Psychology Today: 5 Surprising Mental Health Strengths People Wish For

"I asked 9,000 people which character strength they wished for to help with their mental health. In other words, to have better mental well-being.

The question was open for any of the thousands of people to personally interpret. Some people were already mentally strong and picked the strength that would help maintain their mental wellness.

Here are the top five strengths, starting with the fifth highest. Participants chose out of 24 universal strengths found across human beings

5: Forgiveness

People wish they could be more forgiving. This makes perfect sense. The mental burden of holding onto resentment, anger, and hurt feelings can be overwhelming. This means we need to be patient with our forgiveness. We need to make it a practice of letting go, over and over.

• After someone offends you, think about how the offender is a complex human being who needs to experience positive growth and transformation, rather than seeing them as "all bad."

4: Creativity

People want to be more creative. They want to come up with more ideas.

• Develop divergent thinking. This means that when you have a problem, come up with multiple alternate solutions instead of searching for one “correct” solution. After you name a problem, brainstorm a list of ideas for potential solutions.

3: Perseverance

People wish they did not give up so easily. The truth is - it is challenging to be perseverant. When we are trying to reach a goal, life happens: we feel mental fatigue, we feel physical fatigue, we have negative judgments, people trying to stop us, and daily life getting in the way. But, perseverance can overcome those obstacles.

• As you work on a project, pay attention to how you have put forth good focus, effort, and energy with the task/project. Reward yourself when you “try your best,” instead of what most people do, which is to reward yourself when the goal is reached.

2: Bravery

People want to be braver. I hear this and see this – almost constantly, in my work as I interact with people across the globe. It is challenging to be brave enough to move out of one’s comfort zone, challenge the system or the status quo, speak an unpopular opinion, and face your fears.

• As you consider using your bravery strength, focus on the outcome of the courageous act.

1: Self-Regulation

The most significant percentage of people said the main character strength they wished they had more of to help with their mental health is self-regulation. People want more self-control. This takes many forms – to have more control of your feelings, impulses, bad habits, and words.

People want more discipline in their life

• Start a daily self-monitoring log, using your smart-device or computer. Keep track of how you are feeling mentally each day. Track your food and drink intake, your activities, and the people you interact with. Make note of patterns that show up before you feel a certain way."

Read the full article here!

Reflection:

What are some strengths you wish you could have? And what do you think you could do to achieve them?

#MentalHealth #Strengths #EmotionalRegulation