A survey conducted by the World Health Organization in 2019 revealed that nearly 1 in 8 people worldwide are grappling with a mental health condition. Still, it is estimated that a significant percentage of people never look for assistance.
Why?
Lack of knowledge, people’s prejudice, or their inability to understand what mental health is, could be a few of the causes. This guide addresses these barriers and provides insights into factors influencing mental health, common challenges, and practical tips for better well-being.
What is Mental Health? The Basics
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Mental health is a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, good behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish constructive relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life.
It might therefore be easily described as our psychological, social and emotional wellbeing. It determines how one copes with events, feels and behaves towards certain occurrences.
But here’s where it gets tricky: often people use mental health and mental illness interchangeably with one another. They’re not the same. A person can wake up with a low mood and not meet criteria of a mental disorder, just like waking in the morning with fatigue does not mean one has chronic disease.
For instance, if, after a day at work, you may find that you are worried or you are stressed, this does not mean that you actually have clinical depression or anxiety.
Factors Influencing Mental Health
The fact is, mental health is not solely a matter of personal choice, motivation and good outlook. It is a blend of genes, surroundings, and habits intertwined. Take genetics, for example. Are you aware of the fact that hereditary factors can also be responsible for mental disorders and may increase the risk for conditions such as anxiety/depression. But genes are only part of the picture.
Environmental context also has a strong contribution to it as well. The American Psychological Association states that working in a poisonous environment, a stressful job environment or change of life events such as moving to another city are all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental health of an individual.
And let’s not forget the modern double sided sword: social networks. As entertaining as it is to browse TikTok at 2 a.m., research indicates that social media leads to increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Over time, you can begin to compare your life to a highlight reel in your mind and feel terrible about yourself. Spoiler alert: Don’t worry, it happens to all of us!
Common Mental Health Challenges
Some of the most common mental health challenges include anxiety, depression, and mood disorders like bipolar disorder. For instance, anxiety disorders are believed to affect more than forty million adults in the United States of America. It is much more than simple anxiety where one may get a little nervous; rather it is a continuing fear that hinders one from engaging in normal activities such as going to a social function.
For example, social anxiety might change an ordinary invite to a party into a battle that a person has to fight. Depression which many may pass under a mere feeling of sadness is not as simple as that. It is a chronic and painful mood disorder that may last for between months or years to make life so unbearable, such a burden.
Breaking the Stigma: Why It’s Crucial
Imagine you are at dinner enjoying your meal, and suddenly, your friend invokes, ‘Well, I am going to see a shrink.’ Everyone freezes. However, to this date, mental health is something that is considered in many societies as somewhat shameful, and so people cannot talk about it.
Harvard Business Review also ascertained that 60% of employees fail to disclose their condition to their employer. Such prejudice can prevent a person from seeking assistance, or even realizing that he or she may need it. But here’s the kicker: Mental health is as important as physical health and it should not be shameful to talk about it like people have.
A number of Hollywood film stars exercise more intent on revealing the actuality of depression and anxiety, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Lady Gaga. The more people talk, the more mental health is being discussed and normalized and, thus, more people can accept it.
Practical Tips for Maintaining Mental Well-Being
Just like you feed your body, it is time that you feed your mind also in order to keep it fit. No worries here you will not be forced to run a marathon or embark on a juicing fasting frenzy. Here are a few practical tips to keep your mind in top shape:
- Mindfulness & Meditation: Calming your mind through deep breathing or meditation, even five minutes a day, can help in reducing stress levels. There are many mental health apps today that help with meditation and mindfulness.
- Exercise: Just like taking a leisurely stroll in a park or more rigorous exercise has the effect of improving people’s moods.
- Prioritize Sleep: One has to ensure that he or she follows sleep hygiene since poor sleep can increase anxiety and depression.
When and How to Seek Professional Help
Most of the time, no matter what efforts one may employ, the act of maintaining one’s health might be a very rigorous task. Thus, when does one need a professional? The short answer: where the basic functionality of life becomes a problem.
For instance, if you are often worried and you begin to become not interested with activities you used to take pleasure in or avoid social contacts, then you should seek assistance. A qualified mental health professional can give suitable assistance in the form of therapy, counseling, or a prescription. You can also talk to Stella, our AI-powered wellness coach to help you get the right support and guidance.
A lot of you might feel uncomfortable about the idea of speaking to a therapist; allow me to remind you that seeking help is the most courageous action one can take. In the words of Dr. Brené Brown ‘vulnerability is not about winning or losing it is about having the guts to turn up to play when we have no control over whether we will lose or not’.
Conclusion: Moving Towards a Healthier Mindset
Therefore, mental health is not an illness that one gets diagnosed and treated, and the problem never arises again. It is a journey that does not have the sort of conclusion that is associated with diets or exercise programs. As Maya Angelou said: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them”.
There is no better time than the present to begin the mental health discussion and serve as a catalyst for change.
