Good mental health doesn’t come about by accident, and the world we have created can easily threaten the balance we rely on to stay psychologically resilient and healthy. According to the World Health Organisation, mental wellbeing is:

“A state of wellbeing that enables you to realise your potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and to make a contribution to your community.”

What we think of as mental wellbeing is different for each of us. But people with positive mental health generally do a number of things that give them a sense of wellbeing and protect them against the stresses and other challenges that we can face in life.

If you seriously want to protect your mental health, the first positive step is to move it up your agenda. In this episode, I talk about seven factors that contribute to mental wellbeing that can use to help you look after your mental health and bolster your overall wellness.

The obvious habits to check are to eat healthily and take regular exercise. Then, there are some less well-known factors that often go overlooked.

How about the all-important human need for social connection and validation, or the vital support you get from friends and family? These don’t just happen by themselves. Unless we look after the habits that protect our mental health they can quickly become ‘things we used to do’, rather than the daily habits that protect us.

If you seriously want to protect your mental wellbeing, the first positive step is to move it up your agenda. 

Remember the words of the Roman poet Juvenal who coined the famous phrase ‘Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano’ — “You should pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body”. These are wise words, but praying might not be enough; you also have to DO something, so act now and prioritise your mental wellbeing.