World Mental Health Day 2022: Why Is Mental Health As Important As Physical Health?

"Make mental health for all a global priority" is the theme for celebrating World Mental Health Day this year. WHO kept up this theme as COVID-19 has severely disturbed mental health services, resulting in increased mental problems globally.

We are celebrating World Mental Health Day 2022 on 10 October and it is a time to revitalize our efforts to spread mental health awareness among communities. What is mental health and why does it matter for overall well-being? Mental health is a very important component of overall health because it increases the risk for many other diseases. It is one of the maximum essential issues which we usually ignore.

What Is Mental Health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”¹ Our mind affects our thinking, feelings, and actions as well. It defines how we make choices in life and how we act in any stressful situation. Moreover, it refers to the way how we feel about ourselves, our relationships, and other things around us. Any of us can experience emotions and feelings of turmoil over a lifetime.

Why Is It Important?

There is no well-being without mental health. Maintaining mental health is crucial to enjoying life. Having a positive mind enables us to stabilize our emotions and behavior so that we can cope better with stressful situations. We become a better version of ourselves and happily start enjoying our life. Moreover, a healthy mind helps us to;

· Cope with stresses

· Have good relations

· Realises own strengths and weaknesses

· Be physically healthy

· Be productive

Worrying Facts That We Don’t Know

There are many surprising mental health facts we should know;

1. One in 8 people lives with mental health conditions around the globe.

2. One person dies from suicide every 40 seconds.

3. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-29 years.

4. 25 % increase has been noted in the frequency of anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19.

5. About half of the mental disorders start before the age of 14.

Factors Cause Mental Problems

Mental health has affected all strata of society. There are many factors or triggers that could lead us to develop mental health issues. At the start, we may just experience issues with our mental conditions occasionally. But, it turns into a mental disease when the number of things increases in pressure on our mind, it starts breaking down our ability to lead a normal happy life. like money issues, illness, relationship break-up, mental assault, chronic conditions, abuse, disaster, violence, and many more often contribute to mental illness. Constant failures, stressful lifestyles, and the desire to do better than others lead to depressive disorders. Moreover, it doesn’t have a single reason but, a number of factors may contribute to increasing the risk of mental illness. While being overly busy in daily life routines also leads to the risk of mental problems.

We Should Not Ignore Early Warning Signs

When it comes to mental health, it is hard to know what is normal and what is not. While every case is different, there are some common warning signs that may help us to understand that anyone may have some mental issues;

· Feeling excessive stressful, unhappy or low

· Changes in emotions

· Cut off yourself from the people

· Extreme mood swings & anger

· Changes in your sleeping pattern

· Disturbed appetite

· Drastic changes in your eating habits

· Withdrawing from the activities you enjoy earlier

· Sudden weight changes

· Confusing behavior

· Difficulty in interacting and concentrating

· Feeling Hopeless and helpless

· Feeling scared, upset, worried

· Problems in relationships

· Intense emotions

· Difficulty in interaction

· Not able to do routine duties like cooking, physical training, etc.

· Feeling low or nothing matters anymore

· Having body pain and aches

At the extreme level, start believing in things that are not real, hearing voices, and thinking of suicide or harming yourself and others.

Identifying the warning signs of your mental condition will help you know when you need to go to a professional for getting a diagnosis done. For many, early diagnosis may help to improve emotional well-being easily. Therefore, you can download Dr Trust360 App one of the best online health app for making personal health monitoring easier. While choosing a diet plan help to take your health to next level.

Stepping Stones of Good Mental Health

When trying to recover your mental condition, follow these steps as they contribute to quality mental health:

Lean on each other

This is really very important! Helping out each other makes us valued and need. It boosts our confidence and self-esteem which is a crucial element in protection and recovery. Just listen to each other and don’t be judgmental. So, it means family, friends, and relationships can make all the difference!

Recognizing the Root Cause

Know the root source of your mental problems. For example, some core beliefs and life events like trauma, embarrassment, violence, family issues, heartbreak, and death, etc. change the way how you think and behave in life. These events also shape our life perspective. Also, we humans are weird as always craving for secure attachments with each other.  As much as we need water and oxygen we also seek out comfort and attention.

Be vocal To Reduce the Stigma

Talking about mental health openly is the best way to prevent stigma. Talk openly about it and related issues including depression, anxiety, and others in groups and communities. There is no need to pretend to be okay about everything every time.

Educate Each Other

Misinformation and stigma about this treatable illness have made it difficult for people to seek help.  Awareness is important to develop an understanding of mental health issues because of the lack of knowledge and misconceptions we suffer in silence and avoid going for treatment. Try to share resources that can help in treatment and recovery.

Be an Ally

There are plenty of ways to be a supporter! Try to create a safe environment where sufferers feel safe to talk and share their stories comfortably. Listen with empathy and always ask people how you can help them. When talking to each be mindful of your language and don’t use harsh words. Appreciate people around who battled mental disorders.

Tips To Navigate Your Mental Health Challenges

Want to feel better? Here are tips to help with day-to-day challenges.

· Be social and make connections with people as they energize you and help you to boost your mood.

· Stay physically active. Regular exercise and training or any other related activities like walking, or yoga impact your emotional health positively.

· Eat foods that support your mental health. Add fresh fruits, vegetables, avocados, beans, leafy green vegetables, almonds, and omega -3 to boost your mood.

· Learn new skills and keep yourself busy.

· If you are stressed, worried, and scared talk to someone who can calm your nervous system.

· Do repetition of relaxation practices like deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and others.

· Take your leisure time and pay attention to the positive things in your life.

· Always remember the positives of your life and consider doing the things that rejuvenate your body and mind.

· Help others and find the purpose of your life.

Knowing our brain is like opening a Pandora's Box. There are many things that we have yet to know about our minds. It works continuously and we cannot control it.  Even our success and failure all depends upon our mind and thoughts. Only a healthy mind can help us to lead a successful life. So, maintaining a healthy mind and treating any mental health conditions is essential to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Take care of taking care of your own mental health!

Get help when needed as there are many resources and helplines available to help 24/7.