Why Mental Wellness Is Essential for Modern Personal Development

When our mental health is not at its bests achieving success in all other areas of our lives is much more difficult.  

People tend to thrive when they set aside time to care for themselves. Consider for a moment the extent to which modern society is smarting from the effects of burnout. Though we may try, overcoming the effects of burnout after it has occurred in our lives often proves to be an unsuccessful strategy.  

We have a much better chance of living happier, more fulfilling lives if we make a daily and deliberate effort to optimize our mental health–before we find ourselves struggling to overcome mountains of frustrations.  

Today, people are adopting personal development plans to help them overcome the effects of burnout and keep their lives moving in a positive direction. In other words, we’re prioritizing our mental health as well as our physical health.  

When our personal development plan includes strategies to enhance our mental wellness, we’re more successful at preventing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression from escalating. As a result, we experience a boost in our mood and sense of well-being, improving our personal performance, relationships, and physical health.

To understand how mental wellness came to play such an essential role in personal development, we need to look at how personal development has evolved over the past few years.

The Growing Popularity of Personal Development

Since being forced to endure the isolation and loneliness of “sheltering in place” during the pandemic, society has developed a renewed interest in finding answers within themselves–in other words, COVID has taught us to become more self-reliant. 

Self-Reliance is a trend that has fueled society’s interest in personal development–defined as any effort to accelerate our potential and make us more effective in daily life. COVID re-ignited society’s interest in personal development, which sent the industry on a trajectory to reach a value of $40 billion in 2021–the year the pandemic was beginning to wane.

Benefits of Adopting a Personal Development Plan

It is a widely accepted belief that what we think about is what we become. From the moment we open our eyes to the moment we go to sleep, our daily experiences shape our behavioral patterns. Personal development is a strategy that allows us to take greater control over these experiences and keep us focused on the type of person we want to become rather than leaving that outcome to chance.  

A personal development plan might include the goal to stop procrastinating–a laudable goal that is easier said than done. A person with this goal might commit 30 minutes each day to work only on tasks they’ve been avoiding–perhaps updating their professional resume even though they’re not actively looking for a job.

The benefit? A fully updated resume that’s ready to submit once an exciting new career opportunity reveals itself. The alternative would be needing to hastily update a resume in time to beat a submission deadline–not the best mindset when writing a resume.

In his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Dr. Stephen Covey might refer to these personal development activities as Important; Not Urgent tasks. The more time we spend focusing on these activities as part of our personal development plan, the more fulfilling our lives will be.

Society embraces personal growth more widely, and mental health issues have shed the stigma and shame so closely associated with the terms. Mental wellness can now become increasingly prominent in modern personal development plans.

The Increasing Role of Mental Wellness in Modern Personal Development

It is estimated that 9 out of 10 adults in America are experiencing a mental health crisis which may explain our renewed interest in mental wellness. People often adopt a personal development plan because they want a healthy mindset. And why not? The state of our mind is linked to every action we take in our daily lives, including how we behave and how well we get along with others. The strength of our mindset also determines how we handle the stress and frustration of our harried lifestyles.

However, mental health professionals have gone further recently in their efforts to promote mental wellness, encouraging people to reframe and redefine their definitions of these terms. Mental health shouldn’t be defined as merely the absence of mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety. Mental health today should mean the ability to joyfully connect with others and feel engaged rather than remaining isolated.

People who are proactive about improving their mental health are more emotionally resilient and constantly develop the tools to cope with stressful circumstances. Essentially, they’re adept at maintaining a positive outlook despite life’s difficulties.  

How to Include Mental Wellness in Your Personal Development Plan

Here are a few recommended strategies that might be included in a personal development plan tailored to enhancing one’s mental wellness:

• Stay connected: Commit to regularly reaching out to friends and loved ones. Doing so can significantly boost your emotional support.
• Prioritize enough sleep: 1 in 3 adults reportedly don’t get enough sleep. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to negative thinking and emotional instability.  Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
• Calm your mind: Set aside 15 minutes each day for reflective meditation. Doing so can improve the state of your mind and allow you to build a more positive outlook on your life.   
• Exercise routinely: Remember, people who exercise consistently often do so because it significantly enhances their sense of mental well-being.

Conclusion

Above all else, staying informed on mental health and wellness is essential. There are numerous resources online dedicated to personal growth and mental wellness.  When well informed, you are more likely to make better personal development decisions; just be mindful of selecting the best sources. You can be assured of receiving up-to-date, accurate information by subscribing to blogs and newsletters that focus on maximizing your potential.  

May is Mental Health Awareness month. It presents the perfect opportunity to learn from each other and discover new ways to optimize our mental wellness as part of our personal growth.