“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha
On 10th October, 2022– World Mental Health Day, this year, we take a moment to understand and acknowledge mental health. Mental Health is the barometer by which individuals measure their well being and their ability to work, learn and contribute to their community. World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy to eradicate all social stigma associated with mental disorders. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global organisation with members and contacts in more than 150 countries
What is Mental Health and Wellbeing?
Mental health wellbeing can be both subjective and objective. Not only does it describe the mental state but is also related to physical health. WHO defines mental health as a state of mental and psychological wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, 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. It is also determined by a range of socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors and an individual’s responses to triggers and uncertainties in life.
Importance of Mental Health
Both mental and physical health are equally important parts that contribute to overall good health. Any mental disorder can preempt and give rise to a physical illness. Example – having depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Impact of Covid-19
Whilst mental illnesses have always plagued us in some form or another, the Covid-19 pandemic saw an upsurge of mental health issues that gave rise to several other health issues that were unique to the pandemic. The state of existence created due to the pandemic, such as– working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues took a considerable amount of time to get accustomed to.
Embracing these changes which came on suddenly due to the pandemic and then rapidly adapting and adjusting lifestyles and routines to accommodate these changes plus managing the fear of contracting the virus, were a challenging time for all of us. And they can be especially difficult for people preexisting with mental health conditions to handle.
The aftermath of the pandemic saw the rise and acknowledgement of complex mental health issues such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. This in turn has created an acute need for newer and innovative mental health care tools including wearables and digital interventions. The effects of the pandemic have highlighted and emphasised the need for increased access to mental health care with a greater focus on early intervention and prevention of serious illness.
What’s Important for Mental Health Wellbeing
Mental health wellbeing describes our mental state – how we are feeling and how well we can cope with day-to-day life. Promoting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is important for employees, their employers, society and the economy. This is because poor mental health impacts individuals’ overall health, their ability to work productively, affects their relationships with others, and shows substantial downfall to overall personality, mental health and social conduct.
Mental Health and the Workplace
Work-related stress, as defined by the WHO, is the response people may have when presented with demands and pressures not perfectly matched to their abilities leading to an inability to cope. This creates despair and imbalance in a person’s consciousness. Research shows a strong connection between mental health disorders and decreased work productivity. Treatment for conditions like depression has confirmed the positive and significant benefits to improved productivity.
Providing a range of policies, resources, and management training that foster a healthy and flexible work culture are fundamental strategies for supporting employee mental health. Enhancing employees’ mental well-being is an important and non-negotiable issue that an organization’s management and leadership should not ignore. It requires strategic investments of time and money.
The steps taken to better support employees in their work and in their personal lives empower them to thrive healthily and show all round progress in their lives, thus ensuring the long-term health and success of both employees and the organisation.
Activities for Better Mental Health
- Connect with other people – don’t isolate yourself. Meet people and ensure that you have healthy and productive conversations with family, friends and colleagues. Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing.
- Be physically active – indulge in a form of fitness that resonates with you. Being physically active and having some exercise routine on a regular basis is a great booster for mental health.
- Learn new skills.- keep mentally healthy by learning new things. When the mind is exercised and challenged with new skills, its nourishing food for the brain which gives a healthier mental outlook.
- Stay in the present moment – enjoy life on a daily basis and do not stress about a future that cannot been, seen, predicted or known.
- Get plenty of sleep – get close to 8 hours of sleep per night. A good night’s sleep refreshes and rejuvenates minds and bodies, which automatically helps elevate moods and better mental health.
Final Thoughts
Caring for mental health wellness involves collaboration and unity of all stakeholders to work together to deepen the value and commitment given to mental well being. It requires reshaping mindsets, social environments and strengthening of systems and policies that play a major role in mental health care. Once the commitment to take care of mental health is in place, then you’re ready for any challenges life throws at you.
This World Mental Health Day, we at Smile Foundation, pledge to put peace first.
