How to achieve a state of complete health. Health physical and mental

Thousands of words have already been said about the fact that sport contributes to better health maintenance, recovery from illnesses and injuries. Of course, in this case we are talking about amateur, not professional classes, since the approach of professionals is more likely to be harmful to general health than useful. However, today not all people are aware that training and physical activity are important and relevant for themselves. Sometimes, when someone comes across materials about the benefits of sports, a person simply takes everything into account, but does not try to change and rebuild his life in order to increase the level of activity.

That is why it is worth talking about how sport is connected not only with physical, but also with psychological health. It turns out that a person's mood is almost completely dependent on the rate of production of certain hormones. And, as it turns out, sport can regulate the production of these hormones, thanks to which, with the help of training and loads, even the most difficult rehabilitation of drug addicts who suffer precisely because of the violation is possible. hormonal balance. First, secretion is improved directly by the loads themselves. Secondly, a number of substances are formed in the body only under certain conditions, for example, when it is in danger. Namely, sports competitions often allow you to feel the danger, enjoy the risk, get real pleasure from victory.

Accordingly, regular training and participation in competitions (if not with an opponent, then at least with yourself) can improve the production of the most important hormones and normalize the balance. Hence, it leads to an increase in mood. And an increase in mood, in turn, according to the theory of psychosomatics, can lead to the recovery of even serious patients. And all this is only due to the fact that sport really affects the mood, makes it good and more stable, allows you to release negative energy, transform it into positive emanations. But at the same time, one should not forget that sports at the amateur level simply strengthen the human body.

Thanks to constant training, it is possible to improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, increase strength blood vessels, help vestibular apparatus, clean the alveoli of the lungs and so on. All this in itself can save a person from some physical illness, and in comparison with this miracle, the treatment of drug addiction with the help of sports will seem unimportant, very simple. But the sport never ceases to amaze. He is even able to put paralyzed people on their feet, by stimulating both the body and the spirit!

For a person, the physical and mental health gives you the opportunity to achieve something in life. A mentally and physically healthy person is in demand by society. He feels like a full member of it. But all aspects of health are needed only in the aggregate. With physical disabilities, but with complete psychological health, a person can maintain his usefulness and integrity. If mental health is impaired, then even complete absence physical handicaps cannot turn him into a full-fledged person.

A person's health generally determines his place in life. affects his fate. The harmony of mental and physical health allows me to say about myself that I am healthy, that I am a full member of society, that I can do a lot.

physical health

Speaking of physical health, it is understood that a person does not have any physical defects, diseases. A healthy person, and we are talking about the physical side of the issue, you can immediately recognize. This is a straight posture, and gait, and gestures. On his face you will not find a grimace of pain, despair. How can you support your physical health?

Of course, a lot depends on genetics. Also, according to statistics, our physical health is affected by environment, ecological situation, medical support, Lifestyle. Even the strong physical health given by nature must be preserved and carried through life.

Yes, we are not able to change our genes. But we are able to protect our body from disease. Regular medical examinations help identify emerging problems. And it is easier to eliminate any health problem if you do not start it. It is very important to preserve what nature has given. Not to destroy, but to preserve. And if possible, then strengthen it.

So, first of all, you need to pay attention to strengthening your body. For this, sports and physical education are the best suited. It is impossible to maintain physical and psychological health without physical activity. You don't have to go in for sports professionally to keep fit. Enough regular exercise, games on fresh air, walking, charging. Physical activity is essential at any age.

Don't harm yourself with bad habits. Smoking, drugs, alcohol - all this destroys us from the inside. Contributes to the development of various diseases. Causes premature aging. Here you can add the abuse of watching TV, hobbies for computer games.

Our diet and lifestyle is also important. It is necessary to alternate periods of activity, sleep, rest. Be sure to have a clear schedule of the day. It must have time for good sleep, not less than 8 hours. Otherwise, the human body does not rest and does not have time to restore strength. This, in turn, provokes the development of diseases, both physical and mental, and therefore they say that from healthy sleep affects not only physical but also mental health. Lack of sleep lowers the immune system. And even a minimal cold can throw you into bed. Watch your food too. Do not use harmful products. Remember that the basis of our nutrition should be healthy food. And these are cereals, meat, vegetables, fish, fruits. Sweet, starchy, smoked, salty, with unlimited and constant use, they will not add strength and health to you. We each have our own recipes. proper nutrition. By choosing your own from a variety of nutrition systems, adhering to it, you rid your body of the dangers of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and others.

To these components it remains to add a positive emotional attitude and personal hygiene. Be sure to keep an eye on your appearance, clothes. Of course, this is not included in the concept of physical health, but it greatly affects the mental health perception of oneself as a whole.

mental health

Physical and our mental health are closely linked. If you are not used to paying due attention to your physical health, then against this background you may experience various diseases, Problems. Mental health is declining. And vice versa. Many diseases. For example, ulcers depend on our mental state. If you do not feel calm, confident, then stress arises. And on his soil and disease.

So, who can be considered a mentally healthy person. So, the one who feels the strength to create and implement his plans, the one who is not afraid to look to the future, who calmly communicates with people, while receiving feedback from communication, the one who considers himself happy is a mentally healthy person. . But do not attribute to the sick those who are slightly different from you. Everyone has their strengths and weak sides psyche. We are all individuals. Physical and mental health cannot be measured in the same way. We have an individual trait and measure of happiness. What for one will have a detrimental effect on a person, for another will become an incentive for development.

We experience the most stress during adolescence. This may also include puberty, and graduation, there are many other stresses associated with graduation. So, after graduating from school, we are forced to take final exams. Next, introductory. Especially many mental disorders occur in young people during this period of life. Young men suffer the most. In girls, this period is less traumatic. But already at the age of 25-30, it is they who begin to develop many stressful situations. This is the beginning of an independent life, and the birth of a child, and a change in occupation, and responsibility for children and families.

Man does not live alone. He is surrounded by society. And his condition depends on his environment, family, work, colleagues, relatives. Family and loved ones should be of great support. Since it is important for us to know about care, to provide it ourselves. Not stable relationships, not attention, not care, give us reasons for the development of stress. And he, shaking the psyche, leads to breakdowns. In order for a person to have the strength to resist circumstances, to change the situation in better side He needs support and attention. Thus, the family and loved ones should support and show love to all their members. Difficult relationships with a spouse, delaying a showdown, postponing various unpleasant but necessary conversations for later, all this creates nervous tension, and it affects both physical and psychological health. Do not create such situations for yourself. In such situations, you need to share your emotions, experiences. If you can not understand, then seek help from a doctor.

Stressful situations also arise outside the family. Stressful work, irregular schedules, business trips, money problems, and much more puts us under stress. We try to remove it by smoking, alcohol, drugs. But this path leads to death. Relieving stress should not pernicious influence on health. Our physical and mental health will be supported by a change of activity. From work to leisure, hobbies, exercise. To release negative energy, it is useful to walk, talk with friends and relatives.

The setting is also very important. So, do not neglect holidays. They give the body the opportunity to unload itself from stress. Your weekends are such small holidays. Try to manage your work week. It unloads the body very well, gives relaxation to a change of activity. So, if you always sit, then walks and outdoor activities will be useful for you.

Even housewives are subject to stress from constancy and monotony. So, if you have the opportunity to leave the children and take a walk with your friends, use it. And a joint holiday with your spouse strengthens your faith in yourself and gives you strength.

If neither a change of activity, nor activity, nor rest helps, then you should contact a specialist. It will help to consider the problem in time and find ways to solve it. But you need to trust yourself in the hands of someone you trust. Because you will have to talk about many aspects of your life. This is not easy to say even to close friends. So when choosing a specialist, collect recommendations, listen to the opinions of patients, reviews. You should not feel embarrassed in front of a doctor. If it occurs, then look for another doctor.

Sincere conversations with friends can become a kind of mental and emotional unloading. Sometimes opinion stranger or his view from the outside clarify a picture that is incomprehensible to us. They put everything in its place. Talk, laugh, discuss the problem.

By maintaining your mental health, you help to strengthen your physical health and, conversely, by maintaining your physical health, you also maintain mental health. So, everything in our life is connected. And if such a connection is shaken or destroyed, then the foundation will not stand, that is, our personality.

At happy people there is one wonderful habit - to maintain physical health in order. Tal Ben-Shahar has been studying the topic of happiness for more than 10 years and in his book “What You Choose” talks about the problems and obstacles that each of us faces. In this article, you will learn what choices you should make to keep your physical and mental health in order.

Maintain physical activity

Remember the cartoon "Wall-E"? This is a story about the near future of mankind, when the need to move has completely disappeared. As a result, people got fat, their muscles atrophied, and they could not move, they spent their days lying in chairs and staring thoughtlessly at monitor screens. Unfortunately, over the past few decades, this fantastic scenario has become more and more real. Today, we can afford to be lazy. We no longer need to cut trees to warm our cave. We no longer need to hunt mammoths to cook dinner, or run away from a lion so as not to turn it into dinner ourselves. We no longer need to cut trees to warm our cave.

But it is in our nature to need physical activity, just as proper food and oxygen. You need to increase your activity and encourage others to do the same. To get the effect, it is not necessary to radically change your lifestyle. Even small changes in your Everyday life. Choose a parking spot a block away from the office, don't use the elevator, have a gym session in between work. Light effort adds up and promotes physical and mental health.

Listen to your body

For developed countries, food is available and cheap. We are even regularly seduced junk food. We eat more food than our body needs. In most cases, our food is not healthy. All this leads to the fact that obesity is as common as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. To live a long, healthy and fulfilling life, think about the quantity and quality of the food you eat.

The Blue Zone is a term for areas around the world where people live long and healthy lives into old age. It is in the "blue zones" that there are maximum number centenarians, while people not only live to be 100 years old, but also lead active image life.

Scientists have explored the Blue Zones to identify the key factors that affect longevity and apply them to everyone's life. Found that the main factor is nutrition. No tricks: better natural than cooked; more fruits, vegetables and nuts and so on. But not only the quality of food is important, but also its quantity. For example, in Okinawa, people say: "Eat, but do not eat." This phrase, said every day before meals, reminds them of the dangers of overeating. Eating habits centenarians are characterized by moderation. Practice moderation and you will be able to enjoy food and its abundance for many, many years to come.

Breathe deeply and slowly

Under conditions of constant stress, our breathing becomes shallow. Conversely, shallow breathing leads to stress. To get out of this vicious circle, you can take three or four deep breaths. Deep breathing and calmness are interconnected and easy to use throughout the day - waking up in the morning, on the way to work, talking on the phone, before going to bed, standing at a traffic light or reading a book.

Three Deep Breaths Technique

This technique literally works wonders. Take your first belly breath, slow and deep. Expand your belly and focus on your presence here and now. Exhale and take a second deep breath belly. This time focus on your goal - be it a one day goal or a lifetime goal. During the third breath, experience gratitude - think about close person or about the success you've had recently. The physiological impact of deep breathing, combined with focusing on the positive things in life, is a powerful practice that can change how you feel. This method is effective in helping to calm down and feel joy - just practice it several times a day.

This normal functioning organs of the body and the whole organism as. However, a person usually does not experience physical pain, but feels a surge of strength for normal full life and performing daily duties. Usually for physical health we go to the hospital. There, the doctor prescribes procedures or medicines that affect the human body as a physical and chemical entity. Those. in this case, there is an impact on the human body, as on a physical mechanism.

mental health It is expressed in the fact that the human psyche is a harmonious combination of all its parts and manifestations. Usually, mental health is expressed in the fact that a person is satisfied with everything in life, he is not often tormented by negative ones, he has a good relationship with oneself and with people and the normal background is joy and relaxation. Unfortunately, completely mentally healthy people practically none, because we are all tormented by one or another, we are often at odds with ourselves and with others. Mental ill health manifests itself in frequent negative: anger, fear, sadness, resentment, and others. It also manifests itself in tensions in the body and general condition life dissatisfaction. Each of us has some level of manifestation of these signs of ill health. If a person has a severe mental illness that prevents him from living a normal life, then he goes to a psychologist or psychotherapist.

It is generally accepted that these two types of health are not related to each other. And with any physical ailment, people turn to a doctor, and with a mental one - to a psychologist. However, not everything is so simple here. In fact, the body and mind are closely related. If something hurts you, then it is unlikely that you will feel joy and relaxation. If you are depressed, then your body reacts to this in a certain state, which is different from the state of a physically healthy person. These can be changes in pressure, blood sugar levels and other indicators. I gave these as an example, because. I am not a doctor myself. However, scientists have long proven that the mental state affects physical indicators body.
If some negative mental state is your frequent companion, then the corresponding configuration of body indicators will also be frequent. This can lead to overload of the organs and their failure. For example, people who get angry often tend to have liver problems. Because of frequent state increased fear and anxiety arterial pressure. There are many such connections between the body and the mental state of a person.

What follows from all this? And the fact that in the treatment of the body it is not enough only physical treatment at the doctor's. Often the symptoms return after treatment, because. the psychological factor that led to disease. For example, in a person high blood pressure, caused by constant fear about the loss of their property. This constant fear is a consequence of a person's great attachment to his property, which is the result of some kind of psychological complexes. As a result of constant high blood pressure, the work of the heart was disrupted. The man is walking to the hospital complaining of heart pain and high blood pressure. The doctor prescribes him medications that reduce blood pressure and affect the functioning of the heart. A person accepts them, gets temporary relief, but since. fear remains, then the pressure again rises and this again puts the heart out of action. In this case, it is necessary to contact a psychologist to eliminate psychological complexes that lead to the appearance of fear for one's property. Having solved this issue, it is already possible to use medicines to restore the work of the heart. Now the cause has been eliminated and the disease will recede.

It doesn't say that everything physical illness have psychological roots. Human health is influenced by many factors: heredity, ecology, physical impact external environment and psychological factors. The human psyche has a huge impact on physical health and it is simply impossible not to take this into account. Diseases caused psychological factors, are called psychosomatic.

But there is another moment of interaction between the body and the psyche. Even if the disease of the body was not caused by psychological factors, then even in this case there are ways to treat this disease through the psyche. There is a so-called placebo effect. This is when a person is treated with complete confidence that a medicine or method will help him. Even if this medicine is a dummy, the body itself produces the substances necessary for the treatment of the disease. According to statistics, about 30% of cures are attributed to the placebo effect.

Preservation, promotion and prevention of mental health has great importance for a healthy lifestyle. Psycho-emotional state is one of the determining factors of our health, which is manifested in the ability to control emotions, think positively, maintain a balance between spiritual and physical development.

In this lesson, we will introduce you to the basics of mental and mental health, consider the features of the psyche of children and adolescents, and also offer several useful advice to maintain mental balance and stress resistance training.

What is mental health

The World Health Organization defines mental health (spiritual or mental, sometimes - mental health, from English. mental health) as follows:

It is a state of well-being in which a person is able to realize their own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and contribute to their community.

This term is quite broad, therefore, several criteria are usually distinguished to determine mental health:

• awareness of the continuity, constancy and identity of one's physical and mental "I";
• a sense of constancy and identity of experiences in situations of the same type;
• criticality to oneself and one's own mental production (activity) and its results;
• compliance of mental reactions (adequacy) with the strength and frequency of environmental influences, social circumstances and situations;
• the ability to self-govern behavior in accordance with social norms, rules, laws;
• the ability to plan one's own life and implement these plans;
• the ability to change the way of behavior depending on the change in life situations and circumstances.

In everyday life, these criteria are manifested in the degree of integration of the individual into society, the harmony of their assistance, balance, spirituality, the inclusion in the system of life values ​​of following the principles of kindness and justice, the desire for self-development. In other words, mentally healthy person adequately assesses reality, shows interest in the world around him, coordinates his behavior and reaction to what is happening with environmental conditions, is capable of introspection and reflection.

In the case when these qualities are not characteristic of a person, one can judge about mental ill health. It manifests itself in the disorientation of the personality, avoidance of responsibility, dependence on bad habits, passivity, increased anxiety, loss of faith in oneself, hostility towards others.

But mental health cannot be approached only formally, because quite often adherence to certain behavioral norms can be determined by a set of factors on the basis of which it is inappropriate to judge mental disorders. Among them - socio-cultural characteristics, customs, traditions and foundations of different societies, features of professional activity.

Mental and psychological health

Distinguish between mental and psychological health. The most generalized about the mental health of a person can be said as a set of mental attitudes that allow you to adequately respond and adapt to the conditions of the environment. This is the correspondence of subjective ideas objective reality, adequate perception of oneself, the ability to think critically and much more. Despite frequent use the term "mental health" as a synonym for mental health, there are differences between them. Psychological health in its definition is a broader concept, it characterizes the personality as a whole, takes into account the characteristics of volitional, motivational, cognitive, emotional activity.

Why is it important to pay attention to your mental health?

Many have probably heard the catchphrase: "All diseases are from the nerves." When a person has a flu or a cold, he takes pills, medicines, undergoes a course of treatment. However, in a state of stress, feelings of anxiety, he does nothing. Business coaches and practicing psychologists note that if company employees working on a busy schedule in constant stress take courses to strengthen stress resistance and get rid of anxiety from time to time, their productivity increases significantly. This has a positive effect not only on work, but also on relations at all levels within the team, and contributes to a healthy atmosphere in the company.

It is known that when people receive appropriate mental health care, they do not often seek medical care generally. For example, in the United States, surveillance of people suffering from anxiety disorders, showed that people who received the help of a psychiatrist began to spend 35% less money on treatment for various diseases than those who did not turn to specialists. There is other evidence that people with unresolved mental health problems visit doctors twice as often as those who receive mental health care.

Excessive anxiety and stress can contribute to the development of certain heart diseases, weaken the strength immune system. Psychological problems also increase the likelihood of wrong behavioral choices, which manifests itself in addiction to smoking and drugs, alcohol abuse. According to unofficial estimates, even in the United States, a country with developed psychiatry, about one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder.

To sum up, or why mental health is important:

1. There is a close relationship between mind and physical condition person. Feelings of anxiety, constant stress and worries can lead to poor health (sleep disturbance, weakening of the immune system).
2. Narcologist, psychiatrist, doctor medical sciences D. Sack notes that people who care about mental health, as a rule, achieve greater success in their careers and earn more.
3. Mental health is very important in terms of communication, especially in the family. It allows you to maintain a healthy atmosphere among loved ones, to properly educate children, giving them the necessary care and a psychological model to follow.
4. Mentally healthy people are less likely to be affected by negative social factors and are less likely to commit illegal acts.
5. In 2012 in " british medical journal» the results of a study were published, according to which average duration the lives of mentally healthy people are higher than those of people with disorders. Moreover, the risk of dying from diseases of cardio-vascular system 94% higher in those who are prone to persistent depression and anxiety and cannot cope with them.

Thus, when a person is free from depression, anxiety, excessive stress and worry, and bad habits, he is able to live fully, fully realized and enjoy.

Prevention and resilience

Pace modern life and the conditions in many areas of employment are such that a person is constantly exposed to stress. If you do not know how to cope with them and level them Negative influence increases the likelihood of depression, feelings of anxiety and anxiety. And they, in turn, are fraught with more serious mental disorders. But how do you determine your mental health status? Unlike Western countries, visits to psychiatrists and psychologists are not so common in our country, and people do not always have the opportunity to visit expensive specialists. Exposure to negative impacts and the ability to cope with them can be determined by a set of some important symptoms. If you are constantly irritated, anxious and sleep poorly, constantly feeling dissatisfied or angry, depending on sudden changes mood, this may indicate a stressful condition and its negative impact on your body. The first thing to do in such a situation is to seek the advice of a specialist doctor. You should also familiarize yourself with some recommendations that contribute to maintaining mental health and balance.

Most of us are familiar with the word resilience from lists. necessary qualities from job advertisements. This requirement implies the ability in stressful situations to concentrate and endure significant intellectual, volitional and emotional stress without harm to oneself and one's activities. We propose to look at this skill in a little more detail in order to determine the aspects necessary for the development of such an important quality. Let us turn to popular methods illustrating this problem.

Dale Carnegie, a renowned writer, psychologist, and educator, in his book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, offers readers the following tips:

1. Your concern should only be directed to the present, as we cannot accurately predict the future or change the past.
2. “Be busy. A person suffering from anxiety must completely forget himself in work, otherwise he will dry up with despair.
3. “Do not allow yourself to be upset over trifles that should be despised and forgotten. Remember that "life is too short to waste it on trifles."
4. “Learn the facts. Ask yourself, "What are the legal chances big numbers that the event I'm worried about will ever happen?"
5. "Consider the inevitable."
6. “Let the past bury its dead. Don't cut sawdust."

Here are some modern ways to prevent mental health and reduce stress:

Method 1

1. Determine the nature of your stress: find the root causes. Try to look at the problem globally. If you do not have enough money, then it is most likely not a small salary, but a job that you do not like. Take time to be alone with yourself and write down everything that worries you in a notebook.

2. Make a plan to reduce the impact of stress on your life. This is necessary to make the fight against stress methodical. Include mandatory rest in your daily routine. Once you identify the sources of stress, try to spend less time on them. For example, if communication with certain people cause stress, keep it to a minimum. Don't overload your schedule with work. Find time for hobbies, socializing with family and friends. Recognize that you can't control everything. There will always be stressful elements around you in life, but their impact can be minimized. By eliminating the causes of stress that depend on you, you can learn to overcome external negative elements.

3. Share your problems with other people. It can be relatives, friends or work colleagues. This way you don't have to deal with your stress alone, and an outside perspective will help you find an effective solution to the problem.

Method 2

1. Eliminate stress, solve anxiety situations immediately. Do not hold grudges against friends and loved ones - immediately openly discuss with them all the controversial points. In the same way, immediately resolve work conflicts and quarrels. If uncertain events and scenarios cause stress, think through them in detail and make a decision as quickly as possible.

2. Avoid socializing with people who cause you stress. If you are dating a person who only hurts and hurts you, it's time to break off such a relationship. If relationships with work colleagues cause stress, keep communication with them to a minimum. In general, spend less time contacting negative people and find friends among positive personalities. They can make your life happier.

3. Minimize the manifestation of stressful situations. If you feel uncomfortable in crowded clubs, you should not go there with friends just for the company. If the commute to work is annoying, listen to light music on the way. Take your time, give yourself enough time to prepare important events(weddings, holidays).

4. Learn to manage stress. In conflict situations, always think before you speak. Remember that other people are also affected by different negative factors, be kinder and more forgiving. It is better to be happy than right, so you need to be able to remain silent at a certain moment and refuse to criticize.

Method 3

1. Get physically active. This will help you be healthier and take control of your life. Swimming relaxes the mind, yoga teaches you to keep your mind under control, team sports promote communication and mutual understanding, hiking trips bring together, temper the spirit, help to be closer to nature.

2. Meditate. Set aside 20 minutes a day for meditation. Relax completely at this time, concentrate on inhaling, clear your mind of restless, negative thoughts.

3. Get a massage. It's great for relaxing after a busy day. You can stretch your neck and shoulders yourself, or you can ask a family member to massage or go to a session with a specialist.

4. Eat right. Meals should be balanced. It is important to get enough energy at breakfast. Worth avoiding overconsumption caffeine, alcohol, if possible, it is better to completely abandon bad habits.

5. Follow a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Most people need at least 7 hours of sleep a day. Don't watch TV before bed, read a good book instead.

If you feel that you are unable to use these tips and cope with the problems in your life on your own, be sure to contact professional help. This will help you avoid possible negative consequences stress.

Coping strategy test

Stress is most often viewed by many people with negative side. But you must understand that stress is natural reaction organism, which helps him to mobilize all his forces in a short period of time (this is connected precisely with the first two stages).

Stress is sometimes considered beneficial. For example, you have probably heard that a person develops when he leaves his comfort zone. This is kind of stressful condition. And existentialists believe that a person reveals himself precisely in borderline situations. We came across this in the search for an answer to the question about the meaning of life in Lesson 6 of our course.

Despite all beneficial features stress, it is very important to be able not to move from the second stage of resistance to the stage of exhaustion. To do this, there are various ways to resist stress, which in psychotherapy are called coping strategies (from the English "cope" - to cope, endure, cope).

Coping strategy- this is an adaptive form of behavior that maintains psychological balance in a problem situation, these are ways, produced consciously and aimed at coping with stressful situations.

To get acquainted with the types of coping strategies, we suggest you take a short test. To do this, click "Next".

This test was created based on methodological development scientists R. Lazarus (R. Lazarus) and S. Folkman (S. Folkman) of 1980 - the questionnaire " Checklist Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC). The test is designed to determine how to overcome difficulties in various areas: difficulties in work, difficulties in learning, difficulties in communication, difficulties in love, etc. Within the framework of this concept, overcoming difficulties is possible with the help of 8 strategies (styles of behavior), which you will learn about after the test.

To correctly interpret the answers, you should follow several rules during the test:

• For the statements described, rate how often these behaviors in difficult life situations appear to you.
• Answer as honestly as possible, only what is true for you, do not try to impress others.
• Test data will be recorded after you answer the last question and see confirmation of the end of the test. If you finish the test before the last question and close the page, no data will be saved.
• The test can be taken any number of times, but remember that only the last one is saved. If you have already taken this test, a sign will be displayed in the left menu.

Mental health of children and adolescents

The psyche of children and adolescents is unstable and in its infancy, so it is very important to try to protect their vulnerable mental health from negative impacts. The transition from late childhood to adolescence accompanied by emotional ups and downs hormonal changes child's body. Many adolescents are unable to cope with this condition on their own, so they need the help of adults.

School psychologists lead educational activities in this direction. Their work includes prevention deviant behavior, preservation, strengthening and development of the psychological health of students through the acquisition of specific knowledge and skills. However, much also depends on the degree of involvement of parents in the process of education, motivation, and the formation of the psycho-emotional state of the child. They should understand that teen depression is not only manifested in bad mood, but can sometimes lead to serious problems: to drug addiction and alcoholism, hatred for oneself and the world around, early pregnancy, violence and even suicide.

It is important to identify mental problems in children in time and protect them from undesirable consequences through participation, advice, and, if necessary, applying for help. qualified help. The following symptoms may indicate the presence of such problems in a teenager: sadness, hopelessness, irritability, anger, hostility, tearfulness, loss of friends, interest in activities, changes in sleep and eating patterns, anxiety, agitation, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, lack of enthusiasm and motivation , fatigue or lack of energy, difficulty concentrating. 100% certificate of mental illness the presence of these symptoms does not give. The best way prevent undesirable consequences - constantly monitor the adolescent and record the manifestations of symptoms, as well as compare his actions with the behavior of peers. The line between "diseases of age" and mental disorder to unprepared parents is often not obvious, therefore, only by paying due attention to children and participating in their lives, one can identify susceptibility to depression.

With many difficulties adolescence You can and should learn how to cope by following some advice from experts:

1. Always take an interest in your child's activities. Be for him not a mentor, but a friend who does not force him to do something, but advises how best to do it.
2. Encourage physical activity, while taking into account the interests of the teenager. It will be useful as attending classes sports section, and walks on a bicycle or with a dog in the park.
3. Promote the social activity of a teenager. See if your child spends enough time interacting with friends and peers “live” rather than through social networks whether he is engaged in extracurricular work, participates in olympiads or competitions. Computer games and aimless Internet surfing should be kept to a minimum.
4. WITH early age children should be taught to healthy lifestyle life, showing negative attitude To bad habits(smoking, alcohol, drugs), best by example.

The issue of the mental health of children and adolescents depends on many factors: upbringing, environment, the scope of the child's activities. By consciously controlling these elements of adolescence, responsible parents can effectively promote normal psychological development their children.

positive thinking

Any situation in life can be regarded differently: someone is critical of everything and notices flaws even in the most pleasant event, while someone, on the contrary, tries to color what is happening in cheerful colors and finds positive in the most difficult situation. The ability to easily and humorously experience all the problems that arise will help you maintain your mental health, protect you from negative impacts stress and anxiety. You will learn to search positive points in any situation, treat what happened as a life lesson, and not as a mistake or bad luck, gain experience and new opportunities from what is happening, and not lose heart and become depressed when obstacles and difficulties arise.

A perfect example of positive thinking person the famous philosopher Socrates, who treated any situation with humor, can serve. It is known that his wife Xanthippe was a terribly quarrelsome woman and once, in a fit of anger, splashed Socrates in the face hot water, after which he was left with a scar. Later, one of the philosopher's students, knowing about the problems in the sage's personal life, asked him a question about whether to get married. The scientist, without thinking for a minute, answered unambiguously: “It is worth it. If you are lucky, you will be happy, and if not, you will become a philosopher.”

1. Avoid negative influences. Learn to say "no" to things that you don't like and that make you uncomfortable. Surround yourself with positive people.
2. Look at things from different angles. Learn to Extract useful experience from any situation and see bright moments in everything.
3. Smile more often. Remember that even smiling for no reason is sure to cheer you up.
4. Make time to do what pleases you, gives you pleasure. Walking, shopping, reading, watching a movie will help keep the mood in a positive way.
5. Find something that motivates you and lifts your spirits. For example, a good quote that you can print out and put in your wallet, or your favorite song, listening to which will make you more fun and easier to walk through life.
6. Set and reach them. Start small and gradually move on to bigger things. It will make your life interesting and meaningful.
7. Don't be afraid of failure. As F. D. Roosevelt said: “The only thing to be afraid of is fear itself.”
8. Do not give up. Perseverance certainly contributes to the achievement of positive results.

Of course, it is impossible to collect in one lesson all the principles and techniques for maintaining a healthy mental state of a person, so we advise you to pay attention to psychology, where you will find a lot of useful and interesting things.

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically proceeds to next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are shuffled.