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Disappointed in life? Feeling worn out?
Not having any fun? Unhappy with yourself?
If your answer is YES, you are not alone. It is normal to feel down on ourselves and life. Half of us will experience problems with mental health at some point during our lives.
Mental health is just as important to our lives as our physical health
Mental health is not the same thing as the absence of a mental illness. How we feel about ourselves, the world and our lives are all part of mental health. In reality, no one experiences perfect mental health or well-being all of the time (if ever!). We don't wait until we are sick before we begin to care about our physical health. In the same way, it doesn't make sense to wait until you are suffering from mental health problems before you begin to value your mental health.
Our mental health can affect many areas of our lives:
Work, school, or home life
Relationships with others
Sleep
Appetite
Energy levels
Ability to think clearly or make decisions
Physical health
Life satisfaction and more...
Are you among the Canadians most at risk for poor mental health?
People coping with lots of stress or significant life events
People with low levels of social support
Teenagers
Adults with low education or income levels
Adults or children who have experienced traumas
Women
People with physical health problems
People with personality traits that increase the likelihood of problems (e.g., having excessively high standards, taking excessive risks, etc.)
The 4 Basic Dimensions of Mental Health and Well-Being
Thoughts | Behaviours | Body reactions | Emotions
Mental health is determined by our overall patterns of thoughts, emotions, behaviours and body reactions. Each of the 4 mental health dimensions can influence all of the others:
Positive:
Thoughts e.g., I did a good job
Behaviours e.g., I rewarded myself with a movie
Body Reactions e.g., My muscles feel relaxed
Emotions e.g., I feel happy
Negative:
Thoughts e.g., I hate being in traffic
Behaviours e.g., I pound my fists
Body Reactions e.g., My heart is racing
Emotions e.g., I feel angry
Thoughts
Thoughts include the ideas, images and urges that are constantly going through our minds. Changes in negative and positive thoughts often go along with changes in our mental health.
Examples of positive thoughts:
I know I can get through these rough times
I feel pumped up about life!
I know I have friends who really care about me
I feel good about the way my life is going these days
I have some really cool talents and interests
I want to do something that makes a positive difference
I'm a good person even though I have some flaws
Good things are going to happen to me
Examples of negative thoughts:
I feel like I'm losing my mind
Life sucks!
I'm never going to get through this
I'm ugly and stupid
They think I am a loser
It feels like something really bad is going to happen
My flaws are too big to overcome
Nothing good ever seems to happen to me
Behaviours
Behaviours include all of the helpful or harmful things we do. Other people can usually see our behaviours. Changes in our behaviour often go along with changes in our mental health.
Examples of behaviours:
Working on a solution to a problem one step at a time
Avoiding the things that upset us
Reaching out to a friend or family member for support and understanding
Doing things that distract us from thinking about our problems (e.g., watching TV, working)
Isolating ourselves and pulling away from friends and family
Exercise or active recreational activities
Crying or tearfulness easily triggered
Engaging in hobbies or leisure activities
Using alcohol or drugs to make the bad feelings go away
Overeating, not eating enough, or purging food (e.g., vomiting, over exercising)
Praying or other forms of meaningful spiritual practice
Lashing out at other people (verbally or physically)
Doing something relaxing like taking a bath, or going yoga or meditation
Excessive dependency or clinging to loved ones
4 Dimensions | Top
Body Reactions
Body reactions refer to changes in our body functions such as heart rate, breathing, digestion, brain chemicals, hormones and more. Changes in our body reactions often go along with changes in our mental health.
Examples of body reactions:
Muscle tension, muscle aches or headaches
Chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Upset stomach, nausea or urge to vomit
Rapid heart beat or heart palpitations
Upset bowel or diarrhea
Feeling dizzy or light-headed
Lack of appetite or increased appetite
Sense of unreality or being detached
Urge to urinate or frequent urination
Aggravation of an existing health problem (e.g., acne, digestive disorders, migraines, chronic pain, etc)
Sweating, hot flushes or cold chills Difficulties with sexual arousal or fulfilment
4 Dimensions | Top
Emotions
Emotions refer to how we feel and can be pleasant or unpleasant. Changes in emotions often go along with changes in our mental health.
Examples of pleasant emotions:
Happiness or sense of joy
Contentment
Sense of calm
Excitement
Feeling love or affection
Feeling cheerful
Examples of unpleasant emotions:
Irritability or anger
Frustration
Anxiety or fear
Sadness or feeling down
Feeling empty or numb
Hopelessness
4 Dimensions | Top
Why should mental health matter to me and my family?
When our mental health suffers, it can become difficult to enjoy life and we begin to feel run down mentally and physically. Many of these changes can get in the way of us living a rewarding life. All of us can benefit from learning how to enhance and protect our mental health (whether we have experienced mental illness and/or substance use problems or not).
Top
Where do I start?
The BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information have loads of information on how to improve your mental health and well-being. Check out our other Wellness Modules and other useful resources for you and your family at www.heretohelp.bc.ca or give us a call at 1-800-661-2121. We're here to help.
You might also be interested in:
BC Mental Health Information Line (24 hours a day). Call (604) 669-7600 in the Lower Mainland, or 1-800-661-2121 elsewhere in British Columbia.
Health Canada Healthy Living - Mental Health
Bright Futures (tips for kids and families)
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What does my wellness score mean?
Your score reflects the degree of balance you have across the different areas in your life, how well you are coping, and how good you feel about things. These are all important aspects of wellness and mental health. There is no magic score that guarantees perfect wellness so we have not included any guidelines regarding "high" or "low" scores and what they mean. Instead, we recommend using this self-test to track your own wellness status over time.
If you are actively working on ways to improve your health then your score will probably go up over time. Increases usually mean we are feeling better about things and feel more able to cope with life's challenges while still finding time for fun. If you are experiencing stress or changes in your overall health then your score may go down for a period of time. Decreases usually mean it is harder to feel good about things and we are struggling to find a sense of balance. Decreases in scores can be an important sign we need to take action to make things better for ourselves. Most of us will experience ups and downs in our wellness scores over time. To track your own wellness and general mental health over time we recommend taking this test once a month.
Adapted from Massé, R., Poulin, C., Lambert, J., & Dassa, C. Élaboration et validation d'un outil de mesure du bien-être psychologique au Québec. Revue canadienne de santé publique. 1998. 89(5):352-357.
Select Sources
Avison, W.R. & Gotlib, I.H. (Eds.). Stress and mental health: Contemporary issues and prospects for the future. 1994. New York: Plenum Press.
Clark, C.C. Health promotion in communities: Holistic and wellness approaches. 2002. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Snyder, C.R. & Lopez, S.J. Handbook of positive psychology. 2002. New York: Oxford University Press.
Stephens, T. Mental health of the Canadian population: A comprehensive analysis. Chronic Diseases in Canada. 2000. 20(3).
Prepared by Sarah Newth, PhD, for the Anxiety Disorders Association of BC on behalf of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information © 2004
