Nickolas Hughes

Opinion Editor

When I think of mental wellness there is always one thing that I reference. That being the seven dimensions of wellness. The seven dimensions of wellness are this, physical, emotional, social, environmental, occupational, spiritual, and intellectual. With this column, I hope to express how someone can be mentally well. I will also be inviting other writers to contribute to the column and I hope that it will help somebody when they need it.

In my situation, I have a lot that threatens to break down my mental wellness, but I have come up with ways to combat those threats. What you need to remember is that you will have bad days, and they will be hard. What can you do with that information though? Why bother acknowledging something bad? This is because it is universal. Everyone has a bad day every now and then. Some of us have consecutive bad days that we would rather not have.

It is what we do with those days that determine our outlook. Sure, you can take the bad day and make it into a thing that weighs you down. That is one option, or you can turn that bad experience into something positive. It does not sound feasible during the bad day, but I urge you to give it some thought.

Take this, for example, I had a bad day last Wednesday. I had a total of six panic attacks that day. Yet, here I am typing up this article and using the experience as a booster to my confidence. Let me explain how I do that. The six panic attacks were a dreadful experience, but I had the wherewithal to seek help at the counseling center here at Millersville. I got through it and while I did not have a great rest of the day, the thought that I could get through it bolstered my confidence the next day.

You must look at negative experiences with a different lens after the fact. Look at how you handled the situations you were placed in. Do not look back and wish things went differently. The past is the past and it should stay that way. Think about what you can do better the next time you are put in that kind of situation.

For example, let us say I had a situation where I wanted to talk to someone about a serious topic, but I yelled and screamed at them about it. I let my emotions get the better of me and I felt horrible after, but I was not able to apologize. Looking back, I can take that I should have excused myself and left the situation at the time. I can also take the thought that I need to monitor my breathing into account. To just calm down does wonders for you when you become angry.

Still wanting to talk about the topic I can open my next conversation with the other person with an apology. That might not always work and I believe that the only way an apology means something is if the apology is genuine. If you are not apologetic, why are you apologizing? It is thoughts like these that you should think.

Also, when you have bad days, you might want to be alone all day and not interact with anyone. This is detrimental in my opinion. I am of the thought that if you are with people that care about you, you can shrug off the bad day completely. Like the option above, this might not always work. You should try though. Isolation is a way to more bad days and strained relationships. On the flip side of that, you should take time if you need it. Just learn to take time in moderation. Humans are social creatures after all.

With that, I am going to close with this. Do you, and treat yourself like a person. I know it sounds cliché, but it is the truth. You are human and you can make mistakes. It does not mean you are less of a person. Remember, stay happy, Millersville,