Hi There!
Thank you for holding on while I get a hold of things as we all embark on this journey. I am particularly delighted to use this platform to reach you with intentionally curated content on mental health! The best part of it is that you get to receive it right in your inbox! I really look forward to this journey. Before I go on, I’d like you to subscribe to my blog and share this piece or even recommend it to your friends and family, using the buttons below.
Now to the Matter- Mental health!
MedicalNewsToday says “mental health refers to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. People sometimes use the term “mental health” to mean the absence of a mental disorder.”
Mental health is pivotal to life, daily living, relationship, and even physical health. This is to say that it affects these live domains in significant ways and vice versa.
This is supported by WHO’s view of it as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
The implication of the above definition is that mental health is “more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.” Optimum mental health is not just about avoiding active conditions that are counterproductive but also looking after ongoing wellness and happiness.
When we conceptualise it this way, we realise that mental health is key not just to physical health, but to our general wellbeing. It is the reason why you are able to leave bed every morning and begin the day. It is the reason why you set goals and pursue and achieve them. It is also responsible for how you see, enjoy and live life. it is also the basis of your everyday decisions. It practically drives your life.
If so, then watching out for your mental health should be a priority for you. You need to strive to achieve a balance in your life activities, responsibilities, and psychological health.
In the United States, the National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that almost 1 in 5 adults experience mental health problems each year. I don’t want to even imagine the stats here in Nigeria. It might just be worse! But how can we know this? We do not even have recorded stats, to begin with. Maybe that is why we trivialise our mental health in this part of the World. And I can argue that all Nigerians are traumatised, either mildly, moderately or severely. But that is a discussion for another day.
For now, it beckons on you to take charge of your mental health. Prioritise your mind space and ensure that is it healthy at all times. Take breaks. Evaluate. Be intentional about achieving balance in your life activities.
This would be my counsel for now. Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear from you in the comment box. I am looking forward to writing to you again.