Every year, on October 10th, communities come together to celebrate World Mental Health Day. What exactly is mental health and why should we accord importance to mental health issues? Mental health is defined as “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.” ( Oxford Dictionary).Often disregarded and ignored, mental health issues, when untreated can become overbearing for an individual and can often lead to depression, substance abuse, heart disease, social isolation and a general sense of unhappiness. Not uncommon, 1 in 5 adults are diagnosed with mental health issues every year. However, millions of adults suffer through mental health issues every year such as depression, suicidal thoughts but are not properly diagnosed or refuse to be treated for fear of being judged by their surroundings.
How do I know if I am experiencing any disbalance in my mental health?
There are 5 key components to self emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Self-awareness is defined by your ability to understand and monitor your emotional state. Are you able to read your emotions when you are feeling them, and if so are you able to identify the cause of these emotions? Self regulation is the ability to control impulses and improve your ability to think before you react or speak. Are you able to think and reason when engaged in discourse with others, or do you tend to be rash and abrupt? Motivation encompasses your interests in improving yourself and learning new material. What do you enjoy learning, and how can you access this knowledge? Empathy revolves around understanding the emotions and reactions of others. When somebody expresses how they feel (verbally and non-verbally) are you able to pick up on these cues and understand potential causes for such reactions? Finally, social skills are when one has the ability to pick up on sarcasm, jokes, and maintain positive relationships. When interacting with others, are you able to find common ground and understand the tone of the conversation? These are all important to think about when analysing your own sense of mental health and well-being.
Upon understanding your own standing with mental health, a key aspect to think about now is the type of self care that you may need. This may change on a day to day basis - some days you may need one type of self-care, other days you may need a different kind depending on what you feel you are lacking. Here a few suggestions of things that you can do to promote self-care:
- Emotional self-care: activities that help you reflect, connect and process on a wide array of emotions such as journaling or meditation
- Practical self-care: tasks which help you complete core aspects of your life to avoid future stressful situations, such as creating a schedule, maintaining a budget, etc
- Physical self-care: activities that help you improve your physical well-being, such as going for walks, sleeping 8 hours a day, drinking enough water throughout the day, beauty routine
- Mental self-care: activities that stimulate your mind and intellect, such as reading, doing puzzles or sudoku, playing thought provoking games, etc
- Social self-care: activities which help you deepen relationships with individuals in your life, such as facetiming a friend, going out for a meal, calling a family member, etc
- Spiritual self-care: activities which nurture your sense of spirit and allow you to think beyond yourself, such as yoga, going to places of worship, setting time for self reflection, etc
Ensuring that you are handling your stress in a positive way that suits you individually is critical - others may not be able to tell you exactly what you need, but if you reflect internally you may find these answers within yourself.
If I think I have a mental health issue or if someone close to me does, what should I do?
Have you ever had a friend speak to you about their mental health problems, and you’re unsure how to react? Some scholars have pinpointed suggestions on how to support a loved one when they approach you with such feelings. A few approaches include: setting aside undistracted time to truly listen, allow the speaker to share as much (or as little) as they’d like to, avoiding diagnosing their emotions or employing toxic positivity (saying things like “It’ll all be okay! Stop stressing out so much! You’ll be just fine! It’s not that big of a deal!”), talk to them about ways that can potentially help them improve their wellbeing, help them think about options for seeking professional help if they express desire and comfort towards this, and importantly ask them how you can be there for them. This answer may range depending on the type of day they are having.
If you think you are going through a mental illness or a temporary mental disbalance, whether you talk to your friend, a family member, a trusted colleague or a healthcare professional, it is important to discuss your issues rather than burying them for fear of others judging you, criticizing you or laughing at you. When diagnosed early, mental illnesses are easier to treat. As we celebrate Mental Health Day, take the time to spread the word and encourage your surroundings to discuss mental health issues, to promote a safe environment where mental health issues are no longer a taboo and talk to a healthcare professional if you have any questions regarding your current state of mind.
Remember that you are never alone. There is strength in breaking down societal and self set barriers. Remember that YOU are an important part of this world, and deserve to be taken care of.
For further information, please consult your local healthcare provider or any healthcare institution.
Sources: http://theimportanceofemotionalintelligence.weebly.com/the-5-components....
