He alth is one of the indispensable conditions for the normal functioning of the human body. Since he alth is considered at every level: biological, social, as well as mental, various disciplines (anatomy and physiology, medicine, sociology, philosophy, psychology) are also involved in its study. In psychology, it is studied at the personal level.
Definition
The concept of mental he alth can be viewed through the prism of physical well-being. Everyone knows what he alth is. Many people are sincerely convinced that good he alth is, above all, the absence of disease. This opinion is only partly correct. After all, he alth itself means not only the absence of diseases as such, but also the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, different levels of physical activity. There is nothing complicated in this concept. But when it comes to mental he alth, here with the definitiondifficulties may arise.
Already the ancient Greek philosopher Plato said that he alth, like beauty, includes proportionality and requires "consent of opposites." Plato emphasized that true he alth is expressed in the correct ratio of mental and physical. Often a person can identify his emotional state with his physical one: “I don’t feel well - I quarreled with my brother again”, “I have a mental trauma after this event.” The words of the song are known: "The soul hurts, but the heart cries." Thus, we can draw the following conclusion: psychological he alth, mental he alth and emotional he alth mean the same thing.
According to scientific definition, psychological well-being is a state in which a person has the opportunity to fully realize their creative potential, cope with everyday stresses, and work productively. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that such a state cannot always be exhausted only in medical or psychological terms. It always contains a subjective assessment that reflects the social norms of the regulation of spiritual life.
Key Factors
We looked at what mental he alth is. However, it is not enough to know only the definition of the term. In practice, it is also useful to have information about what such a state depends on. In science, there are several factors of a person's psychological well-being. Conventionally, they are divided into two categories: these are environmental factors andsubjective features. For example, the first concept for children refers to the situation in the family and in a children's institution. Subjective factors are understood as the personal characteristics of a person, which were formed in the process of his interaction with the world from the earliest years.
Some scientists divide the factors of emotional well-being into the following categories:
- Genetic.
- Social.
- Economic.
- Internal (emotional).
Aspects of emotional well-being
Traditionally, psychologists refer to psychological or mental he alth as two of its aspects - emotional and intellectual.
Features of the intellectual aspect are reflected in how the processes of memory, thinking, attention proceed. For example, a psychologically complete and he althy child at preschool age makes the transition from a visual-active to a visual-figurative type of thinking. It allows you to master three types of activities: playful, constructive, and inventive. The manifestation of this aspect in childhood is inextricably linked with the development of speech.
As for the emotional aspect, it is inextricably linked with the nature of the feeling experienced by the baby during his interaction with the world. For example, at preschool age, a child is very emotionally dependent on his mother, and the nature of the relationship with her leaves a direct imprint on his emotional he alth. In adolescence, this aspectwill depend on the characteristics of his adaptation in the peer group. In adulthood, relationships with a marriage partner, children and parents, and friends are of great importance.
What determines the well-being of a unit of society?
A lot of research is devoted to the question of what are the main factors affecting the psychological he alth of the family. Here, the researchers also identified several groups of factors.
- External circumstances. Each family member communicates with different people throughout the day, most often accumulating negative feelings and fatigue rather than positive emotions. He can pass on these experiences to other family members.
- Internal factors. As a rule, problems in this area relate to the financial side of life, lack of understanding.
- Personal complexes, lack of trust. Adult family members cannot agree; or the spouses are unable to reveal their feelings to each other.
Child's state of mind
As for the psychological he alth of children, it is almost completely determined by the quality of the relationship that a child develops with an adult environment. Everything that happens in a child's life during the preschool period continues to influence the state of his psyche at the beginning of school life.
Children's mental he alth levels
Since mental well-being implies a balance between the individual and the environment, then as the main criterion inpsychology here is the adaptation of the child in society. Scientists identify several levels of emotional well-being:
- Creative. The child easily adapts to any environment. He has the resources to overcome difficult situations, he is full of activity.
- Responsive. In general, the baby is well adapted in society, but sometimes there are some moments of maladaptation.
- Assimilation-accommodative. Children of this level are not able to build harmonious relationships with the world, or their behavior depends on external factors.
Adult levels of mental well-being
What are the levels of mental he alth in adults? Scientists distinguish three stages: vital, social and existential mental well-being.
Vital psychological well-being implies a responsible attitude of a person to his biological needs, the needs of his body. Such a person not only monitors his physical he alth, but also tries to pay attention to muscle clamps and shells that have formed as a result of mental stress.
On a social level, emotional well-being is determined by the relationships a person enters into of their own free will. The most significant for him are those relationships that are determined by the norms of law, morality, morality. A person who is mentally prosperous is able to set goals for himself, the achievement of which is beneficial both for himself and for those around him.
He alth at the existential level means that the individual is able tonavigate in the deep inner world, trusts his own experience. An indicator of he alth at this level is the meaning of life, striving for the ideal.
The ratio of soul and body
Separately, it is worth paying attention to the ratio of psychological and physical he alth. Since ancient times, people have been trying to combine the idea of harmony of soul and body, which should be the basis for a happy human life. There is a well-known idea that in a he althy body there is a he althy mind. However, many teachings say that good physical he alth is not yet an indicator of fortitude. Thus, the state of both the body and the soul constantly requires close attention and work on oneself. In his interview, Colonel-General Yu. L. Shevchenko, when asked what kind of he alth is more important, answered: “The spiritual is more important. After all, if a person lives in constant fear and anxiety, his body begins to self-destruct.”
Many doctors are also inclined to this opinion. It is believed that about 80% of all physical diseases begin with psychological disharmony. And Indian and Chinese philosophies postulate that the basis for a he althy body can only be mental he alth, the balance of the spirit. It is known that a strong psyche can significantly affect the state of the whole organism. The mental stability of the patient, positive self-hypnosis often become one of the most important pillars in the fight against the disease. On the other hand, a person can cause psychological harm to he alth. This happens when he gives in to negative thoughts, self-accusations, anxieties, fears,aggression. Such conditions lead to an imbalance in the work of many organs and systems - primarily nervous, hormonal, circulatory, immune. And so stress always affects the physical condition of a person. Despite the ubiquity of stress, it is safe to say that it is a luxury in terms of physical he alth.
Psychosomatics: risk groups
In his work, summarizing the data of various studies, V. I. Garbuzov groups character traits that can predetermine psychosomatic illnesses. According to the researcher, the disease can threaten the following categories of people:
- Too determined and active, constantly inclined to take on more responsibility.
- Working long and hard, with a heightened sense of duty.
- Too conscientious, overreacting to other people's assessments.
- Those who are predisposed to constantly focus on negative experiences.
- Restrained, controlling his emotions until they are completely suppressed.
- For those who can't adapt to changing living conditions.
- Vulnerable, anxious people who overreact to other people's aggression.
- Unable to express their emotions and feelings.
Prosperous person - what is he like?
For a person with mental and psychological he alth, the ideas of totalloneliness, complete abandonment, a pessimistic view of the world. After all, no matter what happens in life, the main factor is still a person's reaction to events, his view of things. That person who, in the most terrible situation, is able to find at least something good for himself, strives for spiritual and personal growth, will not despair and indulge in destructive despondency.
This will help him maintain mental and psychological he alth. In raising children, adults should also pay close attention to emotional regulation skills. After all, only with their own wisdom, parents can teach a child to find support in himself even in difficult life situations, learn to increase the resources of psychological resistance to difficulties, improve and grow spiritually. Finally, we can mention the famous Armenian proverb: “Laughter is the he alth of the soul.” To maintain emotional he alth, it is useful to laugh and smile as often as possible - then all diseases will bypass.
Lack of inner balance
A psychologically he althy person can be easily identified by his adequate attitude to the events of the outside world - both positive and not the most pleasant. Such a person is open to the world, he is capable of productive cooperation, knows how to protect himself from the blows of life, and is also armed with all the knowledge and skills he needs that allow him to defend himself from troubles. If a person withdraws into himself, seeks to get away from contacts with people, considers himself completely alone and useless to anyone, here you can think about a violationpsychological he alth. Unfortunately, not many people, having found difficulties in themselves, turn to specialists for help. This behavior can be compared to the reluctance to go to the dentist: until the tooth starts to hurt, the trip is constantly postponed. Meanwhile, psychologists recommend seeking help in the following cases:
- If there are fears in life. They can be both small and global - in both cases, they need to be paid attention to. It can be a fear of heights, speaking in front of a large audience, fear of the dark, etc.
- There are relationship problems. This is one of the most difficult aspects of being human, and problems in this area can undermine the state of psychological he alth of anyone.
- Strong stress. It can be trouble at work, discord at home, financial loss, the departure of a loved one, a man-made disaster. In such situations, it is difficult for a person to cope with problems alone. The best way to maintain mental he alth is to see a specialist.
The way to strengthen the psyche: work on emotions
Just like physical he alth, a person can improve their emotional he alth. In this case, he will give himself a chance to become more active and energetic, get rid of passivity and apathy, and learn to move from a state of impotence to productivity.
One of the most important conditions for psychological he alth is a positive emotional state. Recently, more and more doctors recognize that negative experiences can seriouslyaffect mental and physical he alth. Scientists say that those people who suffer from excessive anxiety, aggression or suspicion, the risk of getting any disease (for example, asthma, diseases of the cardiovascular system, headaches) are much more likely.
At the same time, positive experiences affect a person exactly the opposite. Scientists studied a group of 122 people who had experienced a heart attack. Their level of optimism and pessimism was assessed. After 8 years, 21 complete pessimists out of 25 died. And out of the 25 most cheerful participants in the experiment, only 6 left for another world.
Persistence in overcoming difficulties
One of the most important psychological factors of he alth, including physical he alth, is the ability to cope with difficulties. A person can maintain his spiritual well-being only if he knows how to overcome the problems that arise on his life path. Those who give in and break down in the face of adversity endanger both their mental well-being and physical he alth.
The development of mental he alth always means that a person has learned to overcome problems in his life. On the contrary, one who is weak, mentally dysfunctional, will constantly feel resentment against himself, circumstances, blame others, pretend to be tired.
Methods for strengthening internal balance
Let's consider several waysstrengthening psychological he alth through influence on the emotional sphere.
- Small pleasures. When we are able to notice even small achievements and victories, this significantly increases the level of satisfaction with life. Of course, more often than not, you have to cope with difficulties rather than celebrate victory. But you can not wait for happiness, but create it yourself. To do this, you need to learn to enjoy your smallest victories - after all, they are the “bricks” that make up mental well-being.
- Good communication. When a person communicates with those people who arouse sympathy in him, this leads to an increased production of oxytocin, the hormone of attachment and security. Positive communication is necessary for every person, even if he convinces himself that he lives well alone. In particular, this aspect should be paid attention to those people whose professional activities are associated with a lot of stress in communication. For example, will the psychological he alth of a teacher be strong if his communication mostly consists of interaction with a difficult class? Such a teacher runs the risk of losing not only peace of mind, but also suffering from psychosomatic illnesses. That is why it is always necessary to balance negative experiences (in this case, communication) with positive emotions.
- Of course, it is not always easy to find those people you can rely on in difficult times. But you can also create an artificial "circle of happiness", you can use alternatives - for example, replenishlack of social connections with animals, in large groups or even in social networks. In the latter case, less oxytocin will be produced, but you can still count on some.
- Half an hour of peace or meditation. The day of a modern person is full of events: in the morning you have to run somewhere, rush to do dozens of things. He literally falls into the whirlpool of affairs, not noticing how the months and years pass by. And in the evening he watches crime chronicles, horror films or action films. This is a fundamentally wrong approach, which does not ensure the preservation of psychological he alth, but rather, on the contrary, its destruction. Therefore, it is extremely useful to introduce a practice called “half an hour of calmness” into everyday life. It consists in planning in advance for yourself 30 minutes of a completely calm life. You can just relax, think about your plans, dreams and goals. You can meditate at this time or reflect on childhood. This will help to strengthen mental he alth, help you live the next day more productively.
You can maintain and strengthen your mental well-being even in the most difficult circumstances. To do this, you need to abandon the endless series of self-accusations, think over possible ways to solve the problem and start acting. In difficult situations, those people who can be called psychologically he althy take responsibility for the situation on their shoulders and look for solutions to problems. Infantile and immature people are immersed in self-accusations and experiences, thereby worsening their physicalhe alth and emotional state.
