by Richard Avdoian
Let’s face it: When most of us hear the term “mental health,” we first think of mental illness. We think of movies like “Psycho” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and words like “psychopath,” “schizophrenia” and “bipolar.” But having good mental health is more than simply the lack of mental illness and is something we all desire whether we acknowledge it or not.
When we openly verbalize our desire for happiness, love, satisfaction, peace of mind and a carefree attitude, we are actually talking about having good mental health.
Maintaining good mental health has to do with everyday life, how we get along with others at work, at home and socially. It has to do with the way effective leaders and business owners harmonize their desires, goals, ideas, feelings and ambition in order to meet and deal with the various demands and challenges of building a positive workforce and being productive and profitable.
Good mental health has to do with:
• How you feel about yourself
• How you feel about those who work for you, your family, your friends, your customers and your community
• How well you are capable of meeting the demands of daily life (personal and professional)
There is no defined line distinguishing being mentally healthy from being mentally unhealthy. There are various degrees of mental health. There is no one characteristic that can be taken as an indication of good mental health nor the lack of one indicating mental illness.
There is a way of describing mental health, and that is to describe mentally healthy people.
Here are a few characteristics of people who have good mental health. They:
• Feel comfortable in their own skin and about themselves
• Acknowledge and adjust to life and business disappointments
• Are capable of expressing and monitoring their emotions (love, jealousy, anger, fear, shame, inadequacies, guilt and worry)
• Are aware and accepting of their shortcomings
• Are able to find the time for and be satisfied with the pleasures of daily life
Are capable of facing, dealing with and meeting the challenges of life and business
• Apply their best effort to all facets of their life, both personal and business
• Take on problems and challenges as they happen
• Set realistic goals for themselves, their employees and their business
• Embrace new experiences and ideas
Feel optimistic and accepting of others
• Are able to express affection and consider the interests and desires of others (family, employees, customers)
• Are respectful and accepting of the differences of others
• Have and maintain personal relationships that are mutually satisfying and long-lasting
• Don’t push or shame others for their shortcomings or allow themselves to be pushed around or disrespected
No one is blessed with all the characteristics and traits of good mental health all the time. But knowing what mental health looks likes does provide insight into what it takes to develop and maintain good mental health. By doing so, you are more likely to live a joyful and rewarding personal life and lead a more productive and profitable business.
Richard Avdoian is president/CEO of the Midwest Business Institute Inc., a business consulting and training firm. For information about training and seminars, contact Richard at 618-972-8588 or Richard@RichardAvdoian.com.
Submitted 7 years 303 days ago