Learn how to invest in your mental health bank through personalized activities, sense of accomplishment, aligning investments with values, and mindful management of habits. Discover the concept of saving events in your mind to improve your mental well-being, with a breakup example and the importance of recalling positive memories.
Assess your life for behaviors and activities that have positive effects (assets) and those that cause stress (liabilities) to maintain a balance and avoid living in a psychological deficit.
Make daily deposits into your mental health bank by engaging in personalized pleasure activities and accomplishing progress activities for personal growth, aiming to accumulate positive experiences each day.
Deep dives
Taking Inventory of Assets and Debts
To improve your mental health, it's important to take an inventory of your assets and debts. Assess your life for behaviors and activities that have positive effects (assets) and those that cause stress (liabilities). This assessment includes both internal and external factors. It's about maintaining a balance and ensuring you're not living in a psychological deficit.
Daily Deposits for Mental Health
In order to improve your mental health, it's crucial to make daily deposits into your mental health bank. These deposits can be divided into two categories: pleasure and progress. Pleasure activities should be enjoyable and highly personalized, such as watching favorite TV shows or engaging in hobbies. Progress activities involve accomplishing tasks that contribute to personal growth and confidence building. The goal is to accumulate as many positive experiences as possible each day, regardless of their size or significance.
Investments and Mindful Management
To ensure ongoing positive mental health, it's important to make investments that align with your values. These can include activities related to spirituality, relationships, or personal goals. Additionally, it's crucial to mindfully manage your mental health bank by monitoring for red flags and setting alerts. This includes being aware of negative relationships, managing sleep, and engaging in regular exercise. Taking time to consciously acknowledge and appreciate positive experiences can also help build resilience and emotional well-being.
Just like your bank account, your mental health fluctuates depending on what you put into it--and what you take out. In this episode of Savvy Psychologist, Dr. Monica Johnson will teach you how to invest in your personal mental health bank.
Savvy Psychologist is hosted by Dr. Monica Johnson. A transcript is available at Simplecast.