I’ve put the focus on our Mental Well-being during the Month via the blog, podcast, social media and my weekly Living Well Letter. In this week’s Micro Mondays episode I’m discussing the 4 main components of mental well-being. Understanding what they are will help you to Live Well and create a quality of life.
Understanding the 4 main components of Mental Well-being to Live Well
So what are the 4 main components of mental well-being? In the podcast, I discuss each point in depth and suggest ways you can incorporate them into your life.
- A healthy sense of self
- being aware of your own strengths and using them confidently.
- feeling part of something greater
- having a sense of compassion for yourself and others. Did you catch my podcast interview with Maria Paterakis on Healing through Self Compassion?
- Perspective
- the ability to develop and apply a healthy perspective
- remaining rational rather than catastrophizing
- reframing challenges
- Psychological Flexibility
- the ability to ‘go with the flow’
- the ability to make changes when something isn’t working in your life.
- Daily Maintenance
- having coping strategies – a Mental Well-being toolkit which I discussed in the previous Micro Mondays episode. Creating a Mental Well-being toolkit
8 Comments
Hi, Sue I agree that your 4 components greatly enhance mental well-being. The good thing g is that we don’t need to achieve each component 100% — just keep striving in that direction!
Exactly, Donna we just keep doing the best we can. x
I can go with the flow only so long. If things aren’t moving along the way I like, or fast enough for me, I want to take charge, push things along, try to control the situation. Have been trying to remember to meditate or pray on things before I get too wrapped around the hub.
I’m like that Leslie (another reason we might be related!). It can be hard to take a pause before we act. Take care xx
All of your points are really good, Sue. A healthy sense of self is a good one, and I often use the phrase “self awareness” which is similar and possibly even the same. These are four excellent categories with many sub categories. I like your word “diffuse” and being separate from our problems. My daughters roll their eyes when I tell them “I am not perfect” since they hear this so often. I appreciate the wisdom in the gems you share on the podcasts. xx
Thanks Erica I like the phrase ‘self awareness’ as it makes me focus on my inner thoughts and how I am feeling. Children are funny aren’t they? My daughter is an Executive Coach working with Partners in a global organisation. I had a great ‘coaching session’ from her during our Mother’s Day run as she picks me up if I’m putting myself down. xx
I’ve always had a tendency to be short tempered and feel picked, on and it disturbed me because I have always known that were both are unhealthy.
I recently read a report on the longer-term effects on children who were beaten or smacked by their parents, one of which was a tendency towards being short-tempered. There were others that, thankfully, I appear to have avoided.
I was regularly beaten by my father and I was sent to boarding school at a young age (7), where the teachers handed out beatings as well. Reflecting on that report has helped me to understand why I am short-tempered, and that understanding has reduced the level of guilt I have because of those characteristics.
I still have times when I feel angry or picked on, but I’m learning to rationalise those and improve my behaviour
The point I wanted to make is that it’s often helpful to look a long way back to find the cause of negative feelings you have today, in order to first understand and then work on them.
Hi Martin, I’m sorry to hear about your childhood and our experiences during that period of our life can certainly determine the future stories we tell ourselves which hold us back. Your last point is so true and thanks for sharing.