Decalogo

Decalogue of Positive Mental Health
Decálogo de Salud Mental Positiva
Decàleg de Salut Mental Positiva

Author / Autora / Autora

Dra. Mª Teresa Lluch Canut

Professor of Psychosocial and Mental Health Nursing. Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Maternal-Child Nursing.
Nursing School. University of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain).
Catedratica de Enfermería Psicosocial ySaludMental. Departamento de Enfermería de Salud Pública, Salud Mental y Materno-Infantil.
Escuela de Enfermería. Universidad de Barcelona (Cataluña, España).
Catedràtica d’Infermeria Psicosocial i Salut Mental. Departament d’Infermeria de Salut Pública, Salut Mental i Materno-Infantil.
Escola d’Infermeria. Universitat de Barcelona (Catalunya, Espanya).

Barcelona, september 2011
Barcelona,septiembre 2011
Barcelona, setembre 2011

Decalogue of Positive Mental Health
This Decalogue is the product of what I call “psychology of the daily life”. It is the result of a scientific study expressed in specific,
applicable terms1. Each recommendation is valuable in itself and can be applied individually or together with the others. There is no risk
if you apply them all! In fact the morerecommendations we apply to our lives, the stronger our Positive Mental Health will be.

Recommendation nº1: Value positively the good things that you have in your life.
Recommendation nº2: Carry out your daily activities with love and affection.
Happiness is among us, hidden in our everyday lives. Don’t see each daily activity
(taking the tube, going shopping, working…) as a punishment, orsomething that is
indifferent to you. You need to find the positive aspects in these activities and respond
to them enthusiastically.
Recommendation nº3: Don’t be too hard on yourself or on others. Tolerance,
understanding and flexibility are all good for mental health.

Recommendation nº4: Don’t let your negative emotions get in your way. You can get
angry, but don’t go too far.Recommendation nº5: Be aware of the good times in your life while they’re
happening. If you have memories of good times in our life, they must have been good
times when we experience them. So, we have to enjoy the present, remember the
good things from the past, and hope for good things from the future.

Recommendation nº6: Don’t be afraid of crying and showing your feelings. We need
to see manyfeelings as normal: it is normal to feel sad if we have suffered a
disappointment; if we have lost a loved one, it is natural (and mentally healthy) to
grieve… However, if these emotional states are too intense, persistent or
incapacitating, we should ask for help.

Recommendation nº7: Look for places and activities that help you relax mentally.
Everyone has their own tastes, options and strategies(walking, reading, gardening,
doing nothing, talking to friends).

Recommendation nº8: Try to solve problems when they arise. If they mount up, our
mental health will feel it! Not all problems have good solutions but we have to try and
do something to lighten the load. We need an active predisposition towards the
solution.

Recommendation nº9: Always take care of our interpersonalrelations. Let’s talk to
our loved ones, visit our friends, get together with our colleagues, neighbours, etc.

Recommendation nº10: DON’T FORGET TO ADD HUMOUR TO YOUR LIFE TO
MAKE IT MORE COLOURFUL.
* Author: Dr. Mª Teresa Lluch Canut. E-mail: tlluch@ub.edu

Decálogo de Salud Mental Positiva*
El decálogo que se presenta a continuación, a modo de recomendaciones, forma parte de lo que podríamosdenominar la psicología de la
vida cotidiana. Es el producto de un trabajo científico expresado aquí en términos concretos y aplicables1. Cada recomendación tiene un
valor por si misma y puede ser aplicada de forma individual o en conjunto con el resto de recomendaciones. Si se consumen todas, no hay
ningún peligro!. Al contrario: cuantas más recomendaciones apliquemos a nuestra vida más...