Defining Mental Health: Building Resilience and Creating Change
"Awareness is the first step. Action is where transformation happens."
In my work as a therapist, I meet individuals and couples who want to feel better, communicate more effectively, and handle life’s challenges with confidence. Often, they already have a strong awareness of their emotions—they can name what they’re feeling and even identify the situations that trigger them. But awareness alone isn’t enough. To create lasting change, we must pair awareness with practical skills and intentional actions.
Whether you’re navigating relationship conflict, personal stress, or the ups and downs of everyday life, understanding mental health in a deeper, more actionable way can help you bridge the gap between what you feel and how you respond.
In this blog, we will explore mental health from three key perspectives:
Defining mental health in practical, actionable terms.
Understanding the process of change and how it unfolds.
Connecting behavior to mental well-being to bridge the gap between what we feel and how we respond.
1. Defining Mental Health
"Resilience is built, not born."
Fusar-Poli et al. (2020) define mental health as an individual’s ability to cope in healthy ways with life stressors. In practice, however, I often encounter a different perception—many people view mental health as the ability to navigate life without difficulty or to always remain in favorable circumstances. Unfortunately, that is not the reality.
I find it helpful to think of mental health like building muscle. When we exercise, we stretch, strain, and place our muscles under pressure so they can grow stronger. This process may be uncomfortable, but it allows us to lift heavier weights and endure longer workouts over time. The same principle applies to our mental health—resilience is built through challenges.
To develop the coping skills, we need to manage life; we must be willing to experience moments of stretching, discomfort, and even pressure. These experiences strengthen our capacity to handle future stressors and help us recover more quickly when difficulties arise.
2. The Change Process
"Small shifts bring progress. Deep shifts bring transformation."
As a systemic therapist, I use a General Systems Theory framework to understand change. This approach examines the patterns and structures that govern both natural and social systems, including relationships.
Within this framework, there are two primary types of change:
First-order change involves small, incremental adjustments within an existing system.
Second-order change represents a deeper transformation that shifts the system’s core structure and way of functioning (Keeney, 2017).
In mental health, first-order change might mean making minor adjustments to a familiar routine—such as reducing how often a couple raises their voices during conflict. While helpful, the overall pattern of communication may remain the same. Second-order change, on the other hand, might involve the couple learning entirely new ways of interacting—preparing for conversations in advance, creating space for open dialogue, and listening to understand rather than to respond. This kind of change can create lasting, positive shifts in relationships and personal well-being.
3. Behavioral Change and Mental Health
"Your habits are the bridge between your intentions and your reality."
Our behaviors are often a reflection of our mental state. To create balance and improve mental health, it is essential to address the actions that support—or undermine—our well-being.
For example, starting a healthier lifestyle is as much a mental commitment as it is a physical one. Once you decide to prioritize your health, your behaviors must align with that decision—adjusting your diet, scheduling regular exercise, and perhaps hiring a personal trainer for accountability. These actions reinforce your mental shift and help sustain the version of yourself you want to become.
The same principle applies to relationships and emotional health: mental insight must be paired with intentional action.
Final Reflections
Mental health is about more than simply identifying how we feel—it’s about strengthening ourselves through life’s challenges and committing to the changes necessary for growth. Whether through small adjustments or deep transformation, aligning our actions with our mental and emotional goals can move us closer to the life and relationships we truly want.
If you are ready to explore your own process of change—whether as an individual or as part of a couple—therapy can offer the tools, structure, and support you need to move from awareness to action.
Until next time,
Micah Wyatt, M.S., LMFT
References
Fusar-Poli, P., de Pablo, G. S., De Micheli, A., Nieman, D. H., Correll, C. U., Kessing, L. V., ... & van Amelsvoort, T. (2020). What is good mental health? A scoping review. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 31, 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.12.105
Keeney, B. P. (2017). Aesthetics of change. Guilford Publications.