How many of us feel genuinely happy and satisfied with where we are in life? How comfortable are we with the people around us, or with the situations we are in. How many of us are content with ourselves? Not many of us will be honest with the answer we give. Some of us may say “I am fine”, some may choose their definition of happiness, some may be in denial. However, there will be some who will agree to the fact that we are not currently feeling our best.
We all live in times where along with our physical health, our mental health is at risk as well. World Health Organisation, WHO, defines mental health as mental well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities and can cope with the normal stresses of life. The pandemic has brought mental health and discussions to the forefront. Being cooped up at home, loss of jobs, lack of socialization, poor family relations and the loss of loved ones has brought about a sense of isolation in individuals. The new normal has been affecting people’s mental health around the world. Anxiety, panic attacks, stress and visible and invisible lowness or depression has become extremely common. Research suggests that when we put a lot of stress on our mind, we get affected physically too. This many a times has led to serious illnesses and tragic deaths. We have seen how not getting the required help has led to several cases of suicide in the past months. We need to start by recognizing Mental Health as a priority.
In many cases, mental illness goes undiagnosed. This can harm both the individual and their loved ones deeply. We as members of our society, need to look out for ourselves but also reach out to those around us. We can do this by following some simple steps:
- First, we must recognize that everyone is dealing with something. It is important to be empathetic, polite, and understanding while interacting with others.
- Listening is another big way that we can help others. A simple act of listening without judgement can bring tremendous change in a person’s wellbeing.
- While, taking care of others, we must remember to take care of ourselves. There are many self-care techniques including mediation, yoga, an outdoor walk, reading a book, cooking a favorite meal, talking to a friend, and so on that one can choose from. We need to take out time for ourselves and do something that will make us happy.
- We should not shy away from seeking help. If we see someone struggling, we need to encourage them to seek professional help. Talking to a therapist, counselor can bring about a deeper understanding of self and can enable positive change in the life of an individual.
- Taking care of our health by getting regular physical checkups, getting enough sleep in a day, eating healthy, will surely take us a long way
- Show gratitude for all that we have and try to keep negative thoughts at bay.
While the steps mentioned above can be easy for some, it can be a big challenge for others. We can all start by taking small and slow steps with an aim to ultimately move towards creating a better and happier world for ourselves and for those around us. Let’s together take our first step towards healing.
