Seven Ways to Improve Your Mental Health
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
It was recently reported in the news that Naomi Osaka would not be playing this year in the Australian Open Tennis Tournament because of mental health reasons. Other celebrities have openly admitted their challenges with mental health, one of them being Prince Harry of England. Bad mental health affects people everywhere from all walks of life. Mental health is a big deal. We need to have our minds in the right place. God is interested in our wellness and well-being. Let’s find out more.
The World Health Organisation has defined mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her well-being or her community.
Indicators of good mental health include the following.
The ability to learn.
The ability to feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions.
The ability to form and maintain good relationships with others.
The ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty.
Indicators of bad mental health
You may be suffering from bad mental health if you suffer from: sadness or depression, confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate, excessive fears or worries or extreme feelings of guilt, withdrawal from friends and activities, significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping, detachment from reality (delusions), inability to cope with daily problems or stress or problems with alcohol or drug use.
Cultivating good mental health
The following have been identified as means of cultivating good mental health: building good relationships with others, exercising and staying healthy, developing gratitude, identifying and using our strengths, creating flow, giving to others and spirituality. Below are Bible verses that affirm some of these points.
- Build good relationships – Proverbs 17:17 “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble”. (MSG)
2. Exercise and stay healthy – 1 Timothy 4:8 says that “for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (NIV)
3. Develop gratitude: Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (NKJV)
4. Identify and use your gifts: Being under-skilled or under-resourced for the work we do can be a source of stress. It’s good to acquire the needed skills and resources for our work. We must also learn to delegate and work effectively in teams. Ecclesiastes 10:10 “If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success. (NIV)
5. Create flow- this refers to participating in an activity that you find engaging.
6. Give to others – Acts 20:35 “I have shown you in every way, by labouring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’. (NKJV)
7. Spirituality – 1 Timothy 4:8 as seen above has taught us that godliness has benefits not just for the life to come but for this life as well.
In addition to the above, it’s important to feed our minds with positive information. Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”. (NIV)
If you feel you need help with your mental health talk to your pastor, a counsellor or doctor.
You can also send an email to susie@floodlightdaily.com if you have any queries on this.
Shalom
References:
mentalhealth.org.uk
healthdirect.gov.au
wikipedia.org
You may also want to read;
It’s your Choice -Healthy Living I
It’s your Choice – Healthy Living II
https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/email-mental-health-impact/
Comments (8)
God bless you.
You are welcome sis
Wow…Thank You
You are welcome Kwabena, thanks for appreciating this message.
Madam, being bipolar does that mean I suffer from bad mental health because I display all the signs and symptoms
I want to believe that you have visited a hospital or a mental health facility and have been diagnosed. If not, kindly do so. Being bipolar doesn’t mean your mental health is bad just like having any health condition doesn’t mean you are in a bad state of health. You are in a bad state of health if you are not following through with the recommendations for whatever condition you have been diagnosed with. Hence, your condition is deteriorating. So, for a start, kindly visit any hospital or mental health facility. Your mental health professional will confirm if your symptoms truly meet the requirement for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. If it does, you would be helped with medication, psychotherapy,/lifestyle changes. Sadly, people who are bipolar have to be on medication for a very long time just like anyone with diabetes or hypertension. Without it, the condition could be disabling not only for the individual but also for loved ones. Does that scare you? It shouldn’t my dear. With proper diagnosis and management, anyone with bipolar disorder could live a very functional life and thrive. You may wish to google individuals who have bipolar disorder and have been very successful in life. The findings will amaze you. There is truth however in the statement ” a stitch in time saves nine”
If you are a Christian, draw daily strength in Isaiah 26:3-4. “He will keep in perfect peace, he whose mind is stayed on Him: because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD is everlasting strength”.
Blessings!! (I got the above response from a psychologist).
Thank you
You are welcome Mabel.