By Catrice Jackson from an excerpt from new book, Soul Eruption! An amazing journey of self-reflection

Most of us think that mental wellness is the absence of mental health disorders such as depression or schizophrenia. There are many people who do not have a diagnosed mental illness yet are not mentally ‘‘well.’’ Mental wellness is subjective and defined by each individual person. Mental wellness is knowing that you are ‘‘fine’’ just the way you are.  You feel competent, independent, and have the ability to consistently make good decisions. For the most part your thoughts are filled with hope, confidence, and optimism. When you are mentally well, you know how to handle life’s situations without falling apart and becoming a victim of circumstance.

Having mental wellness provides you with the ability to think your way through a crisis, separate your thoughts from your feelings, and create a life filled with balance and tranquility. If you are mentally well, you can love yourself on the journey despite your circumstances.  Have you ever been in the presence of someone who, no matter what may happen, seems to have a mysterious ability to bounce back? Such people tend to be almost immune to allowing crisis to consume their lives. This is called resiliency, and the basis of resiliency is sound mental wellness. Life can be hard, people can be selfish, and unexpected events will happen in your life. Whether or not you survive these events will depend on how you perceive them and how much mental energy you give them. In my opinion, a sound mind is more valuable than an abundance of money. A sound mind allows you to experience peace and joy. A sound mind allows you to fully experience life without constant and persistent pain and misery.

You have the power to be in charge of your thoughts. Whatever you think about is what you become. When you think negative thoughts, negative things are attracted to you. When you are optimistic about life; opportunities arise and things fall into place in due time. Start today by focusing on positive thoughts and looking toward the future.  Dwelling on the past is counterproductive and a waste of your precious energy.

Here are few tips on achieving mental wellness:

• First of all, if you think you might have a mental health disorder, seek professional help.
• Find a quiet place and list the top five things you think about on a daily basis. Do these thoughts bring you anxiety, stress, or joy? If they bring anything but joy, further expand upon your list and write down the feelings they evoke.   Dig deeper and find out why these thoughts bring negative feelings.
• Carefully examine the source of your negative thoughts or feelings and determine how much power you have over removing those thoughts from your mind. If the source is a bad relationship or financial problems, for example, ask yourself ‘‘What can I do remove the source of these thoughts and feelings?’’  Sounds simple, but it’s your choice what you allow to consume your mind. Once something consumes your mind, it captivates your spirit, pierces your heart, and changes your behavior.
• When confronted with a mentally stressful situation, say to yourself and believe it: ‘‘I have the power to choose what I bring into myself and I choose not to bring this negativity within.’’ Say it as many times as it takes until you mentally refuse to be consumed by negativity.

For more information on achieving life balance contact Catrice M. Jackson, Author, Speaker and Life strategist at [email protected] or www.coachingwithcatrice.com.To pre-order your copy of Catrice’s new book, Soul Eruption!  Visit www.catricessouleruption.com.

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