Mental health is about how you think, feel and act. We all have highs and lows in our mental health. Good mental health helps you get the most out of life, and helps you cope with life's stresses and reach your goals.
It is normal to have feelings like anger, sadness, or anxiety when facing challenges. There is a difference between mental health and mental illness.
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Mental illness and mental health
A mental illness is when a person is diagnosed with a problem that alters their thinking, mood and/or behaviour. Examples of mental illness include depression and anxiety disorder.
One in five people will have a mental illness in their lifetime. Four in five will not, but this does not mean they are doing well mentally. It is important to take care of your mental health just as you take care of your physical health. We can all improve our mental health.
Adult mental health
| What can affect your mental health? |
- Times of change can affect your mental health, such as finishing college or getting married.
- Life events such as becoming unemployed, death of a loved one, or getting divorced can affect your mental health.
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| What supports your mental health? |
- Feeling like you belong.
- Being physically well.
- Being able to solve problems.
- Having your basic needs met, i.e., safe housing, stable income.
- Feeling in control of your life.
- Spending time with people you enjoy.
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How can you improve your mental health?
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- Eat a healthy diet.
- Be active.
- Get enough sleep.
- Review what matters to you.
- Manage work stress.
- Build and enjoy health relationships.
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| Mental health resources for adults |
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Children's mental health
For children, part of being mentally healthy is being able to bounce back from challenges and move forward with new knowledge and skills. You play a role in helping your child learn to deal with life's stresses and bounce back from challenges.
| Support your child's mental health |
- Build trust by having routines, setting limits and explaining your expectations.
- Build their self-esteem.
- Help them find solutions to their problems.
- Encourage them to see things from another person's point of view.
- Give them opportunities to practice patience.
- Let them play and exercise! Being physical active is a great stress reliever.
- Let them experience loss with your support.
- Teach them about their feelings and good ways to deal with them.
- Prepare them for changes.
- Stay positive.
- Provide choices.
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| Resources |
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More information, including strategies and activities you can use to support your child's mental health, can be found in our Kids Can resource.
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Teen mental health
The teenage years are a time when many physical, emotional and social changes are occurring. Teens often experience a range of emotions, as do parents. You play a vital role in helping your teen handle life's ups and downs in positive ways.
| Support your teen's mental health |
- Encourage your teen to have healthy relationships.
- Maintain routines and limits.
- Accept your teen for who they are.
- Be active together. Teens need about 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
- Ensure your teen gets enough sleep. Teens between the ages of 14 to 17 years of age need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night.
- Keep positive.
- Talk to your teen about healthy ways to cope with stress such as using deep breathing, practicing yoga, or developing a plan to cope with their problems.
- Teach your teen new life skills and let them practice things like doing the laundry and cooking.
- Talk to your teen about drugs and alcohol and how using them can affect their physical and mental health.
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Information for schools
You can find information for mental health in schools on our educators web page.
Information for workplaces
| How does work support your mental health? |
Mental health is a state in which you are able to:
- Develop your potential.
- Work productively and creatively.
- Build strong and positive relationships with others.
- Contribute to your community.
Work provides:
- A sense of fulfilment.
- Social interaction.
- A source of income.
- Self-esteem and identity.
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| What can work stress do to your health? |
Work stress may come from many issues, including:
- Job content.
- Workload and work pace.
- Hours of work.
- Participation and control in decisions made that affect you and your work.
- Career development, status and pay.
- Role in the organization.
- Interpersonal relationships.
- Workplace culture.
- Work-life balance.
Too much stress at work for too long is not healthy and can lead to health problems, such as:
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Heart disease.
- Back pain.
- Headaches.
- Higher risk for some types of cancers, injuries and infections.
However, some stress is actually good for you, as it motivates and challenges you!
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How can you manage your work stress?
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The following five things can help you manage work stress:
- Develop relationships - Supportive relationships can help you through stressful times. Positive relationships help you increase your ability to plan, meet goals and deal with challenges.
- Positive Thinking - Being able to think positively helps you deal with stress and look at challenges as opportunities.
- Competence - Competence is your ability to use your skills to influence what happens in your life. Know when to use strengths and when to ask for help so you don't feel stressed.
- Healthy coping - Your body is better able to respond to stress when you practice healthy coping. Healthy coping strategies include being physically active, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, avoiding smoking, and avoiding alcohol.
- Know your emotions - Being able to understand and manage your emotions helps you to keep stress in check.
More information on promoting mental health in your workplace can be found in our Bouncing Back: Managing Work Stress booklet.
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