There are two types of people in this world: those that prefer cold weather and those that prefer warmer weather. As the colder months approach, it’s common to see the sunny smiles of summer fade into the gloom of rain and snow. In fact, Mayoclinic.org defines seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as a “type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons.”
Your mental health is like a spark plug; it appears small and insignificant, yet it’s a significant component in starting a car. Just as a vehicle relies on a spark plug to ignite the engine and propel it forward, our mental well-being is the driving force that keeps us moving in life.
The benefits of taking proper care of your mental health extend beyond happiness. It’s the foundation of your overall well-being, propelling you toward your best physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self. Understanding how much your mental health matters will play a significant role in your growth and prosperity.
Here are some reasons why your mental health matters significantly in today’s society:
1. Increases reliability
Reliability is the quality of being dependable and trustworthy, ensuring that expected outcomes are received consistently. Like a reliable car, we can expect it’ll take us from point A to point B without breaking down. Humans can demonstrate reliability by providing consistent love and care to others and themselves when needed.
When we care for our mental health, we become a healthier and more stable vessel that allows us to provide the utmost care to those who need it. We become a reliable source of love because we’ve invested time and energy into our mental health. Others can trust that we’ll be there for them because of the effort we took to heal, grow, and recharge.
2. Improves quality of life
Mental health indicates our overall health, considering our emotions often determine our actions. When we’re happy, we tend to smile and laugh, projecting our happiness to the world. On the other hand, when we’re sad, we tend to self-isolate and indulge in worldly pleasures to mask our sadness.
Poor mental health is the root of sadness because of the stress, anxiety, and depression that trickle from it. We can reverse this impression by improving the state of our mental health. Doing so improves our quality of life, allowing us to find pleasure in small things, such as a sunset or a view from above. It puts us in a peaceful and calm state of mind, so we experience all joy in life.
For tips on improving your mental health, read here.
3. Improves overall health
Poor mental health causes us to suffer from the stress and anxiety that keeps us weak and vulnerable. As a way to cope, many of us resort to drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy foods to temporarily shed the pain. Indulging in these instant gratification activities only gives us a temporary escape that further damages our health.
Mental health is the core of our well-being; therefore, we can improve our health by improving our mental health. Once we eliminate all doubt, worries, and fear, we can start making decisions that benefit our health and well-being.
4. Improves quality of relationships
There’s a reason why typical American conversations open up with “How are you doing?”. It’s a polite greeting meant to acknowledge the presence of another person while indicating our eagerness to see them. Showing genuine care and love towards another person is one of the best ways to grow any relationship.
For these relationships to flourish, it’s our mental health that determines whether we have the capacity to care for them. When we invest in our mental well-being, we become a stable and healthy vessel, better equipped to give love and care to others. It enables us to be more present, supportive, and emotionally available in our relationships.
5. Increases discipline
Your mental health is the obstacle preventing you from entering your most healthiest, productive, and motivated state. Whether it’s stress, anxiety, or depression, all of these mental challenges make it easier to procrastinate and harder to develop discipline.
Stable mental health allows us to regulate emotions and respond to stress or anxiety effectively. Instead of falling into short-term impulses, the discipline gained from mastering emotional control and balance helps us avoid these short-term temptations.
6. Raises self-confidence
Mental health problems can amplify insecurity, fear, and the belief that one is not good enough, all of which contribute to a lack of self-confidence. By improving our mental well-being, we grow in self-love and self-assuredness, which boosts our confidence.
However, improving our mental health is easier said than done. It doesn’t happen overnight; it demands consistent effort, including hours of self-reflection and mindful practice. But when we succeed, we gain a deep sense of accomplishment, instilling the confidence that we can overcome any challenge life presents.
7. Helps overcome adversity
As mentioned before, improving your mental health is no easy task, especially if you’ve been in a drought for a long time. However, once you overcome these challenges, a significant amount of weight will be lifted off your shoulders. This process provides the strength, courage, experience, and confidence to navigate and handle adversity.
Life is inevitably filled with disasters, whether it’s a lost job or the loss of a loved one. A healthy and stable mental state allows us to face these challenges resiliently, providing a reliable and secure foundation. It highlights just how much mental health matters—when we take care of ourselves mentally, we unlock the strength to achieve and overcome far more than we might have thought possible.
Summary
To conclude, our mental health matters and it’s our responsibility to give it the necessary time, affection, and care as needed. Although we may not control what happens to us, we can control how we react to these spontaneous events. It’s the state of our mental health that determines whether we’ll respond effectively or ineffectively.
Not only does mental health help us overcome ups and downs, but it also puts us in a healthier and more stable position in life. It boosts confidence, enhances discipline, and improves the quality of life, empowering us to become the best version of ourselves.
