Are you Mentally healthy?

Mental Health has become the buzz word and rightly so, as more awareness is being raised to ensure people understand that we all have a mental health which should be looked after just like we look after other areas of our lives.




Positive thoughts Positive Life

Some years ago, not many people understood the need to be mentally healthy. Not many people spoke publicly about their mental health challenges. 
Thankfully, the reverse is the case now. 

Prince William, recently opened up about mental health pressures in a BBC TV documentary. He talked about the pain of losing his mother at an early age, and he alongside his brother Prince Harry launched a mental health campaign called Heads Together.I also watched a documentary on BBC called ''Nadiya: Anxiety and Me", where Nadiya Hussain openly addressed her issues with Anxiety.

I lost my mother almost 4 years ago, and I can relate with Prince William and Prince Harry on the emotional effect of losing a loved one. I still grief for my mum, and just recently recognised that I need help with dealing with those emotions.

More and more people, celebrities and regular people alike are talking about their mental health.  Some days ago, while speaking to a colleague of mine who happens to be the mental health champion for my team, she mentioned that sometimes you feel poorly, like having a headache or a cold, and you don't need to see a doctor, all you need is over the counter medication and rest. While sometimes, a person may have health issues like a bacterial infection that requires seeing a doctor, while some people have serious health issues that may require surgery.
She likened it to our mental health, some days, you may feel down with emotions such as sadness, anxiety, low self esteem and you can easily shake it off and get back to your normal healthy mental state. However, if a person is having difficulty getting back to their normal healthy state of mind, and these emotions are taking over their lives, making them unable to function then they need to seek help.

I believe no one is immune to having bad days. I am not happy everyday, am not excited or motivated everyday.Some days I get overwhelmed trying to balance my responsibilities as a wife, mother with my personal needs.

It doesn't help that we live in a 'modern' world of loneliness ( with internet and social media reducing actual human interaction with others), a world of 'pressure' to impress and create a perception of success or wealth. The pressure to achieve all your life goals before the golden age of '30' or '40'. The pressure to be the ideal weight '65kg' wearing size '8' or '10'. The pressure to look certain way. The pressure to always buy expensive birthday gifts or Christmas gifts for friends and family. The pressure to have your kids dressed in the best clothes and shoes. Or the pressure to enrol your kids for every  after school activity there is, just to show that you are a good parent. The list of modern pressures is endless...

Not surprisingly, all these affect our mental health. Especially when a person begins to feel he/she is not meeting up with societal expectations. Recent statistics shows that more people are using one anti-depressant drugs than ever before in the UK

Being mentally healthy requires making conscious effort to determine what takes priority in your life. Recognising that most battles start from the mind. Learning how to strike a balance and be fully grounded. Learning to identify situations or people that cause us distress, and being able to distance ourselves from it./them. Knowing what makes you happy, and actively making yourself happy. Maintaining an atmosphere of positivity, being willing to talk to someone and not being ashamed to seek professional help if the need arises.

For me, I have learnt over the last few years to recognise when my emotions are running haywire. I know when negative thoughts start dropping into my mind, and I know what to do to address it. I know when am feeling down and discouraged, I recognise when am tired both physically and mentally. Am learning to recognise a distressing situation, and most importantly I take BREAKS.

I take a break from social media occasionally, I take physical breaks for rest. I know how to withdraw into my personal shell and recharge area. I have recently recognised that  I need to speak to a professional about the grief and guilt I feel due to the death of my mum. I am guarding my mental health jealously

Your mental health is very important, you need to be mentally healthy in order to function at optimal levels and achieve your goals. Protect your mental health and guard it.


One Love
xx

#mentalhealthawarenessmonth


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