Mental illness is one of the most critical aspects of a human being’s life. Mental illness constitutes an individual’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It greatly affects how a person thinks, feels, acts, relates socially with other people, and makes important life decisions (Bonham, 2019). Mental health disorders greatly impact how a person thinks, behaves, and relates with others, among other key aspects of life. Mental health disorders are common in society today. Help is, however, available with the possibility of full recovery and the ability to lead a normal life.
Several habits and practices are critical in the improvement of an individual’s mental health. One key practice is the establishment of healthy connections with people. Good and healthy relationships foster a sense of belonging and self-worth. It is critical to create an avenue that enables people to share positive experiences while also enabling individuals to share and offer support to each other. Face-to-face relationships are healthier and provide greater avenues to share as compared to social media relationships. It is, therefore, critical to establish healthy relationships with those around us.
Engaging in fitness activities is also key to the improvement of mental health. Research has proven that exercise not only improves the physical status of a person but is also important in mental health (Ruegsegger & Booth, 2018). Physical fitness greatly improves an individual’s self-esteem. Raised self-esteem is important in ensuring that an individual achieves his or her set goals and overcomes challenges. This greatly improves a person’s mental health and general well-being.
Another vital practice in improving mental health is the learning of new skills. Learning new skills greatly boosts one’s self-confidence and, consequently self-esteem. Learning new skills alongside boosting a person’s confidence is also key in generating a sense of purpose within the individual. Learning new skills also provides an avenue to connect with different people and establish relationships. This interaction and self-confidence are important in improving the mental health and general well-being of a person.
Engaging in acts of charity and kindness goes a long way in improving the mental health and well-being of any individual. Research has indicated that engaging in acts of kindness and charity greatly establishes positive feelings of self and creates a sense of reward. This is critical in establishing a sense of self-worth while also creating an avenue to interact and mingle with various groups of people. This can be done by engaging in voluntary work around one’s immediate community. This is important in improving an individual’s mental health and well-being.
While establishing goals, it is important to set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). It is important to set specific goals. An individual should establish clearly defined goals and objectives. Goals being measurable means that an individual is able to keep track of his or her progress and determine the outcomes (Cairns et al., 2019). Goals set should have some level of challenges but should be achievable. Relevance entails establishing goals that are of benefit to the individual. Time-bound means that the set goals should have a time frame set by which they should be achieved.
An individual can establish both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals include defining a specific time to be awake and out of bed. Other short-term goals would be finishing a certain household task and establishing a new relationship at the workplace or at school. Creating and adhering to a strict daily schedule is another short-term goal that one can set. Short-term goals should have a short time span for one to achieve them.
Long-term goals have a longer time frame to be achieved and include more challenging tasks. Long-term goals that one can establish include improving or establishing a healthy relationship with a close companion. Finding or sustaining a job where one feels fulfilled is another long-term goal. Moving out to start living on your own is another long-term goal that one can establish. Involvement in community activities and pursuing higher education are other long-term goals that create a sense of self-worth and fulfilment and improve an individual’s mental health.
There are several community programs and initiatives aimed at helping those with mental health disorders. The Community Counselling Centres for Chicago, popularly referred to as C4s, have been in operation since 1972 (Seo et al., 2019). They provide compassio