What is Mental Fitness?
Mental fitness means keeping your brain and emotions in good health. It is a positive state of psychosocial well-being, and it shows in the way you feel, think, and act. Mental fitness is just as crucial to your overall well-being as physical fitness.
Why does it matter?
Without mental fitness, it can be difficult to enjoy life. According to the widely accepted theory of self-determination, people need to satisfy three basic psychological needs to have mental fitness. The needs are Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness (CAR) (Deci & Ryan, 2000). With these three requirements met, a person feels a sense of well-being since they are in control of their own life.
Competence
Meaning your achievements, knowledge, and skills.
People have an innate need to feel like they can accomplish the tasks that are important to them. The feeling of mastery that they can complete challenging tasks successfully and actively engaging in the outcome contributes to self-esteem.
Autonomy
Has to do with the feeling that you are the master of your destiny. People need to feel that they can exert control over their own lives. This includes having control of their own choices and behavior.
Relatedness
Concerns a person’s feeling of being connected to others. It is your need to interact with and experience caring for people who matter to you. People need to have a sense of belonging that they are connected with those who matter. Since most of life’s most memorable experiences involve other people, we all need other people to some degree.
What does mental fitness look like?
When you have mental fitness, you are likely to demonstrate characteristics such as:
Knowledge of your unique strengths, weaknesses, and interests
Creative expression in ways that matter to you
Ability to solve problems and resolve conflicts with others
Accept responsibility for your actions and decisions
Ability to ask for help if necessary
Persist toward your goals despite obstacles or the doubts of others
Why does it matter?
Your state of mental fitness is fundamental to your overall satisfaction with life. It is also a strong predictor of your physical health – when your mind and emotions are healthy, you are more likely to feel physically well. When you feel mentally fit, you are also more likely to get involved in making lifestyle changes that can support you both physically and mentally. Some changes include healthy eating, moderate exercise regularly, avoiding tobacco, and overconsumption of alcohol.
In contrast, when your three basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness are not being met, you may feel an overall sense of unhappiness.
Most importantly, people who develop high levels of mental fitness live longer lives and are more successful at school and in the workplace. They also tend to be happier in their relationships and are less likely to develop mental distress.
How can I get mentally fit?
There are various things that you can do to encourage mental fitness.
Focus on Competence
- Learn new skills to keep pace with the world around you
- Share your unique talents and knowledge with others
- Accept offers from your community to show what you can do
Focus on Autonomy
- Recognize your feelings and find constructive ways to express them
- Look for choices and have the courage to make decisions
- Allow others to make their own choices as well
Focus on Relatedness
- Get to know what makes you happy and associate with others who promote happiness in you.
- Volunteer for a cause that is important to you
- Stay in touch with friends even if you have a busy schedule
