Is Your Mental Health Tied To Your Level of Optimism?

HealthyPlace Mental Health Newsletter

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Is Your Mental Health Tied To Your Level of Optimism?
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Stand Up for Mental Health
• Latest Mental Health News

Is Your Mental Health Tied To Your Level of Optimism?

How you describe your own mental health and state of wellbeing is important. The famous question about whether you see your glass as half-full or half-empty relates to this concept. When it comes right down to it, how much does your answer to this question impact your mental health and wellbeing?

Upon first glance, it seems obvious that it does matter and that it's important to be optimistic about life (to see our glass as half-full). This is quite true indeed. Both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and positive psychology are finding through research that our thoughts are crucial. A healthy sense of optimism is a vital part of mental health.

On the other hand, seeing your glass as either half-full or half-empty is an example of black-and-white thinking, an all-or-nothing approach to life that CBT identifies as irrational. Life is neither all good nor all bad, and our mental health isn't an either-or concept, as in we either have mental health or we don't.

Perhaps it's important to let your glass be what it is without judging it. It has some liquid, and it has some empty space. The goal is to quench your thirst, to experience mental health and well-being (Coping Skills for Mental Health and Wellbeing). Do what you need to do to enhance your mental health without constantly worrying about the state of your glass.

Related Articles Dealing With Mental Health and a Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty

• Negative Thoughts Distort Your Reality
• 8 Negative Thoughts That Manipulate Your Mind
• Looking at Optimism vs Pessimism
• Optimism is Healthy
• Stop Overgeneralisation to Build Self-Esteem
• Black and White Thinking: Cognitive Distortions and Mental Illness

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: Today’s Question: Are you better off seeing your glass as half-full, or do you prefer to ignore the glass altogether when enhancing your own mental health? We invite you to participate by commenting and sharing your feelings, experiences and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

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Share our Stories

At the top and bottom of all our stories, you'll find social share buttons for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and other social sites. If you find a particular story, video, psychological test or other HealthyPlace feature helpful, there's a good chance others in need will too. Please share.

We also get many inquiries about our linking policy. If you have a website or blog, you can link to any page on the HealthyPlace website without asking us beforehand.

Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. The Difference Between Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
2. Depression and The Lack of Motivation
3. Bipolar Depression and Feeling Nothing at All

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Mourning A Therapy Pet in A Healthy Way
• Avoid Suicide by Looking Forward to the Little Things
• The Undeniable Connection between DID and Child Abuse
• Positive Actions Will Lead to Positive Thinking
• Embrace the Benefits of Borderline Personality Disorder
• Dehumanizing Addicts: A Stigma Leading To Deaths
• 6 Ways to Change Your Thoughts and Improve Self-Esteem
• How Passing Time Affects Mental Illness
• My Binge Eating Disorder Recovery Journey Is Not Comparable
• Why I Sought God in Early Sobriety
• 12 Lies Anxiety Tells You
• Learn to Love Yourself: A Self-Acceptance Activity
• Families with Mental Illness Need Support Groups
• Schizoaffective, Schizophrenic Voices on Easter
• Triggers in Eating Disorder Recovery
• Depression and Setting Emotional Boundaries
• PTSD Recovery: 12-Step Approach, Steps 7, 8, and 9
• How To Improve Decision-Making Despite Anxiety
• How To Talk To Your Child About Your Addiction

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Stand Up for Mental Health

Thousands Have Joined the Stand Up for Mental Health Campaign

But we still need you. Let others know there's no shame in having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trichotillomania, OCD, ADHD, schizophrenia or any other mental illness.

Join the Stand Up for Mental Health campaign. Put a button on your website or blog (buttons for family members, parents, mental health professionals and organizations too). We also have covers for Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

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Latest Mental Health News

These stories and more are featured on our mental health news page:

• Music Exposure Benefits Babies' Brains
• Nutrient Supplements Can Give Antidepressants A Boost: International Evidence Review Gives Thumbs Up To Omega-3s
• Videogame Addiction Linked To ADHD
• Psychological Issues Behind Increasing Low Back Pain
• Autism Patients Have More Cancer Gene Mutations But Lower Cancer Risk
• Marijuana Use May Reduce Dopamine In The Brain, Causing Negative Effects On Learning And Behavior
• Kids Who Decide To Join Gangs Are More Likely To Be Depressed And Suicidal
• Depression, Metabolic Factors Combine To Boost Risk Of Developing Diabetes, Study Finds

That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook, stumbleupon, or digg) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week:

• circle HealthyPlace on Google+,
• follow HealthyPlace on Twitter
• follow HealthyPlace on Pinterest
• or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook.

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index