Kindness is the way to celebrate Mental Health Awareness month

Are you clueless about it? Well, then read on and find out!

Happy mental health awareness month everyone!

This concept began in 1949 in the US by the Mental Health America Organization. Each year there is a different theme. This year it is ‘kindness’ as the organization believes that kindness and mental health are deeply connected.

We all must have read or heard about the term, ‘mental health’. But very few of us know what it means. Mental health refers to our psychological health. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health includes “subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others. The WHO further states that the well-being of an individual is encompassed in the realization of their abilities, coping with normal stresses of life, productive work, and contribution to their community. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing for professional theories all affect how one defines mental health.

We all don’t want any physical injury, disease, or infection right? In the same way, keeping our mind and psychology healthy and happy is essential. However, people don’t understand the importance of mental health. Our minds should be stable, balanced, and happy just like our bodies. An individual’s emotional health can impact their physical health too. Poor mental health can lead to problems such as the ability to make adequate decisions and substance abuse, getting diagnosed with various health issues, etc.

Evidence from the WHO suggests that nearly half of the world’s population is affected by mental illness with an impact on their self-esteem, relationships and ability to function in everyday life. According to Mental Health America, 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime; everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health. 

Their toolkit provides practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency regardless of the situations they are dealing with. During the pandemic, these tools will especially come in handy. (Please free to contact me if you want the toolkit).

Mental illness is normal like a fever or cold. However, we tend to ignore it. And somehow, we feel going for therapy or psychiatrist means we are mental or crazy. And society will judge us. 

Psychotherapy. Woman psychologist with tangled and untangled brain metaphor, society psychiatry concept vector illustration

Having a healthy mental state helps us live happily, relaxed, and honestly, disease-free. Not many of us would know that our mental issues can lead to other diseases and physical issues of the body. No one can understand this better than the ones who have gone through it and probably still are. We don’t even know we are suffering from a psychological issue and when we do, it might be late. That is because of the lack of awareness levels. In that case, there are some warning signs one needs to take care of. When you feel you are ticking some items on that sign list, it is a red alert for you to consult a professional.

(Some of them would be lack of appetite, lack of sleep, social cut off, etc. For the complete list, kindly refer to the link below. )

Link:  https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health

It is high time we spread awareness about it. Let us unite to fight against mocking- if someone is going through a rough patch and confesses that they are facing troubles, to fight against people who think depression or anxiety or any psychological issue is just a thought or a figment of our imagination and does not exist, to lend a helping hand to those in need, to motivate people to talk and share their feelings, to spread the word that we are there if anyone wants to talk, we are there if they wish to seek help, we are there if they wish to speak up. 

Let’s come forward and share our stories with the world so that they can be inspired and share theirs too. And those who are going through a similar situation can gather up the courage to step up and talk, talk to vent out their feelings, talk to share what turmoil they are going through, talk to let us know what is bothering them. Facing psychological issues is nothing to be ashamed of. Surprisingly, people don’t even know they are facing it themselves. It does not see age, gender, caste, financial status before attacking. A person can be at high points in his life and still undergo depression or have anxiety attacks.

Ways to maintain positive mental health

There are some simple hacks to maintain your mental health.

1. Just talk– Share your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This is the most effective yet free solution one can adopt. Even if you feel the person won’t understand, just talk. They will get an idea that you are going through something and will be there to be with you. Don’t mistake it as sympathy, consider it their care and love for you. They will do what it takes to set things straight, what they want is you to be happy and fit. Sometimes, pouring our heart before strangers helps a lot. If you feel that is your case, the, do that but just speak up
2. Seek professional help if necessary– Facing mental health issues is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it means you are strong enough to take up some burden but now that is affecting you and it is time to let go of it
3. Optimism is the key– Don’t hesitate or shy to stay away from people, situations, or environments which make you weak, affect you or spread negativity. Just walk away and move on. Life is too short to have regrets
4. Have a work-life balance– Try to balance your work and home. Anything of excess can be bad
5. Stay happy– Always have that curve on your face
6. Avoid over-thinking or taking stress- Stop worrying, live in the present, switch off your mind and let it rest, don’t think about the past or the future
7. Exercise– Have an exercise regime which should include walking, yoga, meditation
8. Have a hobby– It will help keep you engaged in a productive way
9. Have a good sleep– Sleep is responsible for the smooth functioning of our body and brain. Have good sleep to ensure you are healthy
10. Include happy foods in your diet– This will provide cure from your mood swings and cheer you up in your low phases
11. Be aware– Know about mental health. Read, read and read, so that if you or someone around you is suffering, you can quickly take an action

Let us pledge to stop making fun!

Let us pledge to motivate people to talk!

Let us pledge to spread awareness!

Let us pledge to share our stories and inspire others!

Let us pledge to show kindness!

Let us pledge not to fear to consult a professional!

We together can break these barriers. But please remember, the first step is to take care of ourselves. Helping others while you are in a mess won’t do any good. Usually, people do not understand the concept of self-love and self-care. It is your body, heart, and soul and it is your responsibility to take care of it. Because if anything happens to you, it’s not just you who gets affected but you’re loved ones suffer too.

P.S- Mental Health Foundation requests us to take out half an hour for ourselves every day. Do whatever physical exercise or chore you can as per your ability- something which interests you whether it is walking, gardening, baking, cooking, yoga, etc.

For further information, please check their website.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

Showing kindness and speaking up your mind and heart take courage.

So what would you opt for- speaking now to your closed one or ones which is easy, effortless and free of cost or later, putting your life out before a therapist, pay many bucks for it and invest your time too? The choice is yours!

How to stay positive during this lockdown?

I am aware that many of us are agitated as the lockdown period got extended. But I wish to ask you that amidst all the negativity why are we increasing our stress levels and blood pressure?  Already our shoulders are burdened and hands tired with all the household chores which we have to do now. Criticizing the situation won’t help you know. If you are questioning ‘why’ in your heads, the answer is because it is just making you anxious and robbing you of your mental peace.

So, how can we sail through this time? Sharing below a few tips which might come in handy.

1. Reduce the time spent on watching the news

You read that right. Of course, it is essential to be updated on the developments but gluing on the TV screens the entire day adds up to your stress. Hence, limit the news watching to 1-2 hours a day and instead opt for Ramayana, the re-telecast of the other shows, music, etc. as they will definitely divert your mind.

• Keep those steps going, body moving

I am sure the bed would be luring you to sleep but at the same time, being active during this phase is essential too. There are a plethora of options available- virtual yoga, Zumba, etc.

The best would be to just create a playlist with all upbeat tracks, dance and just sweat it out. Keep those hips grooving! This is the best workout and will also cheer you up.

Presently, so many apps offer free virtual classes and sessions for cardio, dance, meditation, yoga, etc. They will help calm your mind and body.

My favorite is Cure Fit. It offers sessions throughout the day (from morning till night) and has various options to choose from- Dance fitness, cardio, meditation sessions to reduce anxiety, to be happy, hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, just to name a few.

I also listen to meditative sounds at night provided by the Urban Yogi app before sleeping. It is extremely relaxing and helps improve my sleep.

• Include happy foods in your diet

Try including happy foods in your diet will prove to be a great mood lifter. There is a limitation on the eatables available but these happy foods are pretty much easily accessible.

 Banana, dark chocolate, berries, apples, turmeric, coffee, walnuts, mango, green tea, mushrooms, quinoa, grapes – these are just to name a few.  They are either there in our homes or the market until now at least.

This tip might sound boring or cliché but in this critical phase eating a nutritious meal packed with all the essential elements, vitamins and minerals are essential. A balanced diet with immunity-boosting ingredients is required. 

• Follow 2 hours:10 minute trick by taking breaks in between

I know I know you will say that you have so much on your plate- cooking, cleaning the house, doing laundry, work from home, etc. etc. and the list is endless. However, I suggest for every 2 hours of work, take a 10-15 minutes break. Either do stretching or listen to a song, watch an episode of your favorite show or maybe eat a snack (but it should be healthy stuff, prefer not to binge eat or stress eat).

•  Try to use the time productively

With whatever leisure time you have, try to utilize it productively. Either create a to do list of the important tasks to be done post the lockdown, take up online courses to enhance your CV. Start that blog, read those books! This would be the best time to take care of your skin, hair, and nails- Massage your hair with oil, do facial at home, devise a hygiene regime. Scroll through tutorials for nail art, makeup, smoky eyes, DIY masks, etc. POP Xo and lbb are also coming up with different live sessions to help you learn something new and also help you sail through this time.

The main aim is to do what you love and what makes you happy.  The best would be to take up that hobby you always wanted to go ahead with but couldn’t because of your fast-paced life never gave you the free time. Well, now you have it. Take up whatever you like or are therapeutic for you- be it reading, painting, writing, it could be anything. So what if the material isn’t available physically, virtual versions via internet technology are there for our rescue.  It’s the app dominated world now you see, you have apps for everything. 

Taking up these activities will provide you happiness and keep your mind diverted towards the good activities and save you from the guilt of wasting your time.

We always complained earlier that we do not have time to do certain stuff or spend time with our family and talk to friends because we were stuck, we were too busy with moving ahead in the race of life. Well, now we do have the time. Yet, we are still complaining that we are getting irritated and frustrated just because it is required to stay home. (It is our benefit if we do this. This is for our safety). I think humans can never be happy in any situation. Most of us have a roof over our heads and food to eat. Think about the daily wagers and the homeless. The real struggle is for them. We should feel blessed and pray and donate for the ones battling with these tough conditions.

Considering the present scenario, we know we can’t change the situation. Hence, we have just two options- either to sit and sulk about it or to step up and make the most of it. I sincerely hope you choose the latter. So please stay at home, stay safe and bring about a positive change in your life. So that few years down the lane you do not regret that you wasted your time or did not make any contribution. Who knows we might never get a chance like this again and well, I sincerely hope that we don’t get such an opportunity, this way at least.