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. 
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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
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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.