Somebody once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Optimal mental health, then, may include adapting your approach if you don't get the result you want. (NOTE: Seek help if you need it - this is just a general discussion of how to stay mentally healthy.)
There is a problem solving technique that involves finding all the ways to cause a problem in order to solve it. Here then is a list of ways to become insane, so we can see what we can learn about mental health.
To Become Insane...
Leave a hundred decisions unmade, hanging there in your mind.
Try to fit way too much into your days.
Take on too many unnecessary responsibilities.
Damage your brain with too many drugs and alcohol.
Isolate yourself from the world.
Dwell on the horrible aspects of your life or of the world.
Eat poorly and stay up all night.
Refuse to accept the things you cannot change.
Hang onto the past too tightly.
Let fear make your important decisions for you.
Good mental health is very much a natural state. Sometimes we lose that and feel like we're "going crazy." We want to "do something" about it, but looking at ways to become insane shows us that unlike other goals, optimal mental health is not so much about doing things right - it's more about not doing the wrong things.
Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at
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