Yesterday, I went for a walk up to a local point of interest in the Dublin mountains – the Hell Fire club. I’ve been going there since I was a little girl, but recently, it has been a place where I walk alone and take time for some self-reflection. As I walked, I was thinking about what it means to have good mental health. I recently finished a book called A Therapeutic Journey by Alain de Botton, and he lists a number of interesting points about what he considers a mind in a healthy state to be and I’d never seen it written down like this before. Below is a summary of his points taken from that book (pages 8 & 9)

A healthy mind is an

• Editing mind.
• Keeps at bay punitive and critical judgements.
• Resists the pull of unfair comparisons.
• Keeps a grip on the drip, drip, drip of fear.
• Has compartments with heavy doors that shut securely. It can compartmentalise where it needs to.
• It can focus on the world beyond itself. It can be present and engaged with what and who is immediately around.
• Combines a suspicion of certain people, with a fundamental trust in humanity.
• A healthy mind knows how to hope.

Our mental health can change over time, depending on what’s going on in our lives. Thankfully, as I stood on the top of the hill, under a blue sky, feeling the wind on my face, I was present enough to take in that beautiful view of my home town Dublin. And I felt grateful that I am in a place of good mental health.

I hope you are too.

Views from my walk

Words and photos by Christine Poole 05.03.2024