What is mental wellness?
While there is a wealth of information on the varying definitions of mental illness online, it was not as easy to find information on mental wellness!! The best definition of mental wellness that I could find was by Dr. Jane Myers of the University of North Carolina, one of the founders of the concept. She says,
"Wellness refers to a holistic approach in which mind, body, and spirit are integrated. It is a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated in a purposeful manner with a goal of living life more fully… Wellness is more than the absence of disease, [or] a state defined as “health.” [It] incorporates a concern for optimal functioning."
Being mentally well is intertwined with being physically and spiritually wellMental wellness, physical wellness and spiritual wellness are co-equal
By its very essence, mental wellness cannot be separated from physical and spiritual wellness. The three work together to produce the very concept of wellness. They are also always changing!!! One cannot "achieve" wellness-- because day to day we change, our circumstances change, and challenges arise. ALL OF US are in fluctuating states of health, making mental illness and mental wellness varying degrees of our health. We all work to maintain a level of that health where we can be comfortable.
The following list was compiled by Dr. Myers as a general guide to what it is to live in wellness. These are essential areas of concern along life’s way and not an absolute checklist that measures success or failure. You may not even agree with them all. Choose the ones you want to aspire to and make them your milestones along the mental wellness continuum. Note that most of the points below deal with mental health and wellness in some way:
Creative Self
▪ Thinking. Being mentally active and open-minded. The ability to be creative and experimental. Having a sense of curiosity. The ability to apply problem-solving strategies to social conflicts.
▪ Emotions. Being aware of or in touch with your feelings. The ability to express appropriately positive and negative feelings.
▪ Control. Beliefs about your competence, confidence, and personal mastery. Beliefs that you can usually achieve the goals you set out for yourself.
▪ Work. Satisfaction with your work. Feeling that your skills are used appropriately. Feeling you can manage one’s workload. Feeling a sense of job security. Feeling appreciated in the work you do.
▪ Positive Humor. Being able to laugh at your own mistakes. The ability to use humor to accomplish even serious tasks.
Coping Self
▪ Leisure. Satisfaction with your time spent in leisure. Feeling that your skills are used appropriately.
▪ Stress Management. On-going self-assessment of your coping resources. The ability to organize and manage resources such as time, energy, and setting limits.
▪ Self-Worth. Accepting who and what you are, positive qualities along with imperfections. A sense of being genuine within yourself and with others.
▪ Realistic Beliefs. Ability to process information and perceive reality accurately. The absence of persistent irrational beliefs and thoughts and need for perfection.
Social Self
▪ Friendship. Social relationships that involve a connection with others individually or in community, but which do not have a marital, sexual, or familial commitment. Having a capacity to trust others. Having empathy for others. Feeling understood by others.
▪ Love. The ability to be intimate, trusting, self-disclosing with another. The ability to give as well as express affection with significant others and to accept others without conditions.
Essential Self
▪ Spirituality. Personal beliefs and behaviors practiced as part of the recognition that we are more than the material aspects of mind and body. Belief in a higher power. Hope and optimism. Practice of worship, prayer, and/or meditation; purpose in life. Compassion for others. Moral values. Transcendence (a sense of oneness with the universe).
▪ Gender Identity. Satisfaction with and feeling supported in one’s gender. Ability to be androgynous.
▪ Cultural Identity. Satisfaction with and feeling supported in one’s cultural identity. Cultural assimilation.
▪ Self-Care. Taking responsibility for one’s wellness through self-care and safety habits that are preventive in nature.
Physical Self
▪ Nutrition. Eating a nutritionally balanced diet. Maintaining a normal weight (within 15% of the ideal).
▪ Exercise. Engaging in sufficient physical activity through exercise or in your work to keep in good physical condition.
General Feeling of Well-Being
▪ Perceived Wellness. The extent to which you believe you have achieved wellness in all areas, or total wellness. Your estimate of your total wellness.
▪ Perceived Safety. The extent to which you believe you are safe in your home, neighborhood, and community, and the extent to which you feel safe from harm by terrorists.
▪ Context. The extent to which your wellness is influenced, in a conscious manner, by individual, institutional, and global contexts, and the extent to which you are aware of and intentional in responding positively to changes in wellness over time.
At our most recent Compeer poetry night, we wrote a group poem about mental wellness.....Seems fitting to share it here:
Mental Wellness is.......
Mental wellness is...a feeling of security and open-mindedness.
Mental wellness is...when you feel good, when life is good......it is mind and body in sync.
Mental wellness is...what I strive for throughout my lifetime.
Mental wellness is...pure bliss- the personification of perfection.
Mental wellness is...the sun, shining on your back...urging you to move forward.
Mental wellness is...a confident spring breeze.
Today let's remember that Wellness is not a 'goal' we can 'reach.' Rather, Wellness is living the best life we can live--- for us!!!
-Jennifer
