Components of Mental Health

                 In January many people focus on setting and maintaining resolutions for the new year. Usually, these resolutions are intended to improve some aspect of a person’s life. In other words, they are trying to fix something they do not like about their lives or focusing on a perceived flaw in their lives. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I do not set New Year’s resolutions anymore. I do not like the “fix me” aspect of these resolutions. That is why this year I selected a word for the year, which I shared in my post, My Word for the Year. 

                  According to information I found on Google, the average New Year’s Resolution lasts less than four months. Most people give up on their resolutions within a few weeks. There is even a “Quitter’s Day” on the second Friday in January.  Google cited a 2023 Forbes Health/OnePoll, that found that nearly 80% of resolutions are “abandoned” by February. So, I am not missing out on anything by foregoing a New Year’s Resolution. I would rather focus on aspects of my life that can help me be the person I want to be. That means focusing on my health and goals in life. To do that I think it is important to understand some of the components of mental health. Mental health affects all areas of our lives. That makes it a good focus point for the new year whether we have a diagnosed mental illness or not. Let’s look at components of mental health that lead to well-being.

                  The following components emphasize building resilience. A focus on these components can allow us to effectively deal with life’s struggles and help us build healthy relationships. These components come from the 5 Cs of mental health that are often taught in psychology courses. There are actually more than five and depending on what you are reading the components can vary. All these components help us navigate life and live healthy lives. Focusing on these components can be an excellent guide for us going into the new year.

                  One component is competence. This is a feeling of being capable and able to handle challenges. It takes time to develop competence. It can be difficult at times. One way to develop competence in mental health skills is through work with a therapist. Competence implies we have learned. So, trying new things and learning new skills is important. We never stop developing competence. Life is about learning. We stop growing when we become complacent. Unfortunately, that is a factor in mental illness. We sometimes do not have the ability to develop competence in new things because we are weighed down by our illness. When this happens, it is important to do little things. Maybe it is reading for five minutes or attending a support group once a month. The important thing is to make an effort, even if it is just something small.

                  Confidence is another component of mental health. By definition, confidence is believing in yourself and having a positive self-image. This is a tough one for many of us. I know I struggle with maintaining confidence. Confidence develops as we build competence. In other words, it takes some effort. Our level of confidence can vary depending on the situation we are in. For example, I am usually confident in my ability to express myself in writing, but when it comes to interpersonal conversations I often struggle. When we are confident, our mental health is usually in a better place. That does not mean that confident people do not struggle with mental illness. It is important to remember that mental illness can strike anyone.

                  A third component of mental health is character. When we have good character, we act ethically and responsibly. This should be an easy one to define. However, ethical behavior can depend on our viewpoint. The state of our nation right now is an example of how character can vary. I think character means acting in ways that help others and brings out the best in ourselves and those around us. Character is important for mental health because when we do good, we feel better. 

                  Connection is another component of mental health. When we have supportive relationships and a sense of belonging, we feel connected. This is one that I struggle with often. Many of us are alone or feel like we are not connected to others. For me this impacts my depression. The less connected I feel, the more intense my depression becomes. It is human nature to want to feel connected. When that connection is missing, we feel alone. It is important to try to make connections. Easier said than done. This is why support groups like NAMI Connections are so important. If you do not need a support group maybe you can get involved in an interest-related class or group. The sense of connection created in groups or interaction with others is important to our mental well-being.

                  A fifth component of mental health is compassion.  When we show empathy and kindness to ourselves and others, we are being compassionate. It is probably easier to show compassion to others than it is to show compassion to ourselves. The way depression and anxiety make my brain work results in me being hard on myself. I am not compassionate with myself. My guess is I am not alone in that. How do we show compassion to ourselves? The key is to treat ourselves with the same kindness and understanding we would treat others with. We can learn to do this by practicing kind self-talk, accepting imperfection, acknowledging our feelings, setting healthy boundaries, taking care of our basic needs, and forgiving ourselves. That’s a lot and it is not easy to do these things. My suggestion is to focus on one at a time. I think practicing kind self-talk and forgiving ourselves are two key aspects of showing ourselves compassion. 

                  Clarity is another component of mental health. This involves thinking clearly and setting goals that are clear and attainable. This is another one that can be difficult when we live with mental illness. Often, we need the assistance of a therapist to think clearly. The world can be a confusing place. It is okay to need assistance figuring things out and making sense of our lives. When we set goals, we should try to remember the importance of SMART goals. This means goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. A quick internet search will provide information on setting SMART goals.  

                  Coping is a key component of mental health. We need to manage stress and difficult situations in healthy ways. Again, working with a therapist can help us develop good coping skills. If therapy is not your thing, or you want to develop these skills on your own, there are many self-help books that discuss topics related to coping skills. When we are working on the other components I have mentioned, our coping skills are strengthened.

                  In order to have good mental health, we need a sense of control. This means that we have a sense of agency over our lives. We need to feel like we are in control of the things that are happening in our lives. We need to possess the ability to make good decisions. Even if we sometimes make the wrong decision, we need to remember that it is the ability to make decisions that provides us with a sense of well-being and control over our lives. 

                  Community is another component of mental health. It is strongly related to connection. When we feel a sense of community, we feel connected. We feel like we are a part of something bigger. That community might be family, a work group, an interest group, a school group, or sport team. It is important to feel like we are a part of something outside of ourselves. This can be where we derive a sense of purpose. When we have a purpose, we feel better. 

                  The last component of mental health that I am going to discuss is contribution. When we make a contribution, we are making a positive impact. Our contribution can present in many ways. It does not have to be monetary. We can make a contribution just by being present. We can take action to help raise awareness for a special cause. We can do little things to make a difference. There are so many causes that we can get involved in. When we contribute, there are mental health benefits because we are gaining confidence, demonstrating character, feeling connected, and showing compassion. 

                  These components of mental health take time to develop. They also require consistent work to maintain them. As we move into the new year, I think it is a good idea to look at where we stand with these components. How can we further develop them? We should not focus on what is missing or what we may be doing wrong. Instead, we should focus on where we can go. How can we further incorporate these components into our lives? These components impact our mental health. Our mental health impacts all aspects of our lives. So, it is important to develop these components.