Health Shots InFocus: Mind Your Mental Health

“I am so stressed!” “This is so depressing!” Don’t these phrases come up more often than they should in our conversations nowadays? People are finally finding ways to acknowledge how life experiences affect mental health. Welcome to Health Shots InFocus, where we will zoom into the importance of minding our mental health.

It’s not a subject I haven’t picked earlier, but the World Mental Health Day 2023 just went by. The barrage of social media posts by every second or third person on my newsfeeds across Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, rubbed in how almost everyone is dealing with their own mental health battle behind the visible gloss. That’s what makes mental health issues dangerous – the fact that sometimes it may not show and how people usually don’t tell due to the stigma that surrounds these matters.

ThIs World Mental Health Day, the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right’ urged people and communities to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right. As per World Health Organization statistics, 1 in 8 people globally are living with mental health conditions – a number that is enough of a call to action.

Acknowledging that you may have a genuine mental health issue rather than diluting the importance by dismissing one random trigger as “stress”, can help you take the first step towards a better mindspace. Once you have acknowledged it, don’t sit over it. Talk to people around you or seek professional therapy. Sometimes, talking to a stranger without feeling judged can put your mind at ease. A lot of experts suggest that indulging in a routine of breathing exercises can go a long way in calming your nerves, or you could try art therapy (https://www.healthshots.com/mind/mental-health/art-therapy-for-stress/) too!

Find these and more such nuggets on mental health on Health Shots. We have also launched a new video series, Mind Your Mental Health with Arouba Kabir. The wellness coach and counsellor will dish out easy ways to handle key mental health conditions that the youth commonly experiences these days. Sharing the first episode here for you (https://www.healthshots.com/video/mind-your-mental-health-how-to-manage-anxiety/), dear readers!