Health is often used to refer to a state of physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing of the individual. Thus, mental health is one of the components of the broad concept of health. It is concerned with an optimum level of emotional and behavioural adjustment of the individual. It is a state of maintaining harmony or balance between the needs, desires, aspirations and attitudes of the individual with respect to the prevailing conditions in the external environment. One can achieve this by following some basic strategies at mental and

behavioural levels in one’s daily life. 

These are as follows:

(i) Reality Contact: In order to maintain good and sound mental health it is important to have a realistic appraisal of one’s own reactions, emotions, and abilities. If you are in touch with reality you may be able to avoid a number of disappointments and frustrations in your daily life.

(ii) Impulse Control: A person with healthy adjustment would have good control over his/her behaviours and impulses. So in order to maintain good mental health it is necessary that you should be in complete control over your impulsive behaviours.

(iii) Self-Esteem: The awareness about oneself is called self-concept. It includes all the statements about “I” or “me” expressed in terms of feelings, beliefs and values. Thus self-concept is sum total of all that a person is aware about his or her own self. Self-esteem is the evaluative component of self. The personal evaluation of self could be either positive or negative. A sense of personal adequacy or positive self-concept is essential for mental health.

(iv) Positive Thoughts: The quality of mental health depends on whether we direct our thoughts in positive or negative ways. Negative thoughts generate negative emotions such as anger, hate, jealousy, fear, and despair. The effect of such negative emotions on our mind is unhealthy. They also harm the endocrine system. Therefore in order to maintain good mental health, we need to develop the power of positive thinking which generates positive emotions such as love, joy, happiness, hope, compassion, empathy, and optimism in us. Such emotions strengthen our capacity to cope with various life challenges.