There are days when you are up-beat, energetic, resilient, optimistic, want to achieve more, meet targets, and motivated. And then there are days when you may be gloomy, moody, shy, and feel absolutely no motivation to work. Mental health is a positive concept related to the social and emotional wellbeing of people and communities. Like physical health, mental health is not fixed, it is a process.
Mental health is a continuum for all of us. Imagine a line. Your right end is positive, healthy functioning and on your left end is severe symptoms of mental health. During your lifetime, you may move back and forth on this continuum in response to different situations and stressors. While you go through this process, there are both risk factors and protective factors that influence your mental health. These can be individual, related to family, work, social or other circumstances in life.
Our mental health can be affected by various risk factors like for example, you may have an argument with a family member, or did not meet targets at work. Due to the current lockdown challenges, you may feel lonely because there is very limited social life. On the other hand, there are protective factors that help you stay or become well. Examples are effective communication with your family members, drawing boundaries, time management at work, and keeping your family and friends close, as well as being open and talking to others.
When you identify symptoms of stress, it is best to respond immediately and reach out for help. While there is stigma towards mental health, more and more people are recognizing the importance of mental health and reaching out to professionals.
Mental health professionals, particularly counsellors are often available through workplace to help you deal with various life challenges. When you speak to a counsellor, he or she will help you process these risk factors or stressors and help you develop protective factors and build resilience. You may have reservations about speaking to a stranger about deep personal issues, thoughts and feelings. This maybe the reason some people hesitate to seek help. You can always discuss with a family member. Keep in mind that family and friends listen and give you advice based on their personal experiences or what ‘they’ think might be right for you. Whereas, a counsellor will help you explore all your options, and maybe suggest a few newer ones and give you the space to make your own choice. This will make you feel more confident about the choices you make.
It is never too late to start working on your mental health. Yes, it is difficult, but it important. Take the first step and reach out to a counsellor if you are facing difficulties in dealing with anything in life.
