5 Things Every Mentally Healthy Person Should Easily Be Able To Do, Says Psychologist
If your mind in a good place, these habits should feel natural.
Lany-Jade Mondou | Pexels We all have a general idea of what we think a mentally healthy person looks like. Maybe it’s not being depressed or anxious, not suffering, or not having a diagnosis. Maybe it’s being happy, or simply being able to live a good life. What does it mean to be a mentally healthy person?
To be a psychologically healthy person means you have a state of well-being in multiple areas of life, including your relationships, emotions, and specific behaviors. Your mental state is described as positive, you're overall satisfied, and you cope well with stress and daily difficulties.
According to a 2020 study, a psychologically healthy individual has "High levels of openness to feelings, positive emotions, and straightforwardness, together with low levels on facets of neuroticism."
Lead researcher Wiebke Bleidorn and her team determined that traits like warmth, positivity, and straightforwardness were present in "well-adjusted" people, while anxiousness, hostility, and depressiveness were less likely to be found in these individuals. All of these things are important and have great merit, of course. But what are the specific factors that make a person mentally healthy?
Here are the 5 things every mentally healthy person should easily be able to do:
1. They can hold two opposites in their mind at the same time
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"Is she a good person or a bad person? Did you like the movie or not? Are you talented, yes or no? Who’s right, you or me?" This tendency for our minds to polarize things into opposites to settle on a clear solution applies to all areas of our lives.
But it shows up especially starkly in very personal questions, such as how we view ourselves, how we think about our childhoods, and how we judge others.
The ability to see the gray areas is a skill that not everyone has, for sure. But here we’re talking about a step beyond that.
The ability to say during a conflict with another person, “We are both right, and we are also both wrong.” To be able to conclude, in any situation, “This is both extremely good and extremely bad,” “This person is both well-intentioned and potentially harmful,” “I love you and hate you at the same time.” “My parents gave me a lot, but they also failed me terribly.” All are true.
Opposites go together far better than most people realize. And if you can hold the opposing sides in your mind together at the same time, it gives you a birds-eye view of yourself, a person, or a situation that is far more accurate and real than grasping for a one-dimensional answer.
2. They can manage their emotions without lashing out
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Managing your emotions is one thing, and communicating is another. Each is a difficult skill to master. Put them together and you have a great challenge.
Being able to manage the anger or hurt you are feeling so that you can explain to someone how you feel, and being able to manage your anger to express the problem in a way that the other person can hear. These are two examples of strong psychological mental health.
Emotional management allows individuals to convey their feelings without blaming or accusing others, fostering dialogue and reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings. Studies have shown a strong link between emotional intelligence and communication effectiveness, highlighting the role of self-awareness and self-regulation in building meaningful interactions.
3. They can understand why they feel the way they feel
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Everyone knows themselves. But the question is, how well? Do you understand your typical responses to things? Are you aware of what you feel, and why you’re feeling it? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Talents? Likes and dislikes? What do you need, and what do you enjoy?
The better you understand yourself, the more resilient you are in challenging situations, the better you can forgive yourself for mistakes, and the better life choices you can make for yourself.
4. They can sit with themselves without distraction
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This involves being happy to simply be you. Think of it as spending time with yourself, happily and comfortably.
Can you sit alone with no entertainment and be comfortable? Can you be in the moment right now and not thinking ahead, thinking about the past, or thinking about something or someone else? Are you able to sit with a feeling, accept that feeling, and try to understand it?
These are all examples of being comfortable in your skin. By embracing who you are, flaws and all, you cultivate a sense of inner peace, strength, and resilience that allows you to navigate life's challenges with greater ease. Research recommends practicing observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment to fostering a deeper acceptance of yourself.
5. They can take meaningful risks
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Being able to stretch yourself, not only within your comfort zone but beyond it, takes a great deal of strength and resilience.
Are you willing to put yourself out there? Can you rely on yourself to manage a failure, if it happens? Do you know yourself well enough to know what’s worth going out on a limb for? Can you forgive yourself if you don’t succeed?
The strength required to take the risk of failure and to survive a failure is a great strength indeed. If reading all of these qualities is somewhat intimidating, don’t worry. Few people possess all five. Most of us would do well to simply be striving toward having each one.
Jonice Webb, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and best-selling author of two self-help books. She specializes in childhood emotional neglect, relationships, communication issues, and mental health. Dr. Webb has appeared on CBS News and NPR, and her work has been cited by many publications.
