What does mental health mean?
Mental health encompasses our psychological, emotional and social well-being. Meaning, it impacts how we feel, think and behave each day. Our mental health also contributes to our decision making process, how we cope with stress, and how we relate to others in our lives.
Mental health is essential to living a balanced life. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five Americans experience mental health issues which translates to more than 40 million adults a year. It’s important to remember that mental health is health; it is just as important as our physical health
Why is mental health important?
Emotional and mental health is important because it’s a vital part of your life and impacts your thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Being healthy emotionally can promote productivity and effectiveness in activities like work, school or caregiving. It plays an important part in the health of your relationships, and allows you to adapt to changes in your life and cope with adversity.
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How can you improve your mental health?
Some steps you can take to improve your mental health include:
- Exercising
- Eating a balanced diet
- Taking breaks and time for yourself
- A good night’s sleep
- Opening up to others
When is a good time to reach out for help?
It is always a good time to take care of your emotional and mental health. Talking to a professional can help with your overall mental health wellbeing. There are many mental health and behavioral health therapists that specialize in many areas of behavioral health such as depression, anxiety, ptsd, mood behaviors, lgbtq+ and more.
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What do do if your start to feel changes in your overall mental health
Issues related to mental health can impact different people in different ways. If you start to see changes in your overall happiness and relationships, there are always ways get the support you want.
Here are some ways you can get help:
- Connect with other individuals, friends and family – Reaching out and opening up to other people in your life can help provide emotional support.
- Learn more about mental health – There are many resources you can turn to for learning more about emotional health. Some examples includePsychology Today,National Institute of Mental Health, andAnxiety and Depression Association of America.
- Take a mental health assessment – An assessment can help determine if stress, anxiety or depression may be having an impact on your life. Doctor On Demand offers a free and private onlinemental health assessmentthat you can take at any time.
- Talk to a professional– If you start to feel like your emotional and mental health is starting to impact you, it may be time to reach out for extra support.
Doctor On Demand By Included Health
At Doctor On Demand by Included Health, we have licensed therapists and psychiatrists who specialize in anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and more. You may benefit from talking to someone outside of your close family and friends. We’re here when you’re ready, and available 24/7, everyday of the year, including holidays.
If you are looking for ways to offer mental health benefits to your employees, learn more about virtual behavioral health services from Included Health.
About the author
Dr. Glen Xiong
Dr. Glen Xiong attended college at UC Berkeley, medical school at UC Davis, and completed his residency at Duke University. He has more than 15 years of clinical experience with expertise in psychopharmacology, depression, anxiety, neuropsychiatry, and memory care. Dr. Xiong takes a collaborative approach to patient care, striving to improve the lives of patients through compassionate clinical care while promoting choice and autonomy. He grew up in San Francisco and continues to live in Northern California.
FAQs
Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is more than the absence of a mental illness—it's essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness.
Why is it important to take care of your mental health and well-being? ›
Why is mental health important? Emotional and mental health is important because it's a vital part of your life and impacts your thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Being healthy emotionally can promote productivity and effectiveness in activities like work, school or caregiving.
Why is good mental health essential to living a good life? ›
Better mental health
It helps us to calm and comfort ourselves when we're upset, to cope with the losses, changes, fears and uncertainties in life, to make and keep good relationships with other people and to learn.
Why is taking care of your health important? ›
Your health is one of the most important things in your life. It affects your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. That's why it's so important to be proactive about your health and take steps to prevent illness and disease. Being proactive in health means taking steps to improve your health before you get sick.
Why is it important to prioritize mental health? ›
Prioritizing your mental health is essential to your overall well-being. Your body, mind, and spirit rely on your mental health. If you can't take care of yourself, it affects your relationships and physical health. Sometimes knowing how to make yourself a priority is challenging.
Why is being healthy important for mental health? ›
Getting the recommended amount of exercise can lead to beneficial changes in mood, anxiety and depression. Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, stress, depression and negative mood, and by improving cognitive function.
Why is mental health important to survive? ›
Good mental health strengthens your ability to cope with everyday hassles and more serious crises and challenges. Good mental health is essential to creating the life you want. Just as you brush your teeth or get a flu shot, you can take steps to promote your mental health.
How does maintaining good mental health benefit you? ›
If you have good mental health, you might feel happy, confident, hopeful and generally satisfied with life. You are likely to feel connected to other people and to be making a contribution to society. You might also have a sense of meaning or purpose and a feeling of being at peace.
Why is mental health awareness important? ›
Raising awareness reduces the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and seeking treatment. Without treatment, mental health disorders can reach a crisis point. As the World Health Organization states, “there is no health without mental health.”
Why is self-care important for mental health? ›
Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. This can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.
We have tips to help you:
- Try to relax and reduce stress.
- Find ways to learn and be creative.
- Spend time in nature.
- Connect with others.
- Look after your physical health.
- Try to improve your sleep.
High-quality health care helps prevent diseases and improve quality of life. Healthy People 2030 focuses on improving health care quality and making sure all people get the health care services they need. Helping health care providers communicate more effectively can help improve health and well-being.
Why is health and wellbeing important? ›
wellbeing is important because it: Adds years to life. Is associated with positive health behaviours in adults and children (weight, smoking, alcohol/drug use) Improves recovery from illness.
How does mental health and well-being benefit you? ›
Therefore, maintaining good mental health can have a protective effect on our overall health. Encourages feelings of being useful and relevant to society and offers the sense that our output is valued and worthwhile; Increases our feelings of calm, happiness, satisfaction, and the sense that we have a fulfilling life.
Why is it important to take care of your social and emotional wellbeing? ›
Social emotional wellness is a person's ability to understand and manage their emotions, make responsible decisions, build and maintain relationships, and understand and empathize with others. These skills help young people and adults to achieve their goals, develop healthy identities, and manage emotions.
Why is it important to take care of your mental health at work? ›
Without effective support, mental disorders and other mental health conditions can affect a person's confidence and identity at work, capacity to work productively, absences and the ease with which to retain or gain work.
