8 Important Mental Health Questions to Ask Yourself

Mental health is a state of social, psychological, and emotional well-being and not solely the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. Mental health is very important in every stage of our life because it defines how we act, feel and understand.

Mental health eases people to recognize their abilities, handle stresses peacefully, accomplish productive and fruitful work and serve their community. One must question oneself with mental health questions to know better about them.

A report says that 19% of adults, 46% of teenagers, and 13% of children are affected by mental illness each year. Shockingly, 70% of affected people don’t receive treatment from doctors. Those who don’t treat their mental illness would have poor performance at work, prolonged stress and depression, and be at risk of suicide. 

Mental health questions give a detailed description of your mental state, make you reflect on your well-being, and provoke you to seek out professional help if necessary. Analyze your state of mind by answering these mental health questions:

8 Mental Health Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Do I Get Quality Sleep Time with Regular Bedtimes and Getting Up Times?

A good night’s sleep is absolutely important for the maintenance of your health. Sleep is as necessary as treating your muscles and following a balanced diet. It is one of the mental health questions to ask yourself, as sleep is the first activity that gets disturbed when one is affected by mental illness. In general, an individual needs 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Fewer hours of sleep can lead to a high risk of heart disease, weight gain, and stroke. 

Here are some of the ways to nod off to your dreamland quickly:

• First, don’t nap during the daytime. 
• Design a dark and restful atmosphere with a regular sleep schedule. 
• Get exposed to sunlight and treat your muscles with exercise. 
• Take a bedtime bath with hot water. 
• Practice a bedtime habit like reading a book or listening to music. 
• Drink warm milk with honey. 

2. Do I have difficulty Concentrating? 

Concentration is the ability to focus and keep attention on the work that you do. A mentally affected person may notice himself/herself struggling to concentrate and pay attention to the task at hand, resulting in poor performance.

It is one of the mental health questions to ask yourself as it determines your capacity of knowledge grasping and sustaining attention. Lack of concentration may lead to loss of consciousness and make you unaware of what is happening around you. 

Improving your sleep time and following a balanced diet can increase your ability to concentrate. Stick to a stress-reducing habit like book reading, listening to melodies, or journal writing. Try critical thinking techniques and solving puzzles like sudoku, crossword, and jigsaw to enhance your concentration capability. Practice meditation, yoga¹, and deep breathing exercises resulting in improved focus and attention. 

3. How do I Feel Most of the Time? Jovial? Worried? Please? Downhearted?

An individual probably experiences an extensive variety of emotions every day. It is one of the mental health questions to ask yourself that undertakes a deep analysis of your feelings and emotions and makes you know about your own “self.”

Handling your emotions and feelings would uniquely define who you are. Moreover, people may experience happiness and sadness at the same time. These mixed emotions invoke a happy-sad state, especially during bittersweet moments. 

Adhere to some of these approaches to feel better:

• Try doodling and writing journals. 
• Get some cool and fresh air from nature.
• Learn to play an instrument. 
• Talk with someone who makes you feel better. 
• Be funny and make others laugh out loud. 
• Look for volunteering activities as it makes you realize the true meaning and purpose of life. 

Spend some time for yourself in analyzing your present state of mind. Then, try questioning others to make them realize their mental state.  

4. When was the Last Time I Felt Truly Happy?

Do you laugh once in a blue moon? Or is it the previous day? It is one of the mental health questions which seems simple to hear, but it makes you realize your life’s happy moments. A cheerful mind heads towards a happy life. Happiness is the top boost to make you do your best.

Happiness comes not just by earning precious items, but it is something that comes from your family’s Sunday lunch gathering, loving the person who loves you the most, lending a hand to your neighbours when in need, helping the poorer with what you have, and chit-chatting with friends about your crush.

Spending time for your happiness is very important even in your busy schedules. Your life is under your control. Depending on others for your happiness is ridiculous. So, happiness is an option. It depends on whether you wake up and start your day to be happy or choose it to be a sad start.  

If you hardly ever laugh, here are some tips and suggestions to sketch a joyous life:

• Surround yourself with positive people. 
• Have a positive mindset and try to be an optimistic person. 
• Spend your spare time with friends and family rather than constantly scrolling through your mobile phones. 
• Practice an attitude of gratitude as it adds beauty to your life.
• Take some fresh air by spending time with nature. 
• Cheer up by celebrating little triumphs. 

There is this common saying, “Don’t forget to smile!”. I would love to see you saying “CHEESE” right now to calm you down. Just say cheese!

Do you want to consult about the treatment of mental illness? Check out Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

5. Do I Feel Satisfied with Things That I Find Pleasurable?

It is one of the critical mental health questions to ask yourself that speaks about your state of contentment and enjoyment. 

For example, one could feel satisfied ending the day by writing a journal before bed, while the other feels satisfied by doodling. The actions and activities that make you feel contented should provide you with a calm mind. Feeling satisfied and fulfilled paves the way for happiness in life. Change is a part of life. But feeling unsatisfied with the things which once you find satisfying and pleasurable is something to be mattered. 

Analyze your state of mind deeply to find out the reason why you feel unsatisfied with pleasurable things. Take a deep breath and sort out whether this change is good for your life. If it is advantageous, then adhere to the new normal. If you feel that the change is unnecessary, then restart loving things that you once found enjoyable. Look at things from a different perspective. Many people desire things they don’t have. Instead, try the opposite to understand your state of mind.

Enjoy the little things around you. 

6. Am I Setting Apart Myself From Others at Work or with Family?

Isolation, the activity of getting yourself separated from others, is not to be encouraged. Mentally affected people isolate themselves from others. They don’t seek social contacts as they are in a state of high depression and anxiety². They feel that they are very low and unworthy to be in the world. These thoughts could lead to worst-case situations like suicidal attempts.

Make utmost effort to have close connections with your friends and family. Even if you are a silent introvert, who doesn’t talk and mingle with others, focus on the positive aspect of your life and be grateful for all that you own on this Earth. 

Follow these steps to attach and mingle with people successfully:

1. Then, go out and meet people in several environments, which will increase the possibility of meeting new folks.   
2. Organize small events in your workplace or even in your surrounding area. 
3. Be friendly with others to create an interactive atmosphere. 
4. Here are the most beneficial steps that work with strangers with whom you wish to have good contact:

• A genuine smile makes the door open to people and their conversations. 
• Start the conversation by saying “hi” and then state your name. Get to know them to make them feel comfortable talking to you. 
• Express your interest in the topic that is relevant to the situation at hand. 
• Having pleasant eye contact makes others pay attention to the spot. Body language is vital to connecting with people. Shaking hands is the formal behaviour of initial communication with others. 
• Be genuine and talk a little about yourself. Assume as if you are already close friends and be frank with them by cracking jokes or lending a hand when in need. 

Such kinds of mental health questions let you know about your current state of mind.

7. Do I Experience Sudden Mood Swings?

Have you ever felt irritated and frustrated with the happy moments in your life? If yes, then mood shift is the reason for this cause. Mood shifts are the immediate changes in your mood which may be caused due to extreme stress, sleep deprivation, an unbalanced diet, certain medications, hormones³, thyroid issues, or a serious change in your life.

It is one of the most difficult mental health questions to ask yourself, driving you into deep thinking. If you experience mood swings fairly often or very intensely, it is good for you to consult a doctor. Mental health issues may cause extreme mood shifts leading to bipolar disorder. 

Here are some natural solutions to manage your mood swings efficiently:

• Jot down the negative mood swings that you experience and take appropriate steps to avoid them. 
• Schedule your day with proper executable plans.
• Exercising is a great remedy for extreme mood shifts as it generates endorphin hormones in your body that boost your mood and relax you. 
• Practice a balanced nutritional diet by avoiding excess consumption of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. 
• A good night’s sleep is essential for commencing the day in an enthusiastic mood.

8. Am I Imagining More About Negative Effects Than the Positive Outcome?

It is good that one should focus on both the positive and negative outcomes of a process. However, targeting mainly the negative aspects and not even taking into consideration the positive aspects is an unhealthy habit that is to be avoided. It leads to stress, incompletion of tasks, loss of hope and provokes negative emotions which are not pleasing to experience. 

Communicate with ones in your closed circle. Share your feelings with them. Take time to be thankful for what you are and what you have. Spend enough time sleeping and eating well. Celebrate when you achieve something on your to-do list. Try to be active and attentive to what you are currently doing. Make social connections with optimistic people. Practice meditation and yoga, which have the power to control your mind and bring you to the most important moment – “now.”

Building strong mental health is like the jewel in someone’s crown. It is vital in paving the way for victory in life. These mental health questions help you in moving forward to achieve your goal. A person with good mental health has: 

• sharpened memory
• reduction in anxiety, stress, and depression
• intelligible thinking
• improved self-esteem
• peaceful and calm mind
• bettered decision making 
• healthy time management
• work-life balance
• gained life satisfaction
• quality of self-appreciation
• good contacts

You can also ask these mental health questions to the people who are mentally affected. Answering these mental health questions makes them realize their state of mind.

Key Takeaways

Life is short. Enjoy every moment that you cherish in your life. Maintain good mental health to meet your basic needs for love, fun, comfort, power, and privilege. A person can be happy even in the darkest of times only when he/she remembers to turn on the light. Economists say that happiness depends on mental health and not on money. Money can buy neither happiness nor health.

A report says that getting rid of mental health ⁴issues and solving them can increase happiness by 20%. It is noticed that poor health results in unhappiness. Developing positive psychology promotes our mental health, thereby making us happy. Among all the mental health questions, which question is very difficult for you to answer? 

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FAQs

1. How do you ask mental health questions?

Ans. You can keep in mind the following before you start asking mental health questions:

• Be supportive and do not ask judgemental questions
• Listen to the speaker carefully.
• Respect their silence.

2. What are the top 5 mental health issues?

Ans. The top 5 mental health issues are as follows:

1. Anxiety Disorders
2. Mood Disorders
3. Psychotic Disorders
4. Dementia
5. Eating Disorders

3. What are some of the ways to improve your own mental health?

Ans. Some ways to improve your own mental health are as follows:

1. Relax and reduce stress.
2. Learn new things and indulge in creativity.
3. Spend time in nature.
4. Connect with people around you.

1. Dutta, Abhijit, et al. “A comprehensive review of yoga research in 2020.” Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine 28.2 (2022): 114-123. ↩︎
2. Knowles, Kelly A., and Bunmi O. Olatunji. “Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.” Clinical psychology review 82 (2020): 101928. ↩︎
3. Chainy, Gagan BN, and Dipak Kumar Sahoo. “Hormones and oxidative stress: an overview.” Free Radical Research 54.1 (2020): 1-26. ↩︎
4. Moreno, Carmen, et al. “How mental health care should change as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The lancet psychiatry 7.9 (2020): 813-824. ↩︎

Last Updated on March 30, 2024 by Suchi