Mental health is so much more than just the absence of mental illness
It is a combination of our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, and it affects every aspect of our lives — how we think, how we feel and how we act
It influences how we relate to other people, how we deal with the stresses in our lives and whether we make healthy or unhealthy lifestyle choices.
2 Nurturing our mental health can also help prevent the development of mental illnesses. 3 Good mental health helps us have a more positive outlook and enjoy our lives more.
4 When our mental health is good, we are better able to cope with the difficult times in our lives 5 We are more creative when our mental health is good and that makes us more open to trying new things
6 Good mental health promotes better relationships with the people in our lives. 7 Good mental health enables us to work more productively and reach our full potential.
8 Good mental health enables us to make meaningful contributions to our family, to our community and to society. 9 Having good mental health helps us think more clearly.4
Mental health changes over time, depending on a number of factors.1 One of the factors that can affect mental health is stress