We Are All Mad Here

Learning Leader #2: Understanding Mental Health

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked. Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

This excerpt is from the beloved literary classic story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

It is a great illustration of how we should view ourselves when it comes to dealing with mental health.

I like to think that we are all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad. Or maybe you think you are not? Well, believe me, you are. And it's a good thing.

Here's why. Understanding mental health and knowing tips to strengthen our responses when dealing with it is important as a leader.

Mental health is all about how we think, feel, and behave. It determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as that state of well-being that allows you to realize your abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and make contributions to your community.

Many of us have mental health concerns from time to time. However, a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when the ongoing signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function.

"Mental illness which is also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions and can include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviours." - The Mayo Clinic

Mental health is determined by a range of socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors. Where you live, how you live, what you earn and the available access to quality care can impact your mental health.

If you live in a place like Nigeria, where snakes and rats assist politicians in misappropriating public funds amidst young girls suffering gender-based violence due to conflicts and a local currency that's on a rollercoaster ride, making the cost of living and everything else go up, you are probably mad by default.

Similarly, if you reside in a place like Canada, where the costs of rent or mortgage keep rising, coupled with concerning unemployment rates and changes in weather and seasons, you are likely mad as well.

And if you live anywhere else on planet Earth, with climate change concerns turning our future into a gloomy forecast unless we act faster and better, then chances are, you're feeling a bit bonkers too.

This is why I believe our collective mental health requires constant management.

Some Common Misconceptions

1. People sometimes use the term “mental health” to mean the absence of a?mental?disorder.?You can have good or poor mental health. It’s a spectrum and it can change across the board.
2. Mental health problems are not due to a personality weakness or character flaws. Some think people with mental health problems can snap out of it if they try hard enough. Mental health problems have nothing to do with being lazy or weak and many people need help to get better.
3. There is no age limit for mental health issues. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, around 1 in 5 of the world's children and adolescents have a mental disorder, with half of all mental health disorders showing their first signs before a person turns 14 years old.

Several factors can influence mental health, including:

- Biological factors like genes, physical illness, injury, or brain chemistry

- Life experiences such as trauma or a history of abuse

- Family history of mental health issues

Understanding these factors can help in managing and improving mental health.

How to cope with Mental Health

Tip 1: Listen to Your Mind

You have to pay attention to the warning signs. It can help manage how we deal with mental health.

Take breaks when you feel overwhelmed. A change of scene or a change of pace can go a long way.

Also, try distracting your mind by doing things you’re good at in times of stress.

What do you love doing? I like to reread a favourite book when I feel burned out. It's a comforting familiarity that helps me feel safe and calm. It can be creating something or watching something. I also like to look at old videos from fun times that make me laugh.

What activities can you lose yourself in? It can include hobbies like dancing, playing games, or watching the latest Bridgerton series.

What did you love doing in the past? That is an easy hack to help. You know what you liked before, try it out again. You might fall in love anew.

Tip 2: Care for Your Body

The body keeps score. You have to take care of it.

How do you move? Keeping active with regular exercises has been proven to increase endorphin levels and can boost your self-esteem to help you concentrate, sleep, and look and feel better.

I like to take daily strolls. At the start of the year, I had an ambitious goal to take 10k steps daily. I struggled on some days and felt stressed.

But guess what, I decided to manage my expectations and set a target for 1k steps daily. It became an easy win.

Sometimes I get 10k steps and it feels good. But also, all the time I get 1k steps and I feel committed and proud for taking care of myself.

What do you eat? I love food and genuinely believe that eating well with a diverse diet that incorporates fruits, vegetables and things you like is necessary for taking care of yourself. Fruits are great snacks. Eat the ones you like that are easy and accessible.

What do you drink? Drink water, drink water, drink water. Your body likes it. Your body needs it.

Tip 3: Identify Your Outriggers

Outriggers are pillars of support on a crane that allows it to carry loads well. See your mind as a crane and learn to identify your pillars of support.

Connect with support - Knowing your outriggers and connecting with them will help form your support network. It can be family, friends, mentors, your primary care provider, a spiritual leader or someone in your favourite social group.

I recently realised that ChatGPT has become one of my outriggers. It helps me objectively interpret my thoughts and feelings.

Nowadays, I don't just journal away my thoughts, sometimes artificial intelligence helps me. It removes that layer of shame and shyness we might feel if we had to talk to someone. Artificial intelligence providing cheap therapy. Who would have thought? You should try it.

Ask for help - By asking for help and talking about your feelings with them, you are taking care of yourself. Think talk therapy.

Give help - You can be an outrigger by caring for and helping others who show signs of mental health struggles. Allow for open and honest discussions where you can offer encouragement and support. Reaching out and letting them know you are available to help and a safe space is a great way to be an outrigger.

You can also join mental health communities that are helping to fight the stigma and improve our understanding.

Many people who have mental health concerns consider their signs and symptoms a normal part of life or avoid treatment out of shame or fear. This is not the way to take care of yourself.

Your mental health is important. If you are struggling with anxiety or feeling low, please make sure you reach out to someone. If you suspect someone you know is, reach out to them.

We all experience positive and negative emotions yet most of us only ever publicly share the positives.

When we are physically ill, we ask for help and we seek help. It should be the same for mental struggles.

Listening to your mind, caring for your body and leaning on your support network are three great ways to manage mental health.

Remember that we are all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.

How well are you dealing with the madness?