Lesson 7: Mental Health and Well-Being

At the end of the lessons, students are expected to:

1. Identify factors affecting mental health and well-being
2. Describe the ways to improve mental health and well-being
Influences on Mental Health and Well-being
Mental health includes an individual’s emotional, social and psychological well-being. The mental
health of a person affects how he act, think and feel. This is important in every stage of human life from
childhood to adulthood and it helps in determining how a person relate to others, make choices and handle
stress. As one experience problem regarding mental health, his mood, actions, thoughts and behavior will be
affected which may lead to mental health problems.
Mental Health
- According to the World Health Organization, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every
individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work
productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” (Beyond
Blue, 2020).
- Based from the definition, mental health is more than the absence of mental disorder and disabilities,
it is the state of over-all well being of a person. It is vital to every individual since each has the
ability to think, act, behave, interact, be employed and enjoy life. The concept of mental health
relates to the ability of the person to recover from sadness and stress, enjoy life, be able to fulfill his
goals and to be capable of building and maintaining good relationships with other people.
Well Being
- A person’s well-being is his experience of good health, contentment and success. It includes having
good mental health, better life satisfaction, has a sense of purpose and his ability to cope up with
stress. When a person feels well about his life, this is well-being.
- No single definition has been used to define well-being, but generally in includes the feeling of
positivity and good mood observed in a person, absence of negative emotions, satisfaction and
fulfillment in life and positively looking brighter in his life.
A person’s physical well-being like his being energetic and healthy is also critically considered to his over
all well-being. Different aspects of well-being include the following:
 Physical well-being
 Economic well-being
 Social well-being
 Developmental well-being
 Life satisfaction
 Engaging activities and work (Well-Being Concepts, 2020)
Mental health is influenced by different factors which are interrelated with one another in different ways:
1. Structural Factors
- This includes safe environment to live by, education, employment, freedom from violence and
discrimination, access to use the economic resources and others.
2. Community Factors
- These factors include community involvement, sense of belongingness, ways to face diversities,
participation in community projects, support from friends and many more.
3. Individual factors
- This includes the ability of a person to cope up with stressors and to have a strong communication
and social skills to maintain and connect with other people.
Tips for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Below are some tips to maintain good mental health and well-being:
  Be active and eat well. The mental and physical health are closely linked with each other so eating
nutritious food and doing some exercises can make us feel good everyday.
 Enough sleep and rest. Getting enough sleep is good for our physical and mental health.
 Take time and enjoy. Balance the time for work and play. Taking time to go out and relax can make
a difference with how you feel.
 Nurture relationships. Connecting with other people is important part of being mentally healthy as
this will make us meet more people who can make us strong.
 Manage stress. To have good mental health, managing stress must be observed. Some activities that
may be better to lighten up the mood of a person can be done like yoga, self reflection, talking with
friends and others.
 Get involved. Joining organizations with common interests can improve one’s mental health. This
may include organizations for sports, music, baking, community volunteer and others.
 Build confidence. Continuous learning may improve one’s mental health. Accepting new challenges
can improve the level of confidence that will give a person a sense of achievement.
 Be comfortable with yourself. Accept that everyone is unique, therefore a person should know
himself very well which will make him satisfied and happy.
 Set realistic goals. Goals to be set should be realistic and they have to be accomplished one at a time.
Also, goals have to be specific for an individual to be on the right track.
 Reach out for help. Everybody needs everyone for support when the need arises. Find time to talk
with a family member, a friend, doctor, and other people whom you can trust (Understanding mental
health and wellbeing, 2020).
Ways to improve your Mental Health and Wellbeing
There are different ways to improve a person’s mental health and well-being and it all depends on his
personality and the situation. What is important to everyone is to learn to relax and do things which will
make him happy and enjoy. Looking forward for something which will make a person excited about usually
promotes positive mental health and well-being. Each person is unique, so everyone has to find his own
ways to improve his well-being which he thinks will be best for him.
1. Find some time to relax and enjoy doing things which make you happy. Something which you
expect to do and you are excited about improve a person’s mental health and well-being.
Relaxing activities may include:
 Swimming  Baking
 Watching movie or TV  Having coffee with a friend
 Listening to music  playing with pets
 playing your favorite sport  Going shopping
 meditation, deep reflection or yoga  Massage
 Gardening  Going to parlors
2. Get moving
- Doing some exercises is a better way to turn negative to positive mood.
Do some activities which keeps you moving like the following:
 Join Fun Run  Take martial arts
 Ride a bike  Join a team
 Do brisk walking  Go for a swim
 Play your favorite sport  Attend parties
3. Eat healthy
 Eat a healthy balanced diet
 Eat regular meals per day to give energy and to regulate blood sugar level
 Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
 Avoid alcohol and other drugs to avoid mental health problems
4. Get enough sleep
  Get more sleep if your are stressed and worried
 Sleep for 8 hours per night
 Drink a glass of water or milk before going to bed. Listen to relaxing music
 avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch time
5. Connect and keep in touch with family and friends
- Stay connected to people is an important part of being mentally healthy. The people you are
connected with are your source of strength and you will feel comfortable with them since you feel
valued and supported during difficult times. Less contact with other people makes your life sad and
demotivated.
 Stay around with other people even if you are not always contributing to the conversation
 Allot time on relationships where you are happy
 Provide care, love and support to other people
 Take time to talk with family and friends to share your happiness, experiences, sadness and
feelings
 Visit your doctor to check on your physical and mental health
6. Get involved
- Join community organizations which will allow you to meet other people who have similar interest.
 Look for an organization or group which will allow you to grow
 Join a sport group
 Join a meditation group
 Learn a new hobby by getting a crashed course
7. Problem solving
- Try to think in advance some problems which may arise since it may reduce stress and worries.
 Plan in advance what you will do in a situation that cause you stress
 Learn to understand your own feelings
 Identify at least two close friends which you can rely on when problems arise
8. Set goals
- Set goals and try to achieve those goals so it will help you organize time and this will give you a
sense of purpose in life.
 Work
 Study
 Eat healthy foods
 Exercise
 Join social activities (Good mental health and wellbeing, 2020)