

One in four people will have a problem with their mental health at some point in their life. Good mental health is not something you can take for granted -looking after your mind is just as important as looking after your body.