Characteristics of Good Mental Health
They include the following:
1. Feeling good about yourself; accepting that we have both strengths and weaknesses; understanding that change takes time, and is a process.
2. Being able to manage your emotions so that you don’t feel overwhelmed or controlled by feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, rage, hatred, love, jealousy, etc.
3. Being able to form and enjoy stable, lasting and satisfying relationships.
4. Feeling comfortable, and at ease, around other people.
5. Not taking life too seriously; being able to laugh at yourself and others.
6. Respecting yourself, your beliefs, values, viewpoints, choices, decisions and actions. Also, respecting others and their right to think, choose, decide and act for themselves.
7. Being able to accept and cope with life’s disappointments.
8. Being able to cope with life’s demands, and effectively manage the problems we encounter.
9. Being able to think for yourself, and to arrive at your own decisions.
10. Being able to influence and shape the world around us – so our contributions makes a positive difference. Also, being able to adapt and compromise when this is healthy and appropriate.
