Watch Out for Your Mental Health
There has been increased mental health issues between 2019 and 2023 amongst the 16–39-year-old age group. How then can we care for our mental health? Read here!
What is mental health and what do you know about mental health? As defined by World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is the state of mental well-being that enables people to deal with life’s stresses, realise their abilities, learn and/or work well, and contribute to community. Mental health awareness has garnered increased attention over the years, whereby it has become recognised as an important aspect of health. Unfortunately, this has been a result of increased mental health issues between 2019 and 2023, amongst the 16–39-year-old age group.
How then can we care for our mental health? Read on to find out more.
Get active
An answer to the “How to take care of mental health?” question is to get active. Many of us spend long hours at our work desks in a day. That often means we are glued to our screens and chairs in those times, with limited movement. Movement or exercises release hormones that boosts our moods. Those help to reduce stress and negative emotions that we may feel from the day, hindering us from enjoying life as it is.
If the thought of an intense exercise frightens you, start small by taking a 10-minute walk. Then you could build it up to a 30-minute walk. You could also sign up for simple exercise classes, where you could also meet others. Not only would you improve your physical activity, but you could also expand your social circle as well. So, find something active that you like!
Get rest
Besides getting active and exercising, it is important that we have enough rest. This may be contrary to the last point, but hear us out! When deadlines are pressing, we may need to stay longer to finish up our work. However, if you are faced with a block, it would be best to take a short break – take a breath of fresh air with a walk, have a snack, or take your mind off your work for a while. You resume your work feeling more refreshed or inspired.
Besides that, ensure to get enough sleep. It is recommended to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night for adults, as it is beneficial for overall health as well. If your schedule and savings allow, consider taking a holiday – it matters not where you go; so long as you’re able to break away from your daily routine.
Get creative
Next, be it through exercising or sleep, stress needs to be relieved to care for your mental health. Sometimes, what we need to do is to get creative or create. You can sign yourself up for a workshop that enables you to bring out your creativity – pottery, crocheting, baking and batik painting have been trending lately.
However, those activities can be costly. If you’re tight on budget, you could also pick up some colouring books for adults and a set of colour pencils, learn to draw, or fold origami through online tutorials. Although those activities may sound childish, they may positively improve your adult life!
Get help
In life, there will be worries and different people deal with them differently. Most times, people would ensure their finances and protection are taken care of. But when you begin to feel mentally burdened and anxious, it is important to ask for help as keeping it to yourself can become detrimental. Reach out to a trusted friend or a support group to voice your thoughts and troubles. At times, talking things out helps to organise and clear your thoughts and emotions.
Additionally, if those intense emotions persist or take a toll on your mental state, visiting a counsellor would be the next best option. It will be a judgment-free zone for you to unpack your worries and feelings.
All in all, the best we can do is to care for our mental health by ensuring we have sufficiently active lifestyles, good rest, a creative outlet, and people to talk to about our troubles. It is important to note that there are many types of mental health disorders, and with varying intensities as well. What causes mental illness can be lifestyle, personal experiences, social status, stress, etc. – and there is no one size fits-all solution. However, with increased importance of mental health awareness, there should be no shame or stigma in seeking ways to alleviate the stresses of the modern day demands. So, let’s all be mindful of the needs of our bodies and minds!