Mind

Mind refers to one’s mental health. Mental health is sometimes interchanged with a person’s emotions but emotions are really just a part of mental health. It also includes the way that you think and those thoughts lead to reactions. 

 

When it comes to thinking, some people have a more negative, realistic, or optimistic perspective. This influences your thinking because it puts a spin on those thoughts. Thoughts create feelings or reactions. If the thought was a negative one, your feeling is more likely to be negative. If you can try to reframe the thought to be more positive, you will have more positive emotions and reactions.

For example, you might see a co-worker walk by and have a dirty look on their face. You might think it is toward you and you would then most likely react coolly toward her the next time you see her or try to avoid her. However, if you change the thought to thinking she is having a bad day at work or got bad news in her personal life, you wouldn’t change your reaction to her except to maybe be slightly cautious when approaching her and even try to smile more in her direction to brighten her moment. 

Another example is thinking that your significant other should be able to read your mind and know what you want. This is an unhelpful thought because it isn’t true – no one can read your mind. More about this in communication (since that’s what is missing!).

Your thoughts can be influenced based on your experiences both past and present. Sometimes past experiences can be clouding your judgment on current situations. This is where a therapist is sometimes beneficial because it’s difficult to sort through the differences and not allow past experiences to hinder our current thoughts, feelings, and communications. 

Sometimes people do have mental health diagnoses which can be referred to as added mental obstacles that hinder their thoughts, feelings, connections, and other aspects of daily living. Some of these diagnoses can be treated with medicine, therapy, or a combination of the two. Left untreated, there can become a variety of complications with their self image and relationships with others.