Practising good mental health
‘Pace yourself, and set up yourself for work periods followed by short breaks. Breaks help us feel fresh and interested in our work.’
MENTAL HEALTH is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.
According to Dr Pearnel Bell, clinical psychologist, it is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships, and shape the world that we live in.
“Mental wellness is one’s ability to cope with life’s challenges in an emotionally balanced way. We should use all our emotions in an intelligent way. Overuse of one’s emotions is not an indication of mental wellness. Mental health actually refers to a person’s state of mental well-being whether or not they have a psychiatric condition,” Dr Bell said.
Good mental health, she said, is a person’s ability to enjoy life, the absence of feeling ill, good relationships, a sense of belonging, being active in work and leisure, a sense of achievement and pride, a positive self-perception, a sense of autonomy, and feelings of hope.
On the other hand, signs of mental health concerns include feeling worried, depressed, guilty, worthless, changes in sleep, weight, personal hygiene or activity, and thoughts or threats of suicide.
If these signs mentioned, she said, do not go away within a few weeks, this could be leading to a mentalhealth concern.
“If there are bizarre or strange thoughts, mental-health problems may become a disorder if people begin to think that they have special powers or believe that someone is controlling our thoughts or actions; or people are out to get us, with no reason why this would be true. Also, if you begin to hear things that other people can’t,”Dr Bell said.
There are also cognitive symptoms to look for to determine your state of mental wellness. These include less self-esteem, lowered concentration, apathy, rigidity, disorientation, perfectionism, preoccupation with trauma, thoughts of self-harm or thoughts of harming others.
The emotional symptoms also include feeling powerless, feelings of guilt, anger or rage, survivor guilt, shutdown numbness, fear, and helplessness. Other symptoms include sadness, depression, mood swings, depleted energy, and increased sensitivity.
According to Dr Bell, you should consider your present mental wellness and identify which emotions you use most often. Also see how well you deal with those emotions and what changes or improvements you would like to see to your mental state.
For medical personnel, she said, there are myriad factors that contribute to poor mental health. These include intensity of demand on doctors, conflicting demands and time pressure; the gravity, emotional intensity, and responsibility entailed in the job; insufficient resources provided in the public sector and the requirements for accreditation and continuing professional development.
“Other factors include loss of the traditional status of doctors, and negative media representation, after hours and on-call work, interference with family life, poor renumeration compared with expended effort, and lack of appreciation, ”Dr Bell said.
According to Dr Bell, there are a number of factors to achieve psychological wellness, and these include self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, environmental mastery, autonomy, positive relationships with others, and competence.
“Take detachment breaks. Throughout the workday, it is important to pay attention to the peaks and valleys of energy and productivity that we all experience, what health psychologists call our ultradian (hourly) as opposed to our circadian (daily) rhythms. Mental focus, clarity, and energy cycles are typically 90-120 minutes long, so it is useful to step away from our work for even a few minutes to reset energy and attention,” Dr Bell said.
In order to achieve good mental health, Dr Bell said we should begin with taking care of ourselves, take time to rest, getting enough exercise, and having balance in our lives. It also means being inspired about who we are and what we do.
“Pace yourself, and set up yourself for work periods followed by short breaks. Breaks help us feel fresh and interested in our work. Make lifestyle changes, including spending plenty of quiet time alone, learn mindfulness and meditation and reconnect with a spiritual source,” Dr Bell said.
“In addition, recharge your batteries daily, also find your flow. Take down time, one hour per day, one day per week or one week out of every six months,” Dr Bell added.
Dr Peanerl Bell was one of the presenters at the Jamaica Cancer Society in association with Apex Radilogy, Abbott Nutrition, A.A. Laquis (Jamaica) Limited, and Facey Commodity Company Limited Colon Cancer Medical Webinar.