Contrary to what many people think, mental wellbeing isn’t the absence of anxiety or depression.

 

Mental wellbeing is our ability to cope with daily stresses and realise our highest potential.  It’s reflected in healthy relationships, productivity, performance, and our ability to adapt to change.

 

We are somewhere along on the mental wellbeing continuum, from serious anxiety or depression right up to peak performance.

 

Many women I see are not experiencing serious mental health issues, but they hover around this middle ground experiencing high levels of stress, mild anxiety, or burnout, and they never reach the ultimate place of peak performance and mental wellbeing.

 

3 Things you can do to assess mental wellbeing

 

1. Are you stuck in a major life event that is ongoing:

 

Whether it’s financial stress, a health issue that’s changed your life, family conflict or relationship stress or divorce?

 

Life brings challenges but it’s our ability to adapt and cope with those changes without spiraling that reflects mental wellbeing.  Not all challenges are bad. Challenges help us to grow when combined with rest and recovery.

 

In his book, ‘The Art of Learning’ Josh Waitzkin, wrote how he mastered two different sports, Tai chi & Chess, and won world titles for both by the time he was 30.

When asked if he was just born talented, he said he attributes much of his success to alternating between stress and recovery. In order to overcome challenges and grow, we need a recovery plan.

 

2. Take stock of any tell-tale symptoms:

 

The symptoms we experience when we're moving away from peak performance: high stress and mild anxiety.

 

You find it hard to fall asleep or wake up during the night. Constant tiredness, low moods, feeling burnt out, irritable, and overwhelmed are also common. Recurring colds or flu esp when you take time off work on a holiday.

 

Symptoms we’re up into peak performance: you have energy on tap and you're operating at your highest potential. You have focus, concentration and the ability to do deep work come more easily.

 

You can take more on, in fact, you’ll seek out challenges in order to help you grow. You cope well and bounce back quickly while improving your productivity. Eventually reaching a level of mastery and joy.

 

There is a lot that can be done to move a person up to peak performance. Periods of rest, coaching to remove mental barriers, nutritional support, and herbal therapeutics.

 

3. Notice your dominant thoughts and feelings

 

Many people won’t describe themselves as stressed but they’ll notice the symptoms above.

 

When I’ve asked my clients the two following questions it’s often a good indicator of their current state of mental wellbeing:

 

How many hours of the day are you stuck in worry or negative thinking or overanalysing?

How many hours of the day do you feel calm, content, and at peace?  

 

“Lucky if it’s 1-hr a day” is often the response I get.  

 

If worry dominates your mind then it will drive down mood and push us further down the mental wellbeing scale.