Foundations of Mental Health and Everyday Wellness

Mental health

A state of emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing that helps a person cope with stresses, use their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.

Mental distress

A normal, usually temporary emotional or mental reaction to stress or difficult events. It can feel intense but typically improves as the situation changes or the person adapts.

Mental disorder (mental illness)

A diagnosable condition involving patterns of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that last for a significant time and cause serious problems in daily life, based on criteria in manuals like DSM-5-TR or ICD-11.

Biopsychosocial model

A way of understanding mental health that includes biological (body and brain), psychological (mind and emotions), and social (environment and relationships) factors and how they interact.

Mental health continuum

The idea that mental health ranges from flourishing to struggling or crisis, and that people can move along this range over time rather than being simply 'healthy' or 'ill'.

Flourishing

A state of strong mental wellbeing where a person feels mostly positive, functions well in daily life, and experiences a sense of meaning and connection.

Amygdala

An almond-shaped brain region deep in the brain that helps detect threats and triggers emotional responses, especially fear and anxiety.

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

The front part of the brain behind the forehead involved in planning, decision-making, impulse control, and regulating emotions.

Hippocampus

A brain region important for forming new memories and understanding the context (where/when) of events; it helps distinguish past danger from present safety.

Fight–Flight–Freeze Response

The body’s automatic stress reaction to perceived threat, controlled by the sympathetic nervous system and stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

Chronic Stress

Stress that continues over a long period without enough recovery time, which can change how the brain works and cause physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

The part of the nervous system that controls automatic body functions (heart rate, digestion, breathing), including the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches.

Stress

The body and mind’s response to a demand or challenge (the stressor). It can be helpful or harmful depending on intensity and duration.

Stressor

Any event or situation that causes stress, such as exams, conflicts, big changes, or ongoing pressure.

Acute Stress

Short‑term stress that comes and goes, like feeling nervous before a performance and then calming down afterward.

Chronic Stress

Long‑term, repeated stress that continues for weeks or months, often linked to health and mental health problems if not managed.

Yerkes–Dodson Idea

The concept that a moderate level of stress can improve performance, but too little or too much stress can reduce performance.

Burnout

A state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by long‑term stress, often in school or work settings, leading to reduced motivation and effectiveness.

Thought

A sentence, image, or story in your mind. Often can be put into words like: “I’m going to fail” or “They don’t like me.” Thoughts are not the same as facts.

Emotion / Feeling

Your body and brain’s response to events or thoughts. Usually described with one word (sad, angry, anxious, proud) and felt as body sensations (tight chest, heavy shoulders).

Behavior

Anything you do that could be seen or heard by someone else, such as walking away, texting, yelling, studying, or shutting down.

Coping Strategy

Any action you take to handle stress or difficult emotions. Can be healthy (exercise, grounding, problem-solving) or unhealthy (avoidance, aggression, substance misuse).

Healthy Coping

Ways of dealing with emotions that reduce stress without causing bigger problems later, such as deep breathing, talking to someone, or breaking tasks into small steps.

Unhealthy Coping

Ways of dealing with emotions that feel good short-term but usually create more problems, such as constant avoidance, self-harm, or using substances to escape feelings.

Mental health condition

A pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that is intense, long‑lasting, and interferes with daily life (e.g., anxiety disorders, depressive disorders). It is a health issue, not a personal failure.

Anxiety (everyday vs. disorder)

Everyday anxiety is short‑term worry or fear that matches a situation and can help you prepare. An anxiety disorder involves excessive, hard‑to‑control fear or worry that lasts for months and limits daily life.

Depression

A mental health condition where someone has a low or empty mood and/or loss of interest in activities most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, along with other symptoms like fatigue, sleep changes, or hopelessness.

Anhedonia

A key symptom of depression: losing interest or pleasure in activities that used to feel enjoyable.

Warning signs

Changes in mood, thoughts, behavior, or physical health that suggest someone may need professional support—such as lasting hopelessness, self‑harm, suicidal thoughts, major sleep/appetite changes, or withdrawing from life.

Intensity, Duration, Impact

Three ways to tell normal feelings from possible mental health conditions: how strong the feelings are, how long they last, and how much they interfere with daily life.

Stigma

Negative beliefs, labels, and attitudes about a group of people (for example, people with mental health conditions).

Discrimination

Unfair actions or treatment toward someone based on stigma, such as excluding, limiting opportunities, or treating them differently.

Self-stigma

When a person starts to believe negative stereotypes about themselves because of their mental health condition.

Person-first language

A way of speaking that puts the person before their condition, such as “a person with depression” instead of “a depressed person.”

Mental health literacy

Understanding basic facts about mental health, including signs of problems, myths vs. facts, and how and where to seek help.

Supportive response

A way of reacting that shows care, listens without judgment, and encourages someone to get appropriate help.

Sleep hygiene

Everyday habits and environmental factors (like light, screens, timing, and wind‑down routines) that make it easier for your body and brain to get good‑quality sleep.

Body clock (circadian rhythm)

Your internal 24‑hour timing system that helps control when you feel sleepy or awake, and affects hormones, mood, and body temperature.

Chronic sleep loss

Regularly getting less sleep than your body needs over weeks or months, which can affect mood, attention, and physical health.

Endorphins

Natural chemicals released by the body during activities like exercise that can reduce pain and improve mood.

Support network

The group of people (friends, family, adults, professionals) you can turn to for emotional support, advice, or practical help.

Hydration

Having enough fluid in the body for it to function well; important for energy, concentration, and physical health.

Digital wellbeing

How your use of technology (social media, gaming, screens) affects your mental, emotional, and physical health—and the choices you make to keep it healthy.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Anxious feeling that others are having rewarding experiences without you, often triggered by seeing posts, stories, or chats about events you’re not part of.

Blue light

High-energy light emitted by screens that can reduce melatonin and signal your brain to stay awake, especially when used close to bedtime.

Mindful tech use

Using technology with awareness and intention—knowing why you’re using it, how it makes you feel, and stopping when it no longer serves you.

Doomscrolling

Continuously scrolling through negative or upsetting content (often news or drama), even though it makes you feel worse.

Digital boundaries

Limits you set around when, where, and how you use technology to protect your sleep, mood, and relationships.

Support system

The network of people and services (friends, family, school staff, professionals, crisis lines) you can turn to for emotional, practical, or safety help.

Informal support

Help from people in your everyday life, like friends and family, who listen, care, and encourage you but are not acting as trained professionals.

Formal support

Help from trained adults and services (counselors, therapists, doctors, school staff, crisis lines) who can assess, treat, and plan for your mental health and safety.

Warning signs

Changes in mood, thoughts, or behavior (often lasting more than two weeks) that suggest it is important to seek help, such as ongoing sadness, anxiety, or loss of interest.

Red flags

Serious signs that need **immediate** attention, such as suicidal thoughts, self-harm, feeling unsafe, or using substances to cope.

Therapy

A structured, usually confidential conversation with a trained professional who helps you understand your thoughts and feelings and build coping skills.

Resilience

Your ability to adapt, cope, and recover from difficulties or stress. It includes struggling *and* finding ways to keep going, learn, and use support.

Early warning signs

Body, thought, feeling, or behaviour changes that show your stress or mood is getting worse before it becomes a crisis.

Coping strategies

Healthy actions or habits you use to manage stress and difficult emotions, such as breathing exercises, talking to someone, or limiting unhelpful screen time.

Support network

The group of people and services you can turn to for help, including friends, family, school staff, professionals, and crisis resources.

Wellness and safety plan

A short written plan that lists your strengths, early warning signs, coping tools, and support options, including steps to stay safe during a crisis.