Different Levels Of Mental Well-being
When we say someone is “healthy” or talk about “good health,” most often we think of the individual as being in good physical shape. The definition of health, of course, includes physical health, but it also includes the well-being of the mind and emotional life. Different levels of mental well-being include self-acceptance, social skills, and awareness of an individual’s own potential for influence in relation to their environment.
Mental well-being contains a set of sensations that refer to our ability to perceive our own lives on a global level. They are not necessarily directly related to pleasant experiences or the fulfillment of our personal desires. Instead, they affect our environment on a larger scale.
Psychologist Carol Ryff has dedicated her life to exploring which factors or dimensions have a significant impact on the quality of our lives. The researcher has developed a questionnaire designed to measure an individual’s level of mental well-being. He has picked up 6 criteria that are essential to self-realization and the achievement of an individual’s personal potential. A study conducted by a psychologist using the above-mentioned questionnaire shows that mental well-being is comparable to an individual’s age, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnic origin (Ryff and Singer 2008).
Different levels of mental well-being
The different levels of mental well-being are described as follows:
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Self-acceptance
This dimension encompasses the acceptance of all aspects of an individual’s life and his or her own past, just as it happened. Such acceptance helps the individual not to fall into the trap of incompetence and powerlessness. It makes him realize that it is too late to change or intervene in past events.
Consider accepting your body, feelings, and thoughts. If you accept, your self-image will be more positive. However, you may suffer from low self-esteem and make an effort to accept yourself as you are. It is possible that this dissatisfaction will confuse you. You may not even be able to say where you should start to change the things you can actually influence.
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Circumstances management
This dimension refers to the ability to deal with difficult environmental factors. It means adapting to difficult conditions.
If you perceive your potential for influence to be high, you will gain experience of your ability to influence your environment and manage complex situations. If, on the other hand, you feel that your chances of influence are limited, these research results show that overcoming the difficulties inherent in daily life will make you more difficult.
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Positive relationships
This dimension measures people’s ability to interact openly and sincerely with others.
If you are happy with the relationships you have built, you will promote the emergence of emotional bonds that will enhance the quality of your emotional life. This requires greater empathy and openness to other people. If you get a lower value with this metric, it is possible that interacting with others will cause you difficulty. You may find it difficult to open up and trust others, as well as take care of your relationships.
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Autonomy
This dimension assesses people’s independence in different areas of life. It describes knowledge of one’s own ability to make choices and make independent decisions. It includes the ability to maintain personal criteria as well as personal and emotional independence, even if they conflict with others.
A high level of autonomy requires the individual to be able to take advantage of greater resistance to social pressure or their own impulses. A low level of autonomy, in turn, can mean that an individual lets other people’s opinions guide him or her. In addition to taking into account the opinions of others, he may also allow the social pressure created by his own social network to guide him.
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Personal growth
This dimension measures people’s ability to learn from their own experiences, as well as their openness to new experiences and challenges.
If you promote your personal growth, it is possible that you are on a continuous path of learning. You may feel that you have the ability to learn from future situations and the knowledge you have acquired, as well as the resources to develop yourself. If you don’t feel this perpetual need for self-improvement is part of your style, you may feel stuck, bored, and suffering from a lack of motivation. You may not really want to develop new learning situations or fresh growth behaviors. Or you may instead feel incapable of doing so.
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Meaning of life
This measures people’s need to find a purpose that brings meaning to their lives. The individual must set clear and acceptable goals for themselves. These goals must be realistic.
If an individual scores high on this dimension, it means he or she believes in the purpose of his or her life. He is able to see purpose in his past, present, and future. If an individual gets a low score at this point, he or she lacks a clear purpose. It is possible that he feels the direction of his life is missing, that he has been able to lose it, or that he is lost.
7. Support from other people: the best pillar of our well-being
Support from other people is a preventative factor against many different diseases. The quality of our relationships and how we perceive them is very important to us.
How does emotional intelligence affect our mental well-being?
People with high emotional intelligence are more optimistic, have better self-esteem, and greater empathy. This helps to promote the mental well-being of the individual. People who are able to recognize their own feelings feel more satisfied. Therefore, their experience of their own well-being is overall more positive.
How can you improve your mental well-being and live a fuller life?
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Find your passion
It may be that your passion is found in a job where you already spend hours every day anyway. It’s best to use that time in a way that motivates you. However, it may be that you find an object of interest in a hobby that brings you a sense of fulfillment. Examples can be music, sports or crafts.
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Don’t try to change yourself
Accept yourself for those things you can’t change. If you try to change yourself, you will only create anxiety and feelings of self-rejection
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Surround yourself with positive people
Positive relationships – spending time with the people you admire, with whom you find a sense of fulfillment – is an important factor that directly affects your physical and mental well-being. Toxic interpersonal relationships cause your level of mental well-being to decrease and add stress to your life.
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Learn from your mistakes
Everything in life doesn’t go according to plan. Knowing how to adapt to your circumstances and deal with your frustrations is an integral part of enjoying a happier life that includes less unrealistic expectations.
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Dare to try new things
Stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring unfamiliar areas will keep you active and motivated. Regardless of your age, you can always find new travel destinations, relationships, and learning experiences. For example, try new activities, meet new people, change the route of your business trip, etc.
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Believe in your own potential
You have absolutely incredible potential to discover, along with many of your inner resources and great opportunities for personal growth. Believe in yourself and your potential. Mental well-being can help you achieve a higher level of maturity, balance, and ability to deepen self-awareness.
