Mental

Health
and
Well
Being
Prepared by Prof. Helen Grace Lopez
 DEFINITION
OF MENTAL
HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH IS DEFINED AS 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 (WHO)
WHY ARE WE
STUDYING WHAT MAKES
MENTAL HEALTH? IT IMPORTANT?

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A MENTAL

HEALTH ISSUE EVERY YEAR THE REPORTED NUMBER OF PEOPLE
• GOOD MENTAL HEALTH LEADS TO POSITIVE
EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS CONTINUING TO RISE SELF-IMAGE AND IN-TURN, SATISFYING
THERE IS A WORRYING INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN
RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS AND
AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH OTHERS.
PROBLEM
• IT ALSO HELPS DETERMINE HOW WE
MENTAL HEALTH IS BECOMING A CRITICAL ISSUE AND MANY HANDLE STRESS, RELATE TO OTHERS, AND
SERVICES ARE FINDING IT HARD TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND
FOR HELP MAKE CHOICES.
• HAVING GOOD MENTAL HEALTH HELPS
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE IMPORTANT TIME TO LEARN
ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IF WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES YOU MAKE GOOD DECISIONS AND DEAL
OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT AFFECT
DIAGNOSIS WE CAN RAISE AWARENESS AND TRY TO REDUCE
WITH LIFE’S CHALLENGES AT HOME,
NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS
STRESS
EARLY WARNING SIGNS
NO T S URE I F YOU OR SOMEONE YOU K NOW IS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEAL T H
PRO BL E MS ? E XPERIENC ING ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FEELING S O R
BE HAV I O RS C AN BE AN EARLY WARNING SIG N OF A PROBLEM:

• EATING OR SLEEPING TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE

• PULLING AWAY FROM PEOPLE AND USUAL ACTIVITIES
• HAVING LOW OR NO ENERGY
• FEELING NUMB OR LIKE NOTHING MATTERS
• HAVING UNEXPLAINED ACHES AND PAINS
• FEELING HELPLESS OR HOPELESS
• SMOKING, DRINKING, OR USING DRUGS MORE THAN USUAL
• FEELING UNUSUALLY CONFUSED, FORGETFUL, ON EDGE, ANGRY, UPSET, WORRIED, OR SCARED
• YELLING OR FIGHTING WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
• EXPERIENCING SEVERE MOOD SWINGS THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS IN RELATIONSHIPS
• HAVING PERSISTENT THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD
• HEARING VOICES OR BELIEVING THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE
• THINKING OF HARMING YOURSELF OR OTHERS
• INABILITY TO PERFORM DAILY TASKS LIKE GETTING TO WORK OR SCHOOL
WELL BEING
• MENTAL HEALTH IS A ST AT E O F W E L L - BE I NG I N
WHIC H THE INDIVIDUAL RE AL I S E S HI S O R HE R
OWN ABILITIES, C AN C OPE W I T H T HE NO RMAL
STRESSES OF LIFE, C AN W O RK PRO D UC T I V E L Y
AND FRUI TFULLY, AND IS ABLE TO MAKE A
C ONTRIBUTION TO HIS O R HE R C O MMUNI T Y.

• MENTAL HEALTH IS OUR ABI L I T Y T O RE S PO ND

TO C HALLENG ES.

THE FAC T IS LIFE RARELY G O E S T HE W AY W E

PLAN AND WHENEVER WE ARE HI T BY T RI AL S AND
C HALLENG ES, MENTAL HE AL T H I S O UR ABI L I T Y T O
BOUNC E BAC K AND STAY O N C O URS E
FIVE WAYS TO
WELL BEING
RESEARCH SHOWS THERE ARE FIVE
SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO AS PART
OF YOUR DAILY LIFE – AT WORK AND
AT HOME – TO BUILD RESILIENCE,
BOOST YOUR WELLBEING AND LOWER
YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING MENTAL
HEALTH PROBLEMS.
 • CONNECT
Strengthening relationships with others
and feeling close to and valued by
others, including at work, is critical to
boosting well being.

Spend time in nature with family,

friends and community to uplift your
spirit and those around you. Receive
and give strength to each other.
Connect with Mother Earth and touch,
smell and eat the bounty she provides.
 HOW TO CONNECT?
Try to do something different today and
make a connection!

• Talk to someone instead of sending an

email
• Speak to someone new
• Ask how someone’s weekend was and
really listen when they tell you
• Put five minutes aside to find out how
someone really is
FAMILY TIME
A DAY OUT WITH
FRIENDS
VISIT A FAMILY OR FRIEND
WHO NEEDS SUPPORT OR
COMPANY
VOLUNTEER
2. BE ACTIVE
Being physically active, including at
work, improves physical health and can
improve mood and well being and
decrease stress, depression and
anxiety.

Getting outside and exercising is good

for your overall health and wellbeing
and strengthens your connection with
nature. You don’t have to run a
marathon to Be Active. Do what you
can to move your mood.
 HOW TO BE ACTIVE?

Today, why not get physical? Here are a few

ideas:

• Take the stairs

• Go for a walk at lunchtime
• Walk to school - perhaps with a friend – so
you can ‘connect’ as well
• Have a kick-about in a local park
• Do some ‘easy exercise’, like stretching,
before you leave for school in the morning.
• Walk and visit a friend in their house, ask
them to go out.
3. TAKE NOTICE
Paying more attention to the present
moment, to thoughts and feelings and
to the world around, boosts our well
being.

See nature through a different lens and

take some time to Take Notice and be
mindful of what’s happening around you.
Take Notice of the natural world and find
ways to let nature in to your everyday life,
4. GIVE
Carrying out acts of kindness, whether
small or large, can increase happiness,
life satisfaction and general sense of
wellbeing

Nature provides for us - it gives us

everything we need to not only survive, but
thrive. We, in turn, have a guardianship role
to give back to nature for future
generations. Share the wonder and the joy
of being in nature - gift your harvest,
prepare and share food together, create
things made with your own hands.
5. KEEP LEARNING
Being curious and seeking out new
experiences at work and in life more
generally positively stimulates the brain.

There’s always something new to learn and

discover when you let nature in. Embrace
new places. Learn the names of native
plants and animals. Learn or share with
others where you are from, your mountains
and rivers. Visit places you feel
connected to and learn more about them.
 MINDFULNESS
• “Mindfulness means nonjudgemental
awareness.
• An antidote to the “tunnel vision”
• an awareness of our thoughts and feelings as
they happen moment to moment.
• A direct knowing of what is going on inside and
outside ourselves, moment by moment.

• Re-connecting with our bodies and

the sensations they experience.
• Waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and
tastes of the present moment..
• See the present moment clearly.
• It can positively change the way we see
ourselves and our lives
BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS
R e d uctions in N otice s igns
s tr e ss a nd of s tr e ss or
imp r ov ements anxie ty
in mood. e ar lie r

G ra d u a l l y we c a n
Sta nd b a ck tra i n o u rse l ve s to
n o t i c e wh e n o u r
f r om our
th o u g h ts a re
thoug hts , ta k i n g o ve r, a n d
re a l i z e th a t
a nd s ta r t to
th o u g h ts a re
s e e the ir si mp l y ‘ me n ta l
p a tte r ns. e ve n ts’ th a t d o n o t
h a ve to c o n tro l u s.
 PRACTICING
MINDFULNESS
REALIZE THAT, FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, YOU HAVE BEEN
“TRAPPED” IN RE-LIVING PAST PROBLEMS OR "PRE-LIVING"
FUTURE WORRIES THROUGH:

MEDITATION YOGA
RAISIN MEDITATION
activity
THE STRONGEST
PEOPLE ARE
THOSE WHO
WIN BATTLES
WE KNOW
NOTHING
ABOUT.