MENTAL HEALTH AND

INTELLECTUAL HEALTH
• Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological and social
wellbeing that influences cognition, perception as well as behavior.
• It is described by the WHO as a state of wellbeing in which an
individual is able to realize his potentials or abilities , can cope with
the normal stress of life , capable of working productively and
fruitfully and able to contribute to his or her community.
• Also determines how one handles stress, interpersonal relationships,
and decision making.
DEFINITIONS
• Intellectual health implies being creative, curious, having critical
thinking & problem solving skills .
• Being creative and curious is part of being healthy.
• Intellectual health is part of brain health
• Taking care of your brain health improves your intellectual health.
• This connotes making healthy choices and doing activities that require
you to think and create.
• Intellectual health is not synonymous to an IQ score, which is a
measure of one’s intelligence
• Intellectual health is sometimes called intellectual wellness,
intellectual wellbeing or the intellectual dimension of health.
• Examples include –
• academic success
• Creative hobbies eg, music, writing, painting or design
• Problem solving
• motivation to learn new things
• Developing self identity
• Knowing when & how to ask for help
Signs of intellectual wellness
• Development of good study skills and time management
• Ability to challenge yourself to see all sides of an issue
• Becoming a critical thinker
• Developing one’s own ideas, views and opinions
• Exposing oneself to new ideas, people, and beliefs that are different .
• Becoming aware of who you are and what you value
To improve study skills
• Review study materials within 24 hrs of class to keep it fresh in your
memory
• Take notes while you read, in class & focus more on whats written on
the board
• Form a study group with other people in your class
• Study in a quiet environment to avoid distraction
• Colour coding helps trigger the memory
• Find innovative ways to study that works for you.
To improve time management
• Make a to –do list, check completed tasks
• Prioritize tasks in order of importance, tackle the most important 1st
• Learn to say no to social activitities sometimes, remember what is
important to get done
• Multi-task within your limit
Remove objectivity
• Learn there is more than one way to do something
• There isn’t always a ‘right’ answer, but sometimes multiple
• Stay open-minded to new ideas, insights, thoughts, expressions and
values
To improve critical thinking
• Be actively involved in conversation, readings, & classroom activities-
consciously think about what is happening
• Ask yourself or others questions as you reflect
• Challenge the norm, don’t take an answer for what it is without you
agreeing with it
• Keep your brain active, thinking and questioning.
How to improve intellectual and mental
health
• All parts of our health are connected, taking care of our mental health and physical
health improves our intellectual health.
• Eating nutrient rich food - Vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, fats.
Reduce sugar, sodium & saturated fats
• Brain healthy foods include berries, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, salmon,
avocado
• Antioxidants, healthy fats, fibres and vitamin E are perfect for intellectual wellness
• Caring for physical health - physical health supports intellectual health. Your brain
is healthier when your body is healthy. Get quality sleep, stay hydrated and
exercise regularly
• Fitness is not just for the muscles, but powers the brain to release” feel good
“hormones through body movements.
• Pursuing hobbies & interests. - intellectually healthy hobbies are not
just reading, writing & doing puzzles but include physical hobbies like
running, weightlifting, interior designs ,playing an instrument etc all
support IH
• Managing your stress – stress affect all parts of our health. Long term
stress wears down IH, makes it hard to solve problems, complete
tasks, makes us loose our motivation & our spark for curiousity. Learn
to manage your stress.
Ways to increase intellectual wellness
• Learn a foreign language
• Reading for fun
• Working on puzzles e.g. crosswords, jigsaws, soduko
• Playing a board or card game
• journalling
• Playing a musical instrument
• Creative writing
• Listening to music
• Exploring outdoors
• Such activities stimulate the brain, increase the connections between brain cells
• Trying new hobbies
• Learning a new thing e.g. new skill or language
• Exercises results to faster thinking, faster reaction time, increased
focus and concentration.
• Better memory, less stress, sharper vision, sharper hearing and a
more positive mood.
• Latest findings in neuroscience says the brain reaches its peak
performance at age 16 – 25, after which cognitive decline sets in
The interface between mental heath and
intellectual health.

• POOR MENTAL HEALTH CAN DISRUPT THE ABILITY TO THINK

CLEARLY, BE CREATIVE AND MOTIVATED.
• DIFFICULTY TO MAKE HEALTHY DECISIONS & FIGHT OFF CHRONIC
DISEASES
• INVEST IN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH TO MAXIMIZE YOUR INTELLECTUAL
HEALTH.
GRACIAS