Mental hygiene is the set of activities that allow a person to be in balance with their sociocultural environment. These actions attempt to prevent the emergence of behaviors that do not adapt to social functioning and guarantee the psychological adjustment essential for the subject to enjoy good mental health .
Society in general must be involved in creating a favorable environment so that all people are in balance with the environment . The family, the educational system, the State and religion , for example, contribute to mental hygiene.
Habits that contribute to mental hygiene
When we talk about mental hygiene, it is necessary that we establish that there are a multitude of habits that we can carry out periodically and frequently to ensure that it is as optimal as possible. Specifically, some of the most significant are the following:
Positive self-assessment . With this, what we have come to make clear is that it is vital and fundamental for our mental health that we strengthen both our self-esteem and our own image. And we must not only value the good things that other people have but also ourselves.
Management of our emotions . Each and every one of the emotions that assail us, both on the positive and negative side, it is necessary that we know how to channel and interpret them for our own good.
Positive memories . In this case it is that we must go to the past to remember good and positive moments and not others that hurt us or caused us frustration.
Satisfaction of basic needs . Having good mental hygiene that provides us with stable and balanced mental health is something that involves, among other things, satisfying our basic needs. If we do not satisfy them, what we will do is cause frustration and, therefore, damage. Among those main needs would be eating, drinking, sleeping, having sex...
See the positive . There will be many situations and people that will be present around us and from all of them we only have to stay with what is positive and good for us.
Reflection in behavior
Autonomy, subjective well-being, emotional potential and competitiveness are part of the factors that mental hygiene must take care of. It is important to note that the absence of a recognized mental disorder (such as schizophrenia or psychosis) does not imply mental well-being.
An individual's mental health is reflected in their daily behavior and is linked to the ability to manage their fears and anxieties, control anxiety , face difficulties and relieve tensions. All people should be able to lead an independent life without interpersonal relationships affecting their power of decision and resolution.
Mental hygiene must be taken care of by each individual through positive habits that allow them to maintain internal balance. The positive assessment of one's own and others' traits, emotional catharsis and strengthening self-esteem are some of the issues that anyone must work on to protect their mental hygiene and to avoid psychological imbalances that prevent them from functioning normally.