Being mentally healthy and living well is important to every single one of us. Sometimes it can be so easy for everyone to take mental health for granted; to prioritise other things; to put it off for later. It can also seem too vague or complex to deal with.
Whilst the recent pandemic has, and continues to, take its toll on mental health- it becomes very important that we take extra efforts to focus on our mental wellbeing.
Many aspects of mental health have been challenged in the past few years. Even before the pandemic began, a 2019 statistic says that an estimated one in eight people globally were living with a mental disorder.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global crisis for mental health, fuelling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions. Estimates put the rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders at more than 25% during the first year of the pandemic itself. The most crucial thing that the last 2 years have taught everyone that, it is important to take care of mental health. There is a strong need deepen the value and commitment we give to mental health as individuals, communities and governments.
Now, the natural question that comes up is- why is mental health awareness important?
A major benefit to focusing on mental health awareness is that it can make signs and symptoms of certain conditions more well-known. Early intervention is predictive of how successful mental health treatment will be for many conditions. The earlier someone is diagnosed and begins treatment, the more likely it is that they’ll be able to manage their condition and improve their mental health.
Maintaining a positive mental health and treating any mental health conditions is crucial to stabilizing constructive behaviours, emotions, and thoughts. Focusing on mental health care can increase productivity, enhance our self-image, and improve relationships.
Nurturing mental health doesn’t just improve our daily functioning, but it can also help us control — or at least combat — some of the physical health problems directly linked to mental health conditions. For example, heart disease and stress are related, so managing stress might have a positive outcome on heart disease.
Other benefits of taking care of mental health includes as following:
- Improves our mood
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Creates an enhanced sense of inner peace
- Helps think more clearly
- Improves decision making
- Improves relationships
- Increases self-esteem
- Helps to become more productive at work
- Helps make make meaningful connections and contributions to the community
- Helps realize and work towards achieving full potential
How can we increase our focus and attention towards improving mental health?
On this World Mental Health Day- take time to think about making your mental health a priority.
1. Understand what mental health actually is
Just like physical health, everyone ‘has’ mental health. And it lies on a spectrum- that is it can change over a period of time depending on internal or external circumstances.
Your mental health is your psychological and emotional wellbeing. Being mentally well doesn’t mean you don’t experience ‘negative’ emotions or reactions, like sadness, anger, grief or frustration. Similarly, being mentally unwell doesn’t necessarily mean that one can’t experience emotions like happiness or excitement, go to work or have relationships. Having mental wellbeing means being able to experience all the ups and downs of life and cope with them in a psychologically and emotionally healthy way.
Some people experience mental health conditions, like depression, anxiety or schizophrenia, which impact on their mental health. Mental illness is very common- 20% of the global population experiences some form of mental health condition.
It is important to understand that the scope of mental health isn’t only about illness; but it’s about your overall wellbeing. Learning to be aware of your mental health may help you identify what helps you feel mentally well, times when you are not well, and when you might need to seek further help.
2. Look after your body
Just like eating veggies and exercise to keep body well, there are things one can do to promote mental health (handily, they also include eating well and exercising!).
Exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and getting enough sleep can all play a role in maintaining mental health as well as your physical health. Cutting down on smoking, alcohol and drug use can also help improve your mental wellbeing.
3. Give mind a workout
Mindfulness or meditation techniques can help you learn to quiet your mind and stay present in the moment. Practising these might help you learn how to deal with stress and help you relax.
4. Connection
Feeling connected to other people can play an important part in feeling and staying mentally well. One of the major causes of the Covid mental health burden is isolation from others. Loneliness is a fertilizer for other diseases- the biology of loneliness can accelerate many physical and physiological problems within an individual’s body. It is a proven fact that- human brain does not work well without connection. It’s critical to reach out in meaningful ways to friends, family and colleagues for their sake as much as your own.
5. Find ways to effectively cope with stress
Stress can impact anyone and can affect mental and physical wellbeing. While a little bit of stress can be a good thing, helps to focus and perform well under pressure, ongoing stress is not healthy for your body or mind.
Some strategies for decreasing stress are: knowing what triggers your stress, practising relaxation techniques, setting achievable goals, making time for activities you enjoy, and using tools like to-do lists to help you set priorities.
6. Take time out for rest and self-care.
Sometimes one just need to take a break and allow self to rest and relax. This might find one helpful to schedule some ‘me’ time each day or week, or take the occasional day off to help relax and reset. Switch phone to silent and do something that makes feel good, whether that’s going for a run, practising meditation or watching your favourite TV show.
Remember- Self-care does not mean being productive and self-care is not a luxury- it is a necessity.
7. Get help when needed
It’s important to know that there are professionals and resources to help if someone’s not feeling mentally well. Identifying challenges and asking for help is a sign of strength. Having those tough conversations and admitting there’s a problem means we can come up with a solution. We can start removing the shame and fear that’s often associated with topics surrounding mental health. Doing so can increase the likelihood of someone reaching out when they need help.
8. Staying positive
The final tip to share for mental health is to stay positive. Having a positive mind-set is easier said than done but it does help with improving mental well-being and even though we are undergoing difficult times. Don’t forget to be compassionate to yourself. Acknowledge your emotions- both positive and negative, and don’t criticize yourself for feeling strong emotions.
So, let’s come together and take a step closer to improving and maintaining mental wellbeing. By making a concerted effort to spread mental health awareness, will help work to de-stigmatize how to think about, approach, and identify mental health issues in the society.
