one way to think about mental health is by looking at how well a person functions. feeling capable and efficient; being able to handle normal levels of stress, have good friends and family, and lead an independent life; and being able to "bounce back," or recover from hardships, are all signs of mental health.it’s normal for all of us to feel worried, sad, upset, or have difficult emotions from time-to-time. for most people though, these feelings are only temporary and are resolved without causing any long-term problems. however, for some people, these negative feelings can become worse over time and lead to a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, stress or obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd).