Mental health is the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of a person. It affects how a person thinks, feels, reacts to situations, relates to others, and makes decisions.
All these happen with the coordination of the brain.
Like the other aspects of health, it is subjected to challenges and illnesses like; Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, dissociation, bipolar disorder, insomnia, addiction, and substance abuse.
Some activities and situations are a threat to mental health;
- Childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect
- Social isolation or loneliness
- Discrimination and stigma
- Poverty or debt
- Bereavement
- Long-term physical health challenge.
Mental health can be enhanced, it can be improved and mental disorders can be avoided. So how can one stay mentally healthy?
•Eat well: Your brain needs a balanced mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function
• Drink sensibly: Drinking alcohol to change one’s mood or deal with fear and loneliness has a temporal effect. Don’t depend on alcohol for solutions to problems.
• Do something you are good at What do you love doing? Enjoying yourself doing what you love doing can help beat stress boosting your self-esteem.
• Keep active: Regular exercise can boost your esteem and help you stay concentrated, sleep well and feel better.
• Talk about your feelings when troubled
• Take a break: A change of scene or space is good for mental health( taking just 5 minutes off activity for something else is helpful )
• Ask for help: No one is superhuman so asking for help is not a sign of weakness. We all need help at any point in life.
• Keep in touch: Talking face to face with people, dropping a note, and making a call keeps communication lines open and helps you open up to someone easily.
In a world where many things are happening one’s sanity needs to be prioritized.
