Mental Health is Wealth!

MENTAL HEALTH is WEALTH

The term mental hygiene has a long history, deriving in the 1800’s from William Sweetser, an American physician and professor (Mandell, 1995). As the concern and awareness of mental well-being grew, many professionals began researching its impact on the human population. In 1893, Isaac Ray, a founder of the American Psychiatric Association, provided a definition of the term mental hygiene as "the art of preserving the mind against all incidents and influences calculated to deteriorate its qualities, impair its energies, or derange its movements” (Mandell, 1995). In modern times the term mental hygiene is infrequently used; however, can be broadly defined as a general approach aimed at maintaining mental health and preventing mental disorder through such means as educational programs, promotion of a stable emotional and family life, prophylactic and early treatment services, and public health measures (APA, 2023).

It is important to note that there is a different between mental health and mental disorder/illness. Mental Health refers to a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being, while Mental Disorder/Illness is a clinically significant (diagnosable) disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior (2023).

Maintaining your mental health has become a national societal focus. Emphasizes are placed on begin mentally healthy due to extensive research and enlighten of the impact mental health has on daily living. The month of May is national Mental Health Awareness Month. To kick it off, we have identified 4 tips for taking care of your mental health.

4 Tips for taking care of your Mental Health!

1. Take Care of your Body

• Eat Healthy Meals
• Drink Water
• Get Moving - Exercise
• Get Rested

2. Keep Your Environment Healthy

• Surround Yourself with Positive People
• Find your happy place (physically and mentally)
• Focus on what YOU can control.
• Practice gratitude
• Share a SMILE!

3. Acknowledge Your Feelings

• Feelings are what makes us human, it’s okay to have them.
• You will not always feel the same feeling.
• Remember, feelings and situations change frequently. Be cautious of what you do and say when you’re in your feelings.
• Take time to reflect and respond to feelings, rather than reaction to them.

4. Be Okay with Asking for Help!

• Getting help is not a sign of weakness, it’s a STRENGTH!
• It is Okay not to be Okay.
• Remember, You Matter!

                                                    Reference:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://dictionary.apa.org/mental-hygiene

Mandell, W. (1995). Origins of mental health. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://publichealth.jhu.edu/departments/mental-health/about/origins-of-mental-health

What is mental illness? Psychiatry.org - What is Mental Illness? (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness