What is Mental Health?

We've always been told how to be healthy, right? Eat your 'five a day', get enough exercise, eat a balanced diet... you know, look after yourself. Yet, sometimes we still get sick, catch a cold or manage to sprain something. It can't be helped: it's part of being human.

Mental health is just the same. Like our physical health, so much of it is beyond our control. We all know what 'positive mental health' looks like: feeling balanced, content, safe, able to communicate your feelings... your general well-being. But, again, sometimes our mental health takes a downward turn, too. It can't be helped: it's part of being human.

If you are mentally healthy you can:

  • make the most of your potential

  • feel valued, and value the things around you

  • cope with life

  • play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.

But, just like a cold, one day someone might wake up not feeling quite right. It could be exam pressure, it could be a situation going on at home or a concern or thought that just can't be shaken. Everyone's experience of mental health is different, just like everyone's experience of physical health is different. Think about your friends, for example: chances are, one of them is unwell more often than another one is. We're all different in the way our bodies can cope with the world around us. Mental health is no different.

A person's mental health can change. Just because someone is dealing with depression at this moment in their life, doesn't mean that their entire life will be spent with depression. Things can change! Did you know that at least 1 in 6 people in Britain will struggle with a common mental health illness (like anxiety or depression) this week alone? It's something that can affect us all, and yet, it's not something we're open to talking about. This is really important to bear in mind and remember that a mental health condition is not necessarily permanent and people can manage, and improve their mental health with the right intervention and understanding.

That's why this site is here: take a look around. Learn something about some of the more common forms of mental illness and more importantly, learn what you can do to help both yourself and the people you care about. Caring makes a community better. So, take a look around, check out the links, and keep the world a safer place to be yourself!