Mental well-being is a description of your mental state- emotionally, psychologically and socially. Good mental health means thriving and being productive, not just the absence of illness.

It also means that you are able to cope with all the normal stressors of life and even able to contribute efficiently to society. Mental health and wellbeing is dynamic in nature and can vary from person to person over a period of time.

Fuel Your Body, Fuel Your Mental Well-Being

Our brain is always ‘alive’ and working, taking care of essential internal activities such as breathing and keeping the heart beating. Just like fuel to engine, the brain needs its own fuel that comes from the food that we consume.

Therefore, we are, quite literally, what we eat!

It goes without saying that being in good physical health contributes to better mental well-being. It gives you ample energy to get through the day; even adding exercising and keeping your body active- which has been found to reduce anxiety and depression. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better at night, decreasing the likelihood of developing stress symptoms.

Stress Management: Tame the Chaos

Stressors can come from different sources depending on where, who and what we engage with, in our daily lives. A major contributor to mental health issues is stress, which if gone untreated, carry the risk of developing into complex mental disorders. Stress management techniques vary from person to person because we all experience stress differently and thus, deal with it differently.

A key step in stress management is identifying the source of stress and coping with it using methods like breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation techniques, and exercise. These techniques allow us to be calm in the face of adversity, build resilience and even develop healthy coping strategies.

It is advisable to completely eliminate the source of stress whenever possible, for example, ending an abusive relationship or quitting a job that is causing too much stress.

Setting Goals that Nurture Mental Well-Being

Life goals change as we grow older. We go from wanting to be a superhero as children to aspiring to be an engineer or writer. However, as adults, we often set unattainable goals that lead to fatigue and burnout.

Sometimes, we aim too high without fully understanding our capabilities and feel discouraged when we don’t achieve them. By setting smaller, realistic, and manageable goals based on our abilities, we increase our chances of success and stay motivated.

Break the Monotony and Refresh Your Mental Well-Being

A vacation to an exotic island, a trip around the world, going to a concert, taking your family or friends to a new restaurant, trying out a new look,  even just reading a new book. Changes, small or big, can have a positive impact on your mental health.

A monotonous life can harm the brain, leading to a decline in cognitive functioning. Sometimes it can lead to boredom and loneliness or even depression.

Taking the time to unwind and do something that breaks the monotony will positively impact your mental well-being; like a breath of fresh air, your brain will automatically register new activity and increase performance.

Socializing for Better Mental Well-Being

We, as social animals, are attracted to building relationships and strive for companionship. Support systems hold immense value in the psychology of a person. Surrounding yourself with people you enjoy, those who share your thoughts and experiences, or even those who challenge you, is key to maintaining stable mental health.

You can also practice socializing through altruism by giving yourself to society, such as volunteering at community events. This creates a sense of belonging, which is essential for personal growth, boosting self-esteem, and discovering your identity.

Find an outlet

Some people like to write, some like to paint, some like to make music while others might enjoy pottery, sculpting, and an endless number of hobbies. All these are potential outlets for healthy venting.

Doing whatever makes you feel good about yourself, anything that calms you down when you feel agitated or stressed can be very therapeutic.

Seeking Help for Mental Well-Being

The most important step in taking care of your own mental well-being is knowing when you need help and realizing you need help. It is fair to say that we still suffer from stigmatization when it comes to mental health. 

Some fear asking for help, worried it will make them appear weak, while others deny they need help. We sometimes get so focused on being strong for others that we neglect obvious red flags in our own mental health.

When you accept help, you are already on your way to recovery. We should normalize looking out for ourselves because at the end of the day, if we don’t look out for ourselves, who will?

It is important to note that we are all unique human beings and we all deal with issues differently. There is no hard and fast rule about which way is better than the other- some methods may work for you while others may not.

If the need arises, seek professional help as soon as possible and gradually work towards developing a stronger and better mental health.

While these seven strategies can enhance your mental well-being, understanding the foundation of a healthy mindset is equally important. Explore more in our post on what goes into building a healthy mindset.

The post 7 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Well-Being first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.

Think about what you’ve wanted to be as a kid. For most of us, the world was happy and kind and we could be anything we wanted to be. Fast forward and here we are, writing a blog in the middle of a lockdown, reading about “flattening the curve,” and listening to podcasts that list everything wrong with the world.

Such a downer, isn’t it?

We’ve wanted to be medical health professionals to save someone.

We wanted to be educationists to teach someone.

We also wanted to be artists to inspire someone

To be in businesses to help someone

To be politicians to uplift someone.

And we wanted to be in services to assist someone.

But right now, the world feels vague and uncertain. With leaden steps, all that we worked towards is piling up and becoming what I would like to call, TRASH.

We’re still pushed towards a lot of deadlines and expectations that seem meaningless now. What we were taught as children: “to follow our dreams” has gone right into the gutter because all I dream about is larger than life cats that birth humans with whiskers and I’m not even a cat person.

The Hard Truth

What has left me totally flabbergasted is the idea that we have brought these pandemic woes upon ourselves. I mean it’s hard to admit mistakes and own up to what the world says is our own fault. But 3 months into this lockdown and I’m starting to accept this heavy truth. We are terrible at this; at being humans.

Not always, not everyone, but enough to make a global mess.

I don’t speak for everybody and I’ll bet my life on it because even to blog has taken me several years. I’ve always been afraid of what my ideas might sound like to some. I’m not all for “constructive criticism” however immature that makes me sound. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this realization has brought me full circle. Now I’m looking at my own life and see how much time I’ve wasted being bothered by something that is innately us.

Facing the Existential Crisis

The pandemic has forced us to sit with ourselves, and that’s a scary place to be. So, yes, we’re not the best at being humane towards our own species and that’s another problem altogether. But right now, trying to live with a virus that has the power to wipe out humanity has left me in an existential crisis that maybe most of us don’t want to address.

And the only way to come out of this still standing strong is perhaps, take a moment and look at the lives that we’ve created and fostered and nurtured into something so terrible that I’ll bet the devil is even afraid to tempt us anymore.

Maybe pondering upon this thought will push us to do something a little more than pass the blame and live perpetually smacking our heads and gasping at headlines.

It’s not about grand gestures, but small steps towards being kinder, more aware, and maybe just a little less human in all the ways that hurt us.

Just Figuring It Out

It all sounds so dreadful and I sure didn’t think this is how my first blog was gonna go. A Friday afternoon, sitting in the sun, thinking about a cat that birthed humans and writing this almost depressing post about what it is like to be human in 2020.

The post PANDEMIC WOES first appeared on SUNGJEM AIER.