Good mental health is…
IS your mental health in check? In the same way you’d think about having a scrumptious meal when you’re hungry, getting your mental health in order as soon as you wake up in the mornings should be top priority. The World Health Organization (WHO) says in recent years there has been increasing acknowledgement of the important role mental health plays in achieving development and personal goals.
“Mental health is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other, earn a living and enjoy life. On this basis, the promotion, protection and restoration of mental health can be regarded as a vital concern of individuals, communities and societies throughout the world,” WHO said.
Add in the uncertainties of the pandemic and fear, worry, and stress have become a normal part of many people’s daily lives. What has helped you overcome? We pitched the question to a few readers and their responses are outlined below:
Rashida, 26, social media manager:
The first thing I did to help my mental health was to create a morning routine. A great morning often leads to a great day for me, so I tried to start each day at the same time. Being at home most of the time started off well in March 2020, but that slowly but surely went downhill. I had to do something different to get myself out of a funk, and that was having my morning routine and a different one for night-time. My routine includes waking up no later than 7:00 am in the week, having some water first thing in the morning, opening all the windows in my room, and eating breakfast and showering by 9:00 am — that is the start to a great day for me. I also decided I’d have nothing to do with work after 6:00 pm, so I’d have ‘me time’ to work on personal projects and things I’m passionate about. I also decorated my room. I turned it into my happy place, seeing that it was my office by day, thanks to work from home, and the place I frequented the most at home.
Kemarley, 30, business owner:
I find that I’m increasingly stressed about providing for my family. I just started my business and, while it’s doing well, we had just bought a home when the pandemic started, and a few months into it my wife’s company cut her salary, and she was pregnant. I had to become the main breadwinner and cover all the bills, which increased each month. Going to church has helped my mental health. Whether it’s remotely or in person, just hearing the messages of hope has helped a lot. Even when we didn’t have money we had faith that things would get better, and they have.
Antonette, 21, student:
Fantasy fiction — whether it’s a book, movie or TV series, this genre of content helps preserve my mental health by reducing my stress levels, temporarily distracting me from internal struggles, and often motivates me to keep going. This type of content entertains me while giving me a welcomed break from all the negativity that exists in the real world. The genre also provides unusual insights that help me to find new approaches to my daily challenges.
Keyla, 22, customer service agent:
I began having negative thoughts, like not wanting to be here anymore, so that pushed me to get out of that mental state, and I did. Something that has helped my mental health is the relationship I am building with God. If it is the case where I’m sad, depressed or even happy, I’ll take up my Bible and read and say a short prayer. That always puts me in a different mood because I know God can get me through anything.
Rasheedah, 23, PR and communications officer:
During the novel coronavirus pandemic, work has helped my mental health. That’s not my 9-5 job but, instead, the work that I do outside of that through which I am involved in production with church or when I am in my own space doing some form of filming and post-production editing. It relaxes me and at the same time gives me a sense of peace, accomplishment and joy. There are many times when I have felt overwhelmed with the isolation due to the pandemic or the stringent routine of going to work and coming home and not necessarily interacting with friends and family members, so that puts a strain on me. With production work, it’s as if everything that was bothering me melts away.
Rashaine, 30, real time analyst:
I am currently doing counselling and I use medical marijuana, music, movies and games to work on my mental health, as I’ve been diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
Demetry, 22, entrepreneur:
Something that has helped my mental health would be celebrating and being appreciative of the ‘small wins’. There was a time when I would have set goals for myself to achieve by a certain time and if I didn’t, I’d always beat myself up about it. Social media has a lot to do with bad mental health too because you’re there trying to compare your growth with others when your stories, goals and journeys aren’t the same. So, I found out that it’s best to aim big in my goals but have smaller goals that would help me to achieve the big ones. No matter how small the impact might seem at the time, I’d always reassure myself that I was one step closer to that goal, and that has really helped my mental health a lot — coming from the point of suffering with depression and anxiety which most people wouldn’t know because as men, we don’t talk about it much.
