As I contemplate World Mental Health Day on 10/10/24, I consider how my perception of the term “mental health” has changed.

In the past, I considered the term as something that described someone with a deficit. “That person has mental health issues.”

Take a minute to think about the term. Close your eyes and say, “Mental Health” to yourself.  Do you see someone who is well-adjusted, happy, capable and friendly? Or, do you (as I used to) think about someone who is withdrawn, depressed, angry, sad or potentially harmful?

Even a term listed for someone responsible for well-being was skewed this way: Mental Health Provider

To me, a focus on the negative is more appropriate for Mental Illness Awareness Week, which is October 6-12.

So, you may be asking, what is Mental Health and how do we nurture it?

Oxford dictionary defines mental health as: “A person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.”

As with any type of health, there are various facets which make up the whole. To maintain health, one must utilize prevention, maintenance and acute care. To start addressing your mental health, you have to figure out what causes you to feel and act healthily.

In our hospital, we ask, “What is your why?” for our patients. With respect to your mental health, you need to ask yourself what is it I do? What are my tasks and what title does that give me? Are you a parent, artist, swimmer, therapist, manager, knitter, driver, hobbyist, cook, student, teacher, accountant, author, etc.? List at least 10 roles or activities, including some you make dislike and as many as you can in a few minutes. When you’re done with the list, sort out the top five or so that you most enjoy. These are the things which feed you!

Think about those things and how much time you spend on them.  Is it enough?  Consider the fact that these activities are the things that allow you to handle negative events throughout a day.

For prevention, these activities need to be worked into your daily routine.

For maintenance, you need to regularly take stock of these activities to determine if they still feed you.

For acute care, these are the activities you utilize to give you immediate relief when feeling stressed.

It is as important to focus on the positive aspects of health as the negative. Not only does this provide thoughts and activities which can positively affect your brain, but it unveils deep insight into how your brain actually works. Just as medicine affects each individual differently, so do experiences. How someone experiences an event determines whether trauma is felt. Something which is traumatic to one person may not be to another. Likewise, something which brings one joy may not be joyful to another.

Going to a medical doctor for regular checkups or at the very beginning when you feel something “off” is very important. Waiting too long to be diagnosed can be life-threatening. Your mental health can be affected just as similarly. It’s important to have a person, preferably someone with mental health training, you can check in with on a regular basis.

There is a history of stigma attached to one who seeks care for their mental health. Luckily, this stigma is fading, which allows more people to seek someone who can help keep them on track. You don’t need to have a serious mental illness or have suffered a great tragedy in order to engage a specialist. Think of them as a trainer or coach. There’s not stigma attached to someone who goes to a chiropractor to help their back.  Someone shouldn’t have qualms in utilizing a professional who can help keep them on track mentally.

Once you have taken stock of the things which provide you energy and inspiration throughout the day, also note the things which seem to drain you. Sometimes a role can provide both inspiration and a drain, such as parenting, teaching, working, cooking, etc. It’s OK to have these on both lists, particularly if they are an essential role you must fill daily.

What’s important, is to identify how you’re feeling during these tasks to determine whether they are filling a positive or negative slot. If something you had slotted as a positive activity turns negative, you need to find time to fill in the positive slot with another activity or role for the day. This helps you maintain balance! And balance, is what helps keep you upright, both literally and figuratively.

It may help you to physically map out your day to ensure you are maintaining balance. Then, when you have this plan on paper, you can check back on it throughout the day so you don’t suddenly find yourself running in the negative, affecting your mood, energy and mental health. Whatever drives you throughout your day is important. Without drive you run the risk of fizzling out and depleting any reserves you might have.

Please take time to investigate that which makes you mentally healthy.  It’s important EVERY day, not just on “Mental Health Day.” With practice and time, you can learn what helps you to maintain that balance as well as recognize when you are in danger of being unhealthy before you even feel it.

Thanks for reading!

Chas Swearingen is a community liaison for Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center. He obtained his Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois- Springfield and has worked exclusively in the mental health field for the last 11 years. He enjoys gardening, listening to music, reading, learning and video games. He lives in Carlinville, IL with his wife, their sons, a big brown dog and a cat which adopted them.

Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center is a standalone facility that provides psychiatric treatment to children and adolescents ages 3-17. We pride ourselves on dedicating compassionate mental health treatment that encourages personal growth and self-responsibility to youth. This including providing psychiatric treatment to children and adolescents that present a broad range of behavioral and psychiatric disorders. We’ve created a therapeutic and supportive environment that allows us to work with our youth and their family to accomplish their goals.

Some of our promotes that helps to aid in us supporting our patients are our inpatient and outpatient services, as well as our telehealth. Located in Springfield, Illinois our facility has a welcoming and atmosphere that consistently promotes the healing of children. To schedule a no-cost assessment or for more information, please call 217-585-1180.