Mental well-being resources
HEALTH COMPETENCE 3/6Increasing resources
People face challenges and crises in their lives, but mental health skills can support their own survival and they also help to cope. You can strengthen your survival skills in your own life by practicing them.
The type of things that strengthen the ability to cope and survive in life are essential to mental well-being. These may include friends and family, nice hobbies, healthy eating, sleeping and exercise. They may also include nice creative things like writing poems, drawing, pondering or dancing; whichever feels like a suitable way to process things.
Your mental resources accumulate by taking care of your coping and doing things you like. Things that are important support you when bad things happen, making them not seem such devastating.
Routines and daily rhythm do good
Regularity helps to take care of mental well-being. The daily rhythm, routines and habits help you structure your everyday life and mind.
Nutrition and eating
Regular meal routine and healthy nutrition are important, as are with whom, where and how you eat.
Sleep and rest
Regular sleep rhythm, good sleep quality, and sufficient amount of sleep provide strength to the day. Resting and sometimes only lounging help you cope and reduce stress.
Feelings and relationships
Everyone needs relationships and intimacy. Friendships are important and should be cherished. Sharing your feelings on a daily basis makes you feel better and promotes good mood.
Exercise and outdoor activities
Exercise adds pleasure-producing substances to the brain, meaning that exercise does good for the body and mind. Exercise also helps to unleash energy. It adds to well-being and satisfaction.
Creativity and hobbies
Hobbies provide content and inspiration to life. Everything you have to and like to do add to your well-being and good mood.
Values and daily choices
We make choices that affect our mental health on a daily basis, such as a decision to get out of bed, go for a jog, meet a friend, take a trip, or apply for a new training or a job. You should consider the things that are important to you and that you would not want to give up. These things build up well-being.
The correct stimulants?
Seek pleasure from relationships, nutrition and exercise rather than from alcohol and tobacco. Moderation with intoxicants saves your resources to wherever you really need them – not to dwelling over being drunk and disorderly, or to fighting with withdrawal symptoms.
References
Erkko & Hannukkala 2013, Mielenterveys voimaksi, Suomen Mielenterveysseura
Törrönen, Hannukkala, Ruuskanen & Korhonen 2011, Hyvinvoiva oppilaitos, Mielen hyvinvoinnin opetus- ja koulutusaineisto toisen asteen oppilaitoksille, Suomen Mielenterveysseura
Read more
Mieli – The Finnish Association for Mental Health