It is very easy not to realise how good you are. This is particularly true if your mental health is poor. Many mental health symptoms will bring you down and can make you feel worse (a downward spiral effect). Over a period of time your self-worth and self-esteem may suffer.

Despite greater publicity about mental health matters, I think there is a perception amongst many that those with poor mental health are somehow not as capable compared with people with good mental health. 

So what can you do to improve the view you have about your abilities? Here are a few suggestions:

- Read previous blog posts and comments. Moodscope is a community where members continually look for ways of supporting each other

- Reach out to others. By volunteering in the community, helping friends and neighbours or simply joining an organisation for social purposes. 

- Replace behaviours that provide only immediate gratification with those that have long term effects of making you feel good about yourself. (Further information is available in an article on the Psychology Today site written by Leon Seltzer ‘Feeling good v Feeling good about ourselves’. 

- Make friends. Take interest in what is happening in the lives of others. 

- Boost self confidence.  By calming your inner critic. Replace it with a positive inner voice that shows more self compassion.

- Be proud of your achievements. Go on, boast about something you have done. 

- Show self compassion. It is easy to be hard on ourselves, Sometimes we need more understanding of our limitations.  

- Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes; recognise them and move on. 

I have found some quotes about happiness and feeling good:

“Spread love everywhere. Let no-one ever come to you without leaving happier” Mother Theresa

“Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of travelling” Margaret Lee Runbeck

“Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you wont have to hunt for happiness” William E Gladstone   

I have also discovered a song on this subject. It is called ‘Feeling Good’ and was made famous by Nina Simone and more recently Michael Buble. Here are some of the lyrics:

“Birds flying high

You know how I feel

Sun in the sky

You know how I feel

Breeze driftin’ on by

You know how I feel 

Fish in the sea

You know how I feel

River running free

You know how I feel

Blossom on a tree

You know how I feel

It’s a new dawn

It’s a new day

It’s a new life

For me 

And I’m feeling so good.”    

So what makes you feel good? 

Teg

A Moodscope member