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Mental Health Meter

Characteristics of Mental Health

Understanding the characteristics that make up good mental health will help you determine how mentally fit you are. Here are some real-life examples:

Ability to enjoy life You’ve just become engaged. You join your friends and family in celebrating the future you are planning with your partner. You realize that life before and after your marriage will bring challenges, but worries about problems that may crop up do not dim the joy you feel.

Resilience Due to changes in the marketplace, you are suddenly laid off from a job you love. You are shocked and angry, but those emotions fade quickly as you put the event in perspective. You gather solid references, revamp your resume and begin your job search. Balance An old friend confronts you, saying you never have time for him. You are taken aback and give excuses of overwork. Then you look at it from their point of view, and realize you have been letting that relationship and other personal interests slide. You make a commitment to restore the balance.

Self-actualization While working full-time at an undemanding job, you take a night course in a field that has always intrigued you. You realize your talents and interests lie with this other area. You consult your teacher for advice and begin pursuing a new career path.

Flexibility The love of your life has walked out. You are devastated and feel like all your plans for the future have been ruined. After grieving for a time, you begin to see that your expectations of the relationship and of your partner were unrealistic. Gradually, you reconsider what you want and expect from a partner.

Take the Mental Health Meter

Now you’re ready to take our Mental Health Meter. Please answer every question below as honestly as you can. Read each statement, indicating whether you “Agree” or “Disagree” with it. Then, click on the “Submit“ button at the end to get your score and your results.

Disclaimer
This is not a scientific test. Information provided is not a substitute for professional advice. If you feel that you may need advice, please consult a qualified health care professional.

Ability To Enjoy Life

Agree

Disagree

I tend to live in the moment and appreciate the “now.”

I often dwell on past experiences and daydream about different outcomes.

I recognize that some things can’t be changed.

My feelings of happiness are often overshadowed by worry about the future.

My home is a comfortable, pleasant place.

I worry a lot about my friends and family.

Your Score Is:

Your enjoyment of life is being diminished by anxiety and worry. Some of your concerns are based on real problems, but many are “what ifs” and “maybes”.

Your Score Is:

Your ability to enjoy life is good to excellent. The higher your score, the stronger your capability to live in the moment and accept that there are some things you cannot predict or change.

Resilience

Agree

Disagree

When life gets tough, I retreat from friends and family.

When I’m under serious stress, I can’t lead a normal life.

I believe that I can learn from difficult times.

After an emotional upheaval, it makes me feel guilty to feel happy.

I exercise regularly and eat right, even when life gets busy or stressful.

I have a great support network.

Your Score Is:

Your resilience may be too low. You isolate yourself during tough times, and the lack of support and other perspectives mean you tend to stay focused on the negative.

Your Score Is:

Your resilience is good to excellent. The higher your score, the more strongly you feel that even though life can be full of tough times, it’s important to keep your perspective.

Balance

Agree

Disagree

There aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I want to do.

I always make time for my hobbies.

My friends often complain that they never see me.

If life is a juggling act, then I think I’m a pretty good juggler.

I practice a relaxation technique regularly.

Focusing on work will get me where I want to be.

Your Score Is:

Your life is out of balance. Whether it’s work, family or personal interests, one or more aspects of your life are being neglected.

Your Score Is:

Your life has a fair to good degree of balance. The higher your score, the stronger your realization that there are many facets to your life that are important to you and deserving of your interest and attention.

Self-actualization

Agree

Disagree

Compliments make me uncomfortable.

I have good self-esteem.

When people say I have positive qualities, I have trouble believing what they are saying.

I know what my strengths are and I work to develop them.

I feel I am reaching my potential.

Taking chances is risky, but it’s worth the risk.

Your Score Is:

You are lacking in self-esteem. You tend not to trust other people’s good opinions of your abilities and talents, nor do you feel that you could truly make more of your life.

Your Score Is:

You have a good to high degree of self-actualization. The higher your score, the more you are able to value your own unique strengths and potential, and work to develop them to enhance your life.

Flexibility

Agree

Disagree

I don’t always know what to expect from people

My problems are usually caused by other people.

Life is smoother when I keep my emotions level at all times.

I accept things the way they are, even if I don’t like them.

I’m often frustrated when other people don’t share my point of view.

I cope well with change.

Your Score Is:

You are not as flexible as you could be in your opinions or expectations. This rigidity can create a strong sense of frustration.

Your Score Is:

You have a fair to good level of flexibility. The higher your score, the stronger your belief that change is a fact of life, and that seeing things from other points of view helps you adapt to change and make the most of your life and the people in it.