Sometimes mental health seems like a far-off idea. Maybe you notice having more bad days than good days, but if you had to nail down a starting point for the discomfort—well, that’s often much harder. Just like an honest friend who requires us to take inventory, sitting down and asking a few questions can be enlightening. Here are some great starting points for taking
your mental wellness temperature.
Emotional Well-being
Can I generally identify what I am feeling and share that with others? Emotional well-being means we have healthy outlets for our emotions and recognize when we need them. Thinking of a time in the past when you were able to process or let out emotions in a rewarding and uplifting way can be a good starting point for ideas.
Social Connection
Do I regularly participate in social activities that bring me joy and connection? Perhaps a key here is both participation and enjoyment. While increasing our time with others is healthy, those interactions should be positive. That seems obvious but you may have to give yourself permission to focus in on the most fulfilling connections. Finding a quality connection is gold.
Stress Management
Can I set reasonable goals for myself and meet them without being overwhelmed? It is not uncommon to measure our stress management by surviving all the things we feel life has to throw at us. Not so. How much are you putting on your plate? It is better to be reasonable with ourselves. When we don’t have a lot of choice, we then look at what practices we are using to support our body and mind in the middle of it all. Breathing, time outside, and exercise— essentials that help us find respite when life doesn’t let us choose.
Physical Well-being
How is my body doing? Am I meeting its needs for sleep, nutrition, and exercise? Our physical health is directly connected with our mental and spiritual wellness. While most of us will not be athletes or perhaps even ideally active through all seasons of life, we cannot expect to feel emotionally healthy when we are not attending to our bodies. Get serious about sleep hygiene and those movement ratings on your watch and you may notice your mood lifting as well.
Work-life Balance
Are there any adjustments you could make to your work-life harmony? If this is an overwhelming question, please consider breaking it down. Knowing your work-life balance is off can’t be ignored forever. Try thinking small. If there was one small adjustment you could make, no matter how insignificant it might seem, make it. Often we wait for big change and opportunity sits within the small decisions we make each day.
Sense of Purpose
Are you engaged in activities that align with your personal values? Taking inventory of how the way you invest your time matches your values can be revolutionary. Finding fulfillment looks different for each of us and living without intention is a great way to short-circuit the greater fulfillment we might experience. If there is something important to you, ask yourself how that might be more a part of your life. Maybe there were things you used to be passionate about that have shifted and yet you still invest your time and energy into them. As we grow, our inspiration and our meaning grow. Don’t be afraid to move towards something new.
Self-Reflection
How often do you take time to reflect or introspect? Are you aware of your strengths and areas you are growing? If you made it this far in the article, then you have already started the process of self-reflection. Many times reflection can be uncomfortable, especially if you are your own worst critic or the shadows of your inner life are deep. If you make the effort to show up and reflect, be sure to extend compassion to yourself for the places you are struggling. Give yourself credit for the changes you see. The more you practice this, the easier it is to move towards change without fear of failing. It could be 10 minutes of reflection a day that could change everything. It may be that mentorship, counseling, or prayer and meditation are safe spaces for this reflection if it feels too scary to do alone.
Review this checklist and check in on the natural areas of strength and those that are harder for you. Pick one that is harder and give it a try 1-3xs this week. We are not made to do it all, or grow every area at once—but if any of these areas are sticking points, focusing support and building skills in that area will help foster greater mental wellness.
