Mental health isn't about problems, disorders or illnesses. One thing is certain: 100% of people have mental health, and we have to take care of it to keep it good! When we talk about physical health, we're talking about getting a good night's sleep, eating well, being physically active to stay healthy... But what about mental health? How can we maintain and care for it?
Several years ago, the Mouvement Santé mentale Québec carried out a major literature review and came up with 7 protective factors in mental health, now well known as the 7 tips for recharging your batteries and feeling good. They provide a solid foundation for good individual and collective mental health. Let's explore these 7 tips!
1. Act
To act is to give meaning. When we give ourselves a direction, it can be a source of motivation and lift us out of helplessness. Taking action means recognizing the good in our lives! Our brains work in such a way as to quickly recognize and identify dangers and obstacles. While this has enabled us to survive, it takes more effort to recognize the positive! Recognizing the good makes us happier, more optimistic, more determined!
2. Feel
To feel is to welcome and understand our emotions, so we can better orient ourselves. Emotions are spontaneous physical reactions that tell us a lot about our needs. Did you know that we spend around 90% of our waking hours feeling emotions? All the more reason to take the time to feel, thanks to 4 steps: observe without judgment, welcome the emotion by trying to name it, identify the related need(s), then choose to respond to the need.
3. Accepting yourself
Acceptance means recognizing our strengths, abilities, skills and those of others. It also means recognizing our own worth, cultivating benevolence and compassion for ourselves and others. By accepting ourselves, we welcome and appreciate who we are, and do the same for those around us: it's about being unique, together!
4. Recharge your batteries
Recharging our batteries means making room for what makes us feel good. In today's fast-paced world, where we have so many responsibilities and roles (parent, spouse, employee, etc.), it's important to set priorities and give ourselves the right to disconnect. The energy available to us is the same for our personal and professional lives: if we try to use more than we have, we can become energy bankrupt. Recharging our batteries means striving for balance in all areas of our lives.
5. Discover
To discover is to see differently, to be open to different and new ideas, to be curious. When we discover new perspectives, we grow and realize our potential. Being curious has many benefits: the pleasure of discovering others, the opportunity to reflect together on the differences that set us apart. Discovering gives us the tools we need to survive change, which comes faster and more frequently!
6. Choose
Choosing means making choices that are in line with our values and needs, but also developing skills that lead us to autonomy. When faced with choices, it's important to refocus on what's important to you, and to respect your own rhythm and limits. It's about feeling that we are at the origin of our actions. Choosing gives us greater autonomy, and therefore better mental health.
7. Create links
Creating links means surrounding yourself with caring relationships. Interpersonal relationships have a major positive influence on people's health... We're not solitary beings, on the contrary! Feeling that you're well surrounded, that you have a safety net for good times and bad, is an important protective factor for mental health. Whether it's the support of loved ones, group events or a sense of belonging to our community, bonds protect us in the most difficult times.
And what tip will you be recharging today?
Want to know more about the 7 tips and how to feel good about yourself? We invite you to get to know our contributor!
" We are the only Quebec-based group ofcommunity organizations specifically dedicated to mental health promotion and prevention. We want to equip the people of Quebec to develop and strengthen their mental health, and make it a collective and social project. " – MSMQ
E-mail: info@mouvementsmq.ca
Website: https://mouvementsmq.ca
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