Mental Fitness

By: Sara Tatro (ES/MS Counselor) & Jacki Streveler (HS Counselor)

Mental health and mental illness are complicated terms, partly because there are lots of different causes of mental health issues and a whole range of different symptoms for each one. There are some simple things that you can do to help look after your own or your child’s mental health.

What Is Mental Health?

Generally speaking, our mental health refers to our state of mind and our ability to cope with the everyday things that are going on around us. Someone with ‘good’ mental health usually feels capable of dealing with the different everyday situations that they find themselves in. When we have a mental illness, this process is often a lot more difficult. Keep in mind that this is a simplified definition of mental health and that it’s totally normal for everyone to have mental health issues - that is, to go through ups and downs. It is only when the difficulties start to hang around for a while and it feels like nothing can make them go away that they may be considered a mental illness.

How to Look After Your Mental Health

Although mental illnesses are not always avoidable, there are some simple things that we can do all year round to look after our mental health:

  • Exercise (it releases endorphins which can improve your mood)
  • Surround yourself with supportive people
  • Put aside some time every day to relax
  • Do the things that you enjoy doing
  • Stay in touch with your friends and family
  • Take advantage of technology.

If you’ve been doing these things and you’ve still been struggling for a long time, it’s a good idea to have a talk with someone you trust or think about talking to someone about it in a professional context, such as your Family Physician, Social Worker, School or Professional Counselor.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Our ability to build and maintain relationships is and has forever been vital to our very survival?
  • Children need several daily positive relational interactions to fully develop their ability to be resilient, caring and cooperative?
  • Some of Hollywood and history's most well-known names have experienced mental illness?
  • Bipolar Disorder - Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Carrie Fisher, Pete Wentz, Sinead O’Connor
  • Depression - Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Angelina Jolie, Ellen DeGeneres, Halle Berry, Owen Wilson, Princess Diana, Jim Carrey,
  • Winston Churchill, J.K. Rowling, Vincent Van Gogh, Abe Lincoln
  • Bulimia - Demi Lovato, Princess Diana, Elton John
  • Postpartum Depression - Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields

The importance of relationship is illustrated in this statement by Dr. Bruce Perry, a leader in the field of childhood trauma and development.

“Humans become humane. The capacity to care, to share, to listen, value and become empathic - to be compassionate - develops from being cared for, shared with, listened to, valued and nurtured. ”

Perry, B.D., (Chicago Idea’s Week). (2013) Departures: The Nature of Humankind

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