All of our lives, we’ve been told that we should take care of ourselves. What does that mean? Well, we should eat healthy food, workout and go for long walks. These activities are physical, therefore this is what you should do to keep yourself healthy from a physical point of view.
What about mental health? How many people talk about how to take care of our mind and of our mental health? Sadly, not so many. It is a topic that has been dismissed for ages and there doesn’t seem to be a change. So, with that in mind, let’s think of the importance of mental health awareness in our lives.
The impact of mental health
Although people tend to take them separately, mental health and physical health can rarely exist separately. And, not to mention, when it comes to children, this is extremely important: it is a decisive factor! If a child doesn’t receive help and his mental illness is dismissed, his development will be arrested he won’t grow into a functional adult.
I think that children should be taught about this in schools from a very young age (with the terminology which is suited for their age, obviously), because not all of them come from loving, nurturing homes and I think that everyone deserves to have a chance at life. Moreover, their academic performance will increase, so it’s a win win situation!
The stigmas of mental health and how to stop them
Many people don’t take mental health seriously and they underestimate its impact. For example, if someone has depression, most people may say “Depression? They’re just sad!”. Or if someone’s anxious, people tend to brush it off by saying “Come on, cut it out, it’s not a big deal!”.
These can have a huge impact on someone who has a mental illness. They may feel like no one cares about them or that they can’t talk to anyone, which only worsens their illness. And this can lead to tragic events which could have been avoidable.
So what should we do?
First things first, we shouldn’t dismiss the impact of a mental illness. If our friends show signs of anxiety and/or depression, we should be tolerant and encourage them to speak about them. Communication is, has always been and will always be the key. If they speak up, they may feel better in the long run and they will know how to deal with these things.
It’s important to know about your mental health, its awareness and how to care about yourself when it comes to this. If you struggle with your mental health, don’t be afraid to talk to someone about it. You’ll see that it will do wonders for you.
