Does the constructive mindset play a role in mental wellness? Wellness concepts are becoming increasingly popular and respected. Although there are criteria to help us understand physical wellness, such as endurance, flexibility, and strength, there are no defined criteria to explain mental wellness other than absence of mental illness, such as depression and anxiety. Is this the best we can do?
We do not explain physical wellness by a lack of disease process, but by defined physical measures to strive towards, regardless of the presence of physical illness. Mental wellness defined as absence of mental illness does a disservice to mental processes and only succeeds at catering to stigma that is associated with mental illness. Mental illness must be understood as a subset of medical wellness, just as managing diabetes is within the domain of medical wellness. Mental wellness, on the other hand, must be understood as applying to anybody, whether they have a mental illness, a physical illness like diabetes, or no illness.
Are there no positive criteria by which to explain mental wellness? Perhaps a rethink of physical, spiritual, and mental processes is in order to achieve a positive direction when it comes to understanding the mental component of being human.
The website www.definitionofwellness.comis a resource that gives information about ten dimensions of wellness. If we understand the human condition within a holistic framework, then the most common divisions of being human are the trinity of the physical, mental, and spiritual. The physical, as previously seen, is already clearly defined. Linking the spiritual dimension only with meaning and purpose in life is but a fraction of what the spiritual component of humanity is about, and therefore fails to hit the mark in giving a workable understanding that is measurable.
If, on the other hand, the spiritual component of being human is understood in terms of a relational dynamic, then it can be clearly seen how encompassing the spiritual dimension of humanity is. Relationships are either positive or negative. They are affected by questions of justice, such as assessing whether one is “for or against” by their actions. The concept of wellness in itself implies a positive relationship with various dimensions of humanity, and is therefore a spiritual exercise. For example, physical wellness implies a positive relationship with one’s body, striving for increased endurance, flexibility, and strength. A person is seen as “for” their body, if they engage in a physical wellness program.
Medical wellness implies a positive relationship with addressing disease processes, so as to enhance life to the fullest despite the limitations of disease. Financial wellness is about how one relates with money; environmental wellness about a relationship with the environment; emotional wellness about a relationship with our emotions; intellectual wellness about a relationship with creative endeavours; “spiritual wellness” about a relationship with meaning in life, which can include a relationship with a perceived higher power; occupational wellness about a relationship with one’s career/job; and social wellness about relationships with others.
So it can be clearly seen that the relational/spiritual component of being human is involved in every dimension of life. Wellness concepts are therefore relational, encouraging positive relationships of the person within each defined dimension above. The defined criteria provide an understanding of the difference between relating in a positive as opposed to a negative manner, with the purpose of addressing what is negative and working toward positive change.
What then are the mental processes with which we can work in a positive manner? Mental processes involve the perception of both physical and spiritual domains. The five physical senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching, give us information about the physical universe we are in relationship with. Emotions can be viewed as spiritual senses, which give us information regarding issues of justice. The negative emotions sense when something is relating “against,” and the positive emotions sense when something is relating “for.” They give us information about the spiritual universe we are in relationship with.
We do not question having physical senses, so why question having the spiritual senses of emotions? Wellness programs incorporate acceptance of and responsibility for emotions as part of emotional wellness. Since emotions are a mental process, it appears that the emotional dimension ought to fall within mental wellness.
Thoughts have to do with reason, that is, making logical sense of what we see, hear, feel, etc. Logic, the realm of reason, is another mental process. The mindset a person forms has to do with the relationship context of experiencing emotion and associated thoughts.
The destructive mindset is about understanding emotions in relationship with self/others first and with justice second. The consequences of the destructive mindset include lack of acceptance of and responsibility for emotions, a lack of defensible logic, and a lack of a sense of uniqueness and boundaries. The cost of the destructive mindset can include self-esteem problems, substance abuse, relationship problems, loneliness, etc.
The constructive mindset is about understanding emotions in relationship with justice first and with self/others second. The benefits include acceptance of and responsibility for emotions, attaining a logical explanation for what is seen, heard, and felt, and an understanding of one’s uniqueness and boundaries with others who are also understood and accepted as unique. There is enhanced self-esteem and the ability to attain a sense of unity in social settings. There is also a freedom to be creative, which allows one to fulfill what is identified as the intellectual wellness dimension.
The constructive mindset goes hand in hand with mental wellness, and impacts a new definition of spiritual wellness. Therefore, as physical wellness involves endurance, flexibility, and strength, so mental wellness is about accepting emotions and forming one’s thoughts and emotions within the constructive mindset. Doing so enhances emotional wellness (acceptance of emotions), logic (thought wellness), and creativity (intellectual wellness), which is what mental wellness ought to be about. The concept of the constructive mindset gives us something measurable by which to assess mental wellness. Perhaps defining mental wellness as a workable process can help to remove the stigma of mental illness, which ought to be seen as a medical situation just like diabetes is.
A response to a 2008 blog by Mike Nichols on mental wellness suggested that to be mentally well is to “rather be yourself than any other person in the world.” This component of wellness has to do with acceptance of one’s uniqueness and identity, seeing the self as unique and also seeing others as different and unique. This component of wellness actually falls within the spiritual domain, as it involves relationships with the self and with others, impacting self-esteem and the social wellness dimension.
Spiritual wellness, in a more all-encompassing definition, has to do with identity (relationship with self/self-esteem), and unity, which has to do with relationships with others, and includes social wellness, the former “spiritual wellness” as far as meaning in life, environmental wellness, etc. The constructive mindset therefore also has a role to play in enhancing this adjusted way of defining spiritual wellness.