WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2021

WHAT IS IT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH 🤷🏼‍♂️

Why is there so much fuss about mental health? Why should mental health be taken seriously it's not even tangible, the mind is not something we can see so how does it have "health", Doesn't mental health mean someone is crazy? can someone explain all these to me? 

I got you! 

Mental health, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his or her community

Does this sound like something that affects your day-to-day life? Yes! Our mental health affects how we think, feel and act in that order 

According to the WHO definition, a person with healthy mental health realizes his abilities, can handle everyday stress, can be productive, and is also able to contribute to the community. When the mind is not healthy, these things can become a struggle 

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY MENTAL HEALTH IS STRUGGLING

Signs may include, low self-esteem🥺, inability to cope with everyday stress🤯, struggling to be productive, always procrastinating, easily irritable😠, feeling empty, not being able to find joy, low energy more than usual😵, lack of motivation to do anything, avoiding social settings, feeling hopeless😓, existential crises, suicidal thoughts ☠️

This affects our life in general! Mental health has also been linked to a lot of physical illnesses including heart diseases, stroke, asthma, diabetics and cancer, and arthritis

Mental illnesses can be hereditary, it can also be a result of childhood trauma or traumatic events

WHEN TO SEE A PROFESSIONAL?👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️

You don't need to have a concrete reason to see a mental health practitioner, you can go see your counselor or therapist anytime even if there is no sign of mental health struggle. Also, make sure you book an appointment the minute you notice you stay sad longer than usual when you have more sad days than happy days when it becomes difficult to deal with everyday stress or after a traumatic event 

A traumatic event can be sexual assault, death of a loved one⚰️, animal attack🐾, bullying. Anything that caused a lot of stress, traumatic events are marked by a sense of horror, helplessness, serious injury, or the threat of serious injury or death.

THE SELF CARE TIPS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW YOU NEED

1. Move your body around: If you are like me and you don't like to do heavy lifting and hours of workout in the gym, you don't have to😊 you can start by doing stretches, talking a walk in the evening. The point is to help your body be on the move. 

2. Render help, make someone happy: There is a saying that "hurt people hurt people", if all you have inside is hurt that is what you give but listen, you can trick your brain to believe that you are happy by doing the opposite of what you would naturally do.

Helping people also releases dopamine, the reward hormone, and makes us feel good.

 

3. Be thankful, even for the little things: People who are more grateful in their lives are less depressed, one of the proven ways to deal with depression is practicing gratefulness. Start with listing down all the people you are grateful for, write them a letter (you might not send it)

Be grateful for life, for the air you breathe, for the sun, the moon, the stars, the sea, the vegetations

Be grateful for the things you have right now

4. Stop judging people, be kind: Spread love! Be flexible enough to look at things from other people's perspectives, everyone doesn't think like you 

This makes you less heavy

"Live and let live"

5. Not taking things personally: Realize that people's actions towards you say more about them than you 

People tend to treat people according to the way they feel, projecting their pains and insecurities on other people

Don't take on another person's poison by taking things personally

6. Do a social media fast very often: There is life outside the internet, experience it, social media might just be the reason why mental illness statistics went up in these times

You cannot replace real-life with internet life, there will be side effects 

6. Cry! Let it out!: Tears contain cortisol the stress hormone. By holding it in, you are denying yourself reducing stress.

 

7. Deep breath!: Breathe in 1.. 2.. 3.. 4, hold 1.. 2..3.. 4, breathe out 1..2..3..4 

You are loved!

You are seen! 

You are heard! 

HAPPY MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2021!!!!!🤩