It's always easier to define mental illness than determining mental health; Mental health refers to a person's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional state; it comprises everything about how people feel, think, and behave. Mental health can affect the daily routine, physical fitness, and relationship with people. Mental health preserves the ability of a person to enjoy life and enables the person to create the balance between activities, responsibilities, and efforts to achieve daily psychological resilience.

A condition such as anxiety, depression, and stress affects mental health and disturbs daily living. Mental health basics refer to the state of a person to realize their own ability to overcome the everyday anxiety of life to be productive and contribute towards the community. Having good mental health relatively develops a healthy and happy life. Your mental health gets affected by many factors such as biological factors, family history of mental health, and even our genes.

Things that can help you develop a healthy state of mind are:

• Developing a positive attitude
• Keeping yourself positively active
• Getting a maximum sleep for 8 hours
• Developing healthy eating habits
• Seeking professional help for your mental health, if needed
• Being socially active with people you feel comfortable
• Developing skills to overcome your problems

 
Early Warnings For Mental Health Problems
 
There are times when we are not aware that we are living with mental health problems. Here are a few common behaviors that a person develops as an early warning sign:

• Pushing people and usual activities away
• Experiencing energy loss
• Creating a negative attitude towards things
• Un-experienced pains and aches
• Feeling severe mood swings such as confused, forgetful, angry, upset, scared, or worried
• Developing suicidal or self-harming thoughts
• Developing addictive habits such as smoking, drinking, or drugs more than usual.

Recognizing the early stage of mental health problems makes it easy to cope and get back to everyday life.


Characteristics Of Mental Health
 
Satisfaction of life:
Mental health and ability indicate the frequency of a person enjoying life. Some factors that play an essential role in life satisfaction include the absence of sickness, good relationships, the sense of being active in personal and professional life, and a feeling of hope.
 
Resilience:
People with resilience have the quality to develop positive views to cope with challenges and seek out support when needed; those who are more resilient not only easily cope with stress but are even able to face it strongly.
 
Social support:
Social support acts as one of the most important elements for a healthy state of mind. There are cases that have proven the harmful effects of loneliness on health. The negative impact refers to physical and mental health, including depression, memory issues, addictions, and slow functioning of the brain. A decrease in a person's social support leads to job-hopping, affecting personal relationships, social diversities, which has a mental impact on health.
 
Flexibility:
Having rigid expectations from things develops the feeling of stress in the mind. A bit of emotional flexibility is essential to give an experience of heavy emotions and express themselves. Lack of mental flexibility links to a certain kind of psychopathology, whereas flexibility connects you to a better and improved life.


Effects Of Continuous Pressure On Mental Health

Your home should be your safe haven -- the place where you feel relaxed, happy, and at peace. But when bad energy is lingering around, your home can quickly become the complete opposite -- a place of hostility and negativity. And when you have this negative energy in your home, it can affect every other aspect of your life. That’s why house cleansing can be an important part in your personal well-being. 
​
If you’ve just moved into a new space, you should cleanse your home of any negative energies that might still be there from the previous owners. Or, if you’ve just gone through a breakup, had a big life transition, or you’re just in a funk -- clearing bad energy from your home can help. But how do you know if you have negative energy in your home, and how do you clear it out? 

Signs you have bad energy in your home

Knowing how to detect negative energy in your house can actually be quite simple. You can tell whether the energy in your home is good or bad – or neutral – based on the way you feel inside while you’re inside it. A house filled with good energy feels fresh and vibrant -- it’s full of life and you feel good being there. Some may say it has good qi or feng shui. On the other end of the spectrum, a home drowning in bad energy will make you feel like you’re being stifled, smothered, or even crushed. You can feel the tension in the air, and there are a thousand places you’d rather be.

Negative energy and stress go hand-in-hand, so if you’re constantly frazzled or at the end of your rope, your home could be partly to blame. If you’re not sure whether your home has bad energy of its own, check out these red flags:

• Excessive complaining. If you or your family members catch yourselves complaining, even when things are okay (or worse, when they’re actually pretty good), you may have negative energy in your home. The same is true if you’re struggling to find positivity in life.
• Negative relationships. When the people around you – spouses, children, family, and friends – are negative, it’s worth taking a look at the kind of energy you’re putting out there. Negative energy attracts more negative energy, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
• The blame game. Household members always pointing the finger? Negative energy in the home could be preventing them (and you) from looking inward to place responsibility where it really belongs.
• Criticism. If there’s a lot of criticizing going along with all the blame, your home could be swamped with bad energy. When you or others in your house send out negative vibrations, you’re increasing the bad energy in your home.
• Clutter. One of the biggest signs of negative energy in a home is clutter. Clutter blocks the way energy flows through a home, so it could be keeping bad energy in and making things worse.

Even if you aren’t picking up on any of these warning signs that you’re dealing with bad energy, it’s a good idea to cleanse your house when someone has had an argument, been sick, or is experiencing stress at work. Negative energy can seep into your house over time, so it’s okay to clear it whenever you feel like doing so.

Your home is the one place you should feel safe and secure, but if you open the door and you’re practically swimming in a pool of bad energy, you need to cleanse it – and this checklist will help.

Building a fruitful life for yourself takes a lot of hard work, so the thought of making major changes to it can be daunting. However, there may come a time when you’ll need to make a change, and the signs will be everywhere.
 
These signs can include feeling upset or dissatisfied with the state of things and daydreaming about what life would be like after making the shift. If you’ve found yourself feeling underwhelmed with life as of late, read on for suggested major life changes you can make to turn things around.
 
Find a Furry Friend and Prepare Your Home

Add another source of happiness to your life by adopting a four-legged family member. Whether you’re a lover of cats, dogs, or other furry friends, bringing an animal into your home can really impact each and every aspect of your life.
When you come home at the end of each day, your pet will be there to greet you. Plus, having them around benefits your health by reducing stress and blood pressure. The physical and mental health impact a pet has on you can be just as life-changing as moving them into your space.
 
If you do decide to bring a pet home, don’t bring them to an unsafe, ill-equipped environment. In order to start out on the right foot with your new friend, make your home as comfortable as possible for them. Have a bed, food, treats and space dedicated to them and ready to go, and make sure to pet-proof your home. Don’t forget cleaning supplies to tackle any messes your pet is bound to make. For example, you can purchase an enzymatic-based cleaner from your local pet store that eliminates stains and odors effectively.
 
Work Out Every Day
​
Regular physical activity improves cardiovascular and emotional health at the same time, according to Psych Central. Even a small amount of exercise each day can improve your quality of life, and you might lose a few pounds in the process.
 
If you’re turned off by the idea of joining a gym, you can start seeing results without stepping foot into one. Instead, turn your living room or home office into a “gym” each day by practicing yoga or focusing on bodyweight workouts that require little to no equipment. Consider working physical activity into other parts of your day as well.
 
When you arrive at work, park a few blocks from the building to get in a brisk walk before and after your shift. Take the stairs instead of elevators, and consider walking around the block after dinner each night to help your digestion along.
 
Exerting energy in any way can help you sleep through the night, which is just as important to your overall health as exercise. After a good night’s rest, you’ll regain the energy needed to get through a long day at work, and you can even have enough energy left over to take on a hobby in your spare time.
 
Pick Up A Hobby

Hobbies can be life-changing, whether you return to a hobby you dropped in the past or find a new one that resonates with you. Having a hobby enhances your life by keeping the brain sharp and reducing stress. It provides a necessary distraction from life’s chaotic moments and keeps you from feeling bored, which can be a dangerous emotion for your mental health.
 
Whichever hobby you choose should bring you joy and relaxation. You can try your hand at kayaking, painting, crocheting, or something unique like bird watching. The time you make for a hobby or activity in your schedule is time devoted to nothing more than leisure—and who doesn’t want that?
 
Allow yourself an opportunity to change your life for the better. Adopting a pet, working out and starting a hobby will take time out of your day, yes, but their impact on your life will be more than worth it. Consider making big changes to your life to achieve total fulfillment.

​We all want to lead healthy lives and feel good about ourselves. Having positive habits is an effective way to make that happen. Better still, you don't need radical change to see results.
 
Know Your Environment
 
One of the first steps we can take is understanding the root causes of poor health; of course, drinking, smoking, and diet are common reasons for illness. Yet, not getting enough sleep and being inactive can also take their toll on our bodies and minds. Worse, our own homes could contain hazards that can make us sick, so it's important to know if your home contains radon, lead, or mold since these can seriously impact your health. When it comes to mold, water issues and poor ventilation can intensify the problem and even lead to pest infestations. By being aware of your environment and addressing any issues, you can better protect your health.
 
Nurture Balance
 
Unfortunately, it can be easy to lose sight of things to be grateful for. Our day-to-day routines can put our focus on stressful situations and leave us overwhelmed. Thankfully, we can counter that with acts of mindfulness throughout the day. In particular, practicing gratitude encourages us to be more aware of the positives in our lives. In fact, even writing down everything that we are thankful for, both big and small, can meaningfully raise our emotional well-being. How you practice mindfulness will be personal and could be as simple as watching birds from your porch.
 
Find Your Peace
 
Taking up meditation may sound impractical, particularly as our daily lives can be hectic or full of distractions. Yet, you don't need to spend hours in silent contemplation to see the health benefits, as just three to five minutes of meditation can be a promising start. Over time, you could experiment with different styles to find the one that works for you. With that in mind, consider devoting a part of your home to meditate and center your thoughts in peace. Indeed, an office, attic, even a bedroom, can be transformed with plants, calming pictures, and spiritual objects. Once you have a place set up, you can practice meditation, yoga, or otherwise explore your soul in a spiritually uplifting environment.
 
Speak Your Mind
 
Being true and open about our feelings can give us new outlooks and strengthen our relationships. Unfortunately, we may worry about being judged or becoming vulnerable with others, even loved ones. Yet, sharing our thoughts can improve self-esteem and turn negativity into something psychologically positive. For instance, the Reintegration System emphasizes the importance of not fighting negativity, but facing and accepting it. Through that, you transform it and potentially find benefits from it. By speaking up, you acknowledge what you are going through and give yourself the confidence to move forward.
 
Nourish Your Health
 
Pursuing a healthier emotional and physical lifestyle will benefit from nutritious food. After all, a balanced diet can boost our hearts, protect us from strokes and cancer, and counter the symptoms of depression. Best of all, changing up our diets doesn't mean eating bland meals or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. At the least, add plenty of vegetables, nuts, fruits, eggs, and fish in place of processed foods and sugar-heavy drinks. While that might sound pretty intense, there are countless recipes featuring those ingredients that can be done in less than 30 minutes. Beyond those changes, look to a dietician for further advice, as they may have information specific to your needs.
 
Being healthier doesn't happen overnight. However, taking small steps to change your diet, find peace and calm, and appreciate the good in your life can all add up. You deserve the rewards that come with a more uplifting lifestyle.

​Travel is not something you should put off until retirement. It is one of the only real ways to open your mind to other cultures and to experience all the world has to offer. Traveling can serve as emotional therapy and may even help you better appreciate your profession. If you’re considering walking away from it all for a spiritual, mental, and physical sabbatical, here are a few things you can do to prepare for your extended absence.
 
Let go of fear
 
The first thing you have to do is learn to let go of the fear that taking time away will hurt your career. Chances are, it won’t, and when you return, you will have an interesting story about your “pretirement.” If you’re worried about returning to your industry after a sabbatical, Monster.com offers tips on how to explain your sabbatical during the interview process.
 
Plan ahead
 
There is no doubt about it, if you want to get the most out of your personal retreat, you will need to plan ahead, and that means planning for how you’ll afford your journeys. Obviously, you need to have money saved up, but it does not hurt to have a source of income while you’re away. One great way to do that is to set your own home up as a rental property. This starts by getting it ready. You will need to stage it, stock it, and secure it. Angie’s List recently published a guide on rental property preparation, it’s a five-minute read with plenty of great tips. Also, don’t forget to plan for your pets, let your neighbors know what’s going on, and alert the Post Office.
 
Know when to go
 
Timing is everything. There are a couple of considerations here, and it starts with talking to your boss well ahead of your planned departure. The more notice, the better, especially if you are working on a crucial project. Give your employer at least a six month’s heads up so that you can coordinate your leave for a time when it will not be harmful to the company. Even if you are not a full-time employee (such as a freelancer or consultant), this is necessary if you do not want to part ways on bad terms.
 
Financial considerations
 
Even if you rent your home while you’re gone, you probably will not have the same amount of money coming in as you did when you were getting a regular paycheck. Transunion recommends saving the equivalent of one year’s salary for a sabbatical lasting six to nine months. This will keep you from running up your credit and give you a small cushion of funds to live off of when you return.
 
Have a purpose
 
Finally, and most importantly, know what you expect to get out of your time away. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with your higher power and make your trip a meaningful travel experience. Plan to do things that put you in touch with your inner self and remain mindful at all times of the beauty of your surroundings. It doesn’t matter if you are traveling alone or with your closest friends or family, make it purposeful and you’ll take away more than memories. You will gain a new perspective and may find out who you really are along the way.
 
If the idea of taking an extended vacation is intimidating, keep in mind that the longer you wait, the more entwined you become with your current surroundings. The last thing you want is to become so involved that you can’t break away.

​“How are you doing?” That short and simple phrase is one that is both overused and underappreciated. However, do some soul searching and ask yourself that question sincerely. If your inner wellness could use a shot in the arm, there are little changes you can make to your mental and physical health routines that can spark big spiritual outcomes. 
 
Upgrade Your Sleep Environment
 
While our dream lives can be interesting, we often give little credit to our slumber. Sleep actually offers important mental and physical health benefits, such as better problem-solving ability, improved mood, maintaining a healthy weight, and stronger immunity. Without enough sleep, we can experience brain fog, unstable emotions, reduced productivity, and increased stress levels. Simply enhancing your sleep environment can mean getting better sleep, reduced stress, and improved quality of life. If your shut-eye could use improvement, think about adding blackout window treatments to keep the room dark, add sound-dampening insulation for quieter nights, and adjust the room temperature for optimal comfort. 
 
Amp Up Meditation
 
Are you engaged in a regular meditation practice? Psychology Today cites research indicating that meditation can produce significant positive changes in health and well-being. It’s a tremendous stress-reduction technique that offers measurable outcomes, such as lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Meditation can also be an effective tool for reducing the risk of depression, anxiety, and pain, and it even appears to add years to your life. What’s more, it’s a time for spiritual introspection and focus, recharging your energy and improving your outlook on life. If you are already participating in meditation routinely, consider trying a different method, changing your meditation space, or adding crystals to your practice to amp up your results. 
 
Participate in Yoga
 
Yoga has existed for thousands of years.  Yet as Yoga Journal explains, only relatively recently did science begin unveiling the powerful benefits from regularly practicing yoga. Engaging in yoga can mean improved flexibility, stronger bones and muscles, better circulation, and a stronger immune system. Yoga promotes a better outlook on life, helping you feel more relaxed and happy, reducing your stress levels, and keeping you more at peace with yourself and the universe. There are several types of yoga, and depending on your situation you might want to alter your method, experiment with something new, hire a private instructor, or take a class. 
 
Savor the Great Outdoors
 
In our current culture, many of us spend the bulk of our lives enclosed in four walls, under artificial lighting, and sitting in front of electronic screens. If any of that sounds all too familiar, consider making more time for communing with nature. As Hyperbiotics explains, studies indicate that engaging with the natural environment is good for us in many crucial ways. Our nervous systems relax, we are more inclined to maintain a healthy weight, have better immune function, and are more apt to keep a positive outlook. Try upping the amount of time you spend outdoors, whether you’re sipping coffee, hiking, birdwatching, or meditating. Also, think about bringing nature to you by adding houseplants to your working and living areas. They not only provide a bit of green to your interior, but they can also help clean the air you’re breathing.
 
Examine Energy Flow
 
Being in harmony with the world around you can be a key to improved health. The arrangement in your work and living environments could be interfering with your wellness in important ways. Consider looking to feng shui principles to do some rearranging, allowing your space to keep the positive energy flowing. Also, consider the air flow in your home, and ensure your furniture is arranged to promote good health, comfort, and energy conservation. 
 
Sometimes, the smallest things can pack the biggest wallop when it comes to our spiritual side.  With that in mind, consider some little changes in your lifestyle to improve your inner health. The next time someone asks you how you are doing, you’ll be able to give a positive answer from the depths of your soul.  

If you’ve been laid off or your boss gave you a negative review, it’s not unusual to experience low self-esteem, frustration or sadness. You may not even know how to move forward after a career setback.
 
Sure, you can find another job. Maybe you’ll even find one that offers the same pay or benefits. But when some people suffer a career setback, they decide to start their own business. Read on to discover why starting a business venture may be one of the best decisions you ever make.
 
Why Starting Your Own Business is a Smart Move
 
When you start your own business, you’re the boss. You don’t have to worry about getting laid off or fired. No one’s ordering you to do mandatory overtime, and no supervisor is taking the credit for all your amazing ideas. Since you call the shots, you get to decide when you work and how long you do it. Even better, owning your own business may eventually lead to more time with family and friends. At first, you may put in long hours, but once your business gets off the ground, you may enjoy more down time. Some business owners even get to work from home.
 
When you’re a business owner, you decide how to guide your company and create your own company culture. As an entrepreneur, you experience each day as a new challenge. Whether hiring new employees, learning about taxes, marketing your company or designing a website for it, every day offers new experiences and opportunities. That means you’ll rarely ever be bored. You can’t always say the same when you’re working for someone else.
 
Another benefit of owning your business is the joy you experience building something from your dreams. You may even start a business that springs from a hobby or side job. Making a full-time living doing something you love makes owning a business even sweeter.
 
How to Get Started
 
You’ve decided to create your own business. Now, you just have to get started. First, think about what interests you and the fields where you have the most experience. If you’re an accountant, maybe you could start your own accounting firm. Do you enjoy baking? Maybe you could start a bakery. Are you a writer? Consider starting a content marketing company. If you like sales, maybe it’s time to consider a job in real estate. Many people love the freedom and flexibility that come with being a real estate agent.
 
No matter what you decide, find out how much it will cost to start your business venture. If you don’t have the funds in your savings account, you’ll need to find investors or score a small business loan to get started. Some organizations may even offer grants to people who are starting a new business. It’s also important to check out your competition by going online to view websites run by businesses like the one you want to run. A great business idea gives you a greater chance of receiving backing from investors, banks and grant organizations.
 
Also think about ways you can use the resources you already have to launch yourself on the path to success. Making the most of what you already have access to is a great way to save on startup costs. For example, working from a home office rather than renting office space is a huge money-saver. You will, however, want to invest in quality equipment to make sure every aspect of your venture runs smoothly and that you stay productive in a home office, so be sure to factor this variable into your startup budget.
 
Experiencing a career setback hits at your self-esteem, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move forward and achieve success. If you have a passion for something and have always dreamed of making it your career, consider creating your own business. While starting any new venture involves risks, there’s also the chance to experience a myriad of benefits when you take the leap and create your own business.

We often hear of self-care as a complement to other areas of our lives, such as supporting a fitness goal or reducing our work-related stress. Self-care can also be instrumental in helping us make personal growth decisions. Much more than pampering, self-care methods such as mindfulness, meditation, and yoga helps us see deep inside ourselves to find answers to important questions. Here are some of the benefits of mindfulness in personal development and ways to harness the power of meditation in your life.
 
Personal Development Challenges
 
There are many hurdles to growth and happiness in life. One of the biggest obstacles is indecisiveness. Because of our difficulty in making decisions, we often stay in situations or avoid changes in life that can provide us with more joy, income, and opportunities. There are several ways to seek guidance in personal development, including self-help books, discussion with mentors, scanning online forums and practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is particularly helpful because it doesn’t return generic advice, but rather insights directly related to us. Mindfulness lets us know who we are, what we want, and what we need for happiness.
 
What Mindfulness Accomplishes
 
Introspection unlocks some under-utilized powers of the brain. It changes the way you handle stress by putting life’s challenges into perspective. Mindfulness helps people of all ages deal with life’s struggles, from a child having problems at school to a retiree struggling with senior life. It’s been effective in lowering anxiety, countering depression, aiding in addiction recovery, and dealing with eating disorders. Meditation has also been found to stimulate brain development, so your memory and cognition improves -- both of which help you make informed decisions in your quest for personal growth.
 
Meditation is also recognized for its ability to boost career growth. In addition to relieving stress -- which can kill productivity -- meditation improves focus, creativity, and emotional intelligence. This emotional intelligence helps people collaborate more effectively with others.
 
How to Meditate at Home
 
A home mindfulness retreat is easy to create. Ideally, the space should be separate from your work and living areas. A quiet room with minimal decoration is a good starting point. The area should be away from the noise and distraction of your home, too. If you do not have a room to spare, you can create a mindfulness zone in any room -- just make sure it is quiet and distraction-free. Meditation requires concentration and a low-stress environment, and we are profoundly negatively affected by disorganization and clutter. If you want to meditate in your home office, for example, it would be helpful to clear away papers and work materials that will draw you away from introspection and back into outside noise.
 
Meditation is Not the Only Path to Mindfulness
 
Although quiet contemplation and inner reflection is the easiest way to attain mindfulness, there are other methods for those who do not like meditation. The following are additional tools to tap into calm self-knowledge when you cannot (or don’t want to) meditate:
 

• Practicing kindness. Take time to appreciate the actions of others and be thankful for people in your life.
• Get a good night’s sleep. Sleeping and opening yourself up to dreaming can work as a type of involuntary meditation.
• Try some quiet exercise, such as walking or long distance running -- both of which have meditative qualities.
• Yoga. Although it incorporates many of the tactics of meditation, they are combined with physical exertion, which may make things easier for those averse to meditation.

 
Mindfulness opens us to possibilities that are often closed off to us when we are scared and in the dark about ourselves. Meditation and other techniques help us find answers that propel personal advancement in all areas of our lives.
 
 
Photo Credit: Pixabay

​Going through addiction treatment may be the hardest thing that you have ever done, but it will all be for nothing if you can’t get back into normal life afterwards. Many people find it difficult to make the transition, and this can lead to relapses as well as other problems. Here are some tips to help you make that transition smoothly, and to take control of your life again.
 
Start during treatment
The first stage begins while you are still undergoing your treatment. Think about how you are going to cope with life on the outside without your addiction. Learn to recognise the signs of an imminent relapse, and how to control yourself at those times. Think about your triggers and figure out how to avoid them – and what you will do when confronted with them. Try talking to your friends and family about the support that you will need on the other side.

​Take it slow
Don’t expect things to be easy right from the start. A transition is a gradual process, and you can’t rush it. The pace of life may be different from what you are used to, and you may find yourself with free time now that you no longer have your addiction to swallow it up. Don’t expect to be able to go home, see the same faces and go to the same places where your addiction ruled, and be able to resist right away. Start with the safest environments and work from there.
 
Make amends
One thing that you may wish to do is to make amends for the things you did while you were addicted. It might be that a simply apology is enough. It might be that you need to work, pay, or make up for things in some other way to make everyone happy. The important thing is that you close the book on that chapter of your life by making amends for everything in it. If you are still feeling guilt over things you have done, reintegration therapy and meditation will really help to let go of that guilt and start over. If you let the guilt remain, it will only damage your future.
 
Replace your addictive habits
In order to get back to normal life, you might actually have to create a new normal. The people and things you did before might not be suited to a recovering addict, and so this means starting again. Find new friends who are not addicted, and who will lead you in a healthy direction. Take up exercise or a new hobby which can fill your time. You could even take up charity work if you wanted to pay back to society. Make sure that you eat and sleep well so that both your body and your mind are healthy and well rested. If faith helped to get you through your treatment, then now is a good time to recommit to your faith, perhaps by taking part in faith groups.

​Make new goals
Part of normal life is moving forwards. Make some new goals for yourself, either to do with your fitness, your career, your hobby, or so forth. These goals will give you something to work towards, and when you feel that relapse is near, it may help to focus on these and how much you would be throwing away if you gave up now.
 
Getting back to normal certainly isn’t easy after addiction treatment, but it is far from impossible. With a support network, a positive outlook, and plans for moving forward, you can do it.