Do you consider yourself Mind Healthy? What do you do to stay fit? Maybe you exercise daily, go on long walks, and eat a healthy balanced diet. Of course, these are excellent choices to stay physically fit.
But what about your mental health? A healthy body can be home to an unhealthy mind. And this requires the same attention, care, and treatment as if you were physically sick.
So, how do you know if you are mentally healthy? In this article, we’re going to discuss signs of a healthy mind. Should you maintain healthy boundaries? What about staying calm? We’ll talk about all of these AND more…
The biggest sign of a healthy mind is your ability to learn new things
Imagine you have a top-class luxury car. But instead of driving it, you have kept it locked up in your garage for years. There would come a time when the car would start giving you issues if you only drive it on the occasional Sunday. The same is true with your brain. You have to keep sharpening your skills to stay on top of it. The day you stop learning, you are heading toward stagnation. Most likely, you’ll see a decline in your cognitive skills.
If you leave anything unused for a good amount of time, it can fall into disrepair. It’s the same with your mind. As you grow older, your brain would start to weaken and could end up with problems like forgetfulness and brain fog. You must try and learn new things on a regular basis to keep your mind healthy. It would be like exercise for your brain, which makes sure its functioning does not decline as you grow older. In short, give a good workout to your brain just as you would do with your body.
While exercising your brain is wonderful, there’s another sign that depicts your emotional health, here we go…
You’re emotionally healthy if you’re comfortable with saying no
A healthy mind knows boundaries are your friend. If you are emotionally healthy, you will be able to stand up for yourself and maintain these boundaries. It can seem difficult at first but without them, you’re giving an open invitation to problems.
One of the hardest things is saying no, especially to people you really love and care about. Friends and acquaintances may want your assistance on things going on in their lives. While it’s good to help people, you also need to be able to maintain your emotional boundaries and say no when it gets too much for you. You cannot keep lighting yourself on fire so your loved ones can keep themselves warm.
A healthy mind would also be able to recognize bad behavior and put a stop to it. If somebody is being unjust or aggressive towards you, then you should be able to say no and stand your ground. This means you’ll be ready to cut off from your life when things get too much for you to handle. A healthy mind is inherently self-preserving.
When we talk about emotional health and boundaries, another topic rears its head. How you handle a conflict says a lot about your emotional and mental state.
The way you handle stress and conflict gives a clear picture of your mind
Every day, we go through situations that can cause stress. That creates a hormone overload in your brain. When this happens regularly, it chips away at your mental health.
But people who remain calm, even during stressful situations, will maintain a strong and healthy mind. You can do things like meditation to help you keep calm in tough scenarios.
Maintaining healthy relationships with your near and dear ones can also keep you stress-free for the majority of the time. Having somebody to fall back on and to go back home to would help reduce any long-term stress.
Remember a calm mind can solve problems much better than an agitated brain.
People pleasers seldom have a healthy mind
Being a people pleaser can seem like something that would make your life easy. But this is not necessarily the case. The stress involved in trying to do all the things people want you to can cause mental health issues in the long term.
When you’re a people pleaser, you might get upset when you find out somebody doesn’t like you. It can be because of any number of reasons, considering that not everyone can like you. In fact, certain people might dislike you for reasons out of your control.
Now, what are you going to do? Stay upset about it? NO! Don’t stress yourself by thinking about ways to win over everyone. Because you can’t!
Moving on, it’s time to discuss your sleep schedule.
Sleep Schedule
One of the most important things to have a healthy mind is to get a good amount of sleep. If you’re sleeping between six to eight hours, you’ll likely have a healthy mind.
People who are stressed or don’t have a calm mind will find it harder to sleep. When you get regular sleep, your memory improves and reduces your stress levels. It also gives your mind some much-needed rest from all the work it does throughout the day.
If you don’t feel tired mentally, it shows that your mind is healthy.
Next on our list is the sense of belonging.
People with healthy minds also tend to have a sense of belonging to the people around them and the community
You would be a contributing member of society and also be at peace within. A person with a healthy mind is happy to meet with people in their life, whether it is friends or extended family.
You’re very likely to attend special occasions and would be aware of what’s happening in their lives. A healthy mind would also look to provide advice or be a shoulder of strength for people close to you, based on the circumstances.
A healthy mind never forgets to stay true to itself
When you have a healthy and strong mind, you also have a strong sense of values that you live by. No matter what comes along, you stand by these values. You stay true to yourself no matter how much you’re tempted to change your ways by people around you.
The strength to stick by your values also makes it easy for you to make decisions. You wouldn’t find it all that difficult to make a moral choice as you know exactly how you feel about any given situation.
This ability to stay true to yourself is a sign of a healthy and strong mind.
A healthy mind believes in staying young
Age is just a number, and that’s irrefutably true for people who have healthy minds. When your mind is at its best, you don’t feel your age. You could be well past your 50s but still feel as young as a 30-year-old.
When you combine physical exercise with your mental strength, you can sail through your old age without much worry. Keeping your mind healthy would also help you remain physically healthy as well. An aging body would thank you for keeping mentally and physically healthy.
Do you work on your weaknesses?
Many people find it hard to face their weaknesses. They tend to brush them under the rug and not acknowledge them. But that’s not a healthy thing to do for your mind.
People with healthy minds would be open to working on their vulnerabilities and improving whatever shortcomings they have. You see adversity as an opportunity for growth so that you can be better prepared for the future.
A healthy mind would not grow bitter and would rather work on making itself better by dealing with the exposed weaknesses.
A healthy mind has a good friend circle
The sign of a healthy mind is your ability to maintain a good friend circle. When your mind is not in good health, you tend to avoid opening up. But a healthy mind would find it easier to make friends and maintain relationships.
When you hang around people you love, your mind also gets some great benefits. It releases important hormones such as oxytocin and reduces your stress levels. Your mood would get a good boost and help keep your mind calmer and healthier for a longer time.
Self-confidence and self-assurance are the biggest signs of a balanced mind
If you’re a person who doesn’t need other people to tell you how good you are, then you certainly have a healthy mind. People tend to have good self-confidence and are assured of their abilities when they’re mentally sound. They’re not desperate for external validation.
A healthy mind would also not worry about how others view your success or failures. You would not think about trying to impress others, rather focus on your strengths and move from one goal to the next without worrying about how others feel about your path.
A healthy mind doesn’t mean you feel good all the time
Having a healthy mind does not automatically mean you feel pleasant all the time. Just like everyone else, you’ll feel all the varied emotions that people go through daily. But the important thing is to be able to bounce back and not wallow in misery.
Feeling depressed or sad is normal and it is impossible for people to go through their entire lives without those emotions. But a healthy mind would stay strong and resilient. You would understand that such sad feelings are only just a wave that you need to ride out so that you can get back to the good times.
Conclusion
A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. By recognizing the signs of mental well-being and implementing strategies to maintain it, you can lead a fulfilling and balanced life. From learning new things to setting boundaries, managing stress, and nurturing positive relationships, prioritizing your mental health contributes to overall happiness and resilience.
FAQ
How do I know if I have a healthy mind?
Signs of a healthy mind include the ability to learn new things, maintain boundaries, handle stress effectively, and have a strong sense of self-confidence.
What can I do to maintain my mental health?
To maintain mental health, focus on activities such as learning new skills, setting boundaries, practicing stress management techniques like meditation, getting enough sleep, and nurturing positive relationships.
Is it normal to feel sad or depressed sometimes, even with a healthy mind?
Yes, it is normal to experience a range of emotions, including sadness and depression, even with a healthy mind. The key is to bounce back from these feelings and not dwell on them excessively.
Do you think you have a healthy mind?
Let us know in the comments below!
