What Is Mental Health? And Why It is More Than You Think

When someone asks about your health, you probably think about your physical wellbeing first.

But what about your mental health?

This invisible aspect of our wellbeing affects every decision you make, every relationship you foster, and every challenge you face.

Despite its crucial role in our lives, mental health is still largely misunderstood.

Mental health encompasses our emotional resilience, ability to cope with stress, capacity for meaningful relationships, and overall sense of purpose and fulfillment in life. Understanding what mental health means and where you stand on the spectrum is key to not just surviving, but thriving.

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Defining Mental Health: It’s More Than You Think

According to the Pan American Health Organization (n.d., para. 1), mental health is “a state of mental wellbeing that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.”

This definition provides only a partial understanding of mental health.

Mental health affects how we think, feel, and act. It influences our ability to handle stress, interact with others, and make healthy choices. It is our capacity to flourish in life, not just the absence of mental illness (Pan American Health Organization, n.d.; Livingston et al., 2022).

Emotional health is the specific part of your mental health that focuses on your ability to understand, manage, and express feelings in a healthy manner.

Think of it this way: Mental health is the big picture of your psychological wellbeing, while emotional health deals specifically with your feelings and how you handle them. But emotional health doesn’t mean creating only positive emotions. Instead, it refers to your ability to experience, process, and communicate emotions in healthy ways.

Being emotionally healthy is about allowing ourselves to experience the full emotional spectrum, which includes joy, anger, grief, and fear, with awareness and compassion.

As we learn to notice, name, and navigate difficult emotions, we build the resilience that sustains both emotional and mental health. As Jill Bolte Taylor (2021, p. 134) reminds us, “We are emotional beings who think, not thinking beings who happen to feel.”

The Mental Health Spectrum: Where Do You Stand?

Understanding mental health on a spectrum from languishing to flourishing (Keyes, 2002) helps us understand that mental health is not binary. You are not simply healthy or ill.

Languishing describes a state of feeling empty, stuck, or lacking purpose while still managing daily responsibilities. People who are languishing often describe feeling like they are “going through the motions” or experiencing a sense of restlessness without clinical depression (Keyes, 2002).

Moderate mental health describes the state of most people most of the time. Most of us manage life’s ups and downs with reasonable success but are not necessarily flourishing (Keyes, 2002).

Flourishing, or mental wellbeing, is at the opposite end of the spectrum of mental health, where individuals experience positive emotions, psychological wellbeing, and effective social functioning. People who flourish feel satisfied, engaged, and motivated to grow and contribute to their communities.

Research reveals that 17.2% of adults flourish, 56.6% experience moderate mental health, 12.1% are languishing, and 14.1% experience major depressive episodes (Keyes, 2002).

Importantly, a person who finds themselves in the state of languishing faces twice the risk of major depression compared to those with moderate mental health and nearly six times greater risk than those who are flourishing (Keyes, 2002).

Mental Health vs. Mental Illness

Here is what many people don’t realize: You can have poor mental health without having a mental illness, and you can have a diagnosed mental condition while still fostering great mental health. This seemingly paradoxical relationship reflects the complexity of mental health and why we still misunderstand the concept.

By understanding the difference between mental health and mental illness, we can break down misconceptions and stigma. Mental illness refers to diagnosable conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Someone might experience periods of stress or low mood or have difficulties coping with daily challenges, thereby having poor mental health, without meeting clinical criteria for a mental disorder.

Conversely, others who are managing a mental health condition with proper treatment and support can experience long-lasting periods of flourishing, meaningful relationships, and life satisfaction.

Breaking Down Mental Health Stigma: Where to Find Support

The stigma around mental health still prevents many from seeking help. More than half of people with mental illness don’t want to receive treatment because they are afraid that they will be treated differently and might even lose their jobs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025).

Mental health bias shows up in three ways (Corrigan & Watson, 2002; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025):

• Public stigma: how others respond to us
• Self-stigma: how we judge ourselves
• Structural stigma: the systems that make getting help harder than it should be

The impact can be significant. Stigma chips away at hope, erodes self-worth, can worsen symptoms, and makes it harder to stay connected at home, in friendships, and at work.

The good news is that it has never been easier to find help. Many workplaces and schools offer peer-to-peer support groups.

Your primary care physician might be the best resource for you if you want to avoid calling and testing different therapists. They might have the right referral for you.

Other resources include breathwork classes, meditation groups, community-centered yoga classes, and mental health classes offered at local libraries. Many public libraries offer access to psychoeducation courses and even quiet mindfulness groups.

Ask a librarian about health and wellness programs, and you might be surprised at what is available in your community for free or at a low cost.

Consider reaching out to mental health professionals when you notice persistent changes in behavior,  mood, sleep, or appetite, or when daily activities become overwhelming.

Your path to mental wellbeing is personal and unique. Even small, steady steps can add up to real change (Pizzie et al., 2020). And when we talk openly, break through stigma, and treat mental health with compassion, we make it safer for everyone to get the care they deserve.

A Vital Take-Home Message

Mental health is the core of your wellbeing, and it is as vital as physical health (World Health Organization, 2025). It is the foundation for your ability to flourish in life, which is why it demands the same attention and care you give your body (Keyes, 2002; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2011).

When you start seeing mental health as a constantly shifting spectrum, not simply as “good or bad,” you will become better at noticing your needs. It also helps you understand when you need to reach out for help, instead of sweeping your concerns under the rug.

If you are struggling right now, understand that asking for support is not a weakness; it is one of the bravest things you can do.

Asking for help means you are self-aware and in touch with what you need. Perhaps you feel stuck and hope to move toward a brighter future, or you are working hard to manage ongoing challenges. No matter what, know that you are not alone.

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