Simple changes for better mental health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) observes World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. The theme of this year set by the World Federation for Mental Health is "Mental Health in An Unequal World".

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, from the very beginning under such uncertain and unprecedented times, throughout the world, they have been tracing its influence on people's mental health. According to scientific research, people suffering the most are those who were already facing significant challenges in the past – people with long-term health conditions both physical and mental, or facing discrimination, separation, or parenting on their own. Time has come to truly work in collaboration with others to help those people who have been hardest hit.

World Mental Health Day is a great opportunity for us to converse about mental health generally and openly. We all must know how we need to look after it and most preferably understand how important it is to share our thoughts and feelings about good mental health, if necessary get adequate help if someone is truly struggling or suffering.

What we believe is - Self Care is the Best Care! It’s imperative to take care of yourself first, get the most from life and then help others. To look after our mental health and wellbeing, stating 11 practical steps. Making very simple changes to how you live a better life doesn’t need to require a fortune or take up loads of time. Then why not start today?

1st - Talk about your feelings

Talking about your thoughts and feelings with the right person can assist you to stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel anxious or down.

2nd - Keep going, remain active

Regular exercise or walking can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and feel better. Any sort of physical activity like exercise, yoga, or Tai Chi keeps the brain and our other vital organs healthy. It is also a necessary benefit towards improving our mental health.

3rd - Keep in touch with your loved ones especially those who possess a good soul

There’s nothing more enjoyable than catching up with someone face to face though that’s not always possible. In that case, better give them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open and sensible: it’s good for us and our mental health.

4th - Maintain a healthy diet, eat well

To remain healthy and function smoothly, our brain needs a mixture of nutrients. A diet that’s good for our physical health is also good for our mental health and wellbeing too.

5th - Drink sensibly

Drink plenty of plain water. Avoid soft drinks as much as possible.

Some people often drink alcohol to change their mood. Others drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only momentary. When the effect of drink fades off, a person starts to feel more distressed. And the reason is very simple. Alcohol gradually affects our brain and the rest of our bodies. So drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.

6th - Take a break from everything, give yourself Some ‘Me Time’

Any change of flow, moment, activity, or change of pace or movement is conducive to our mental health. To do so, take a five-minute pause to clean your kitchen or maybe the toilet, a half an hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring a new place or somewhere where you have been earlier and derived immense pleasure. Honestly, a few moments of doing something else can be sufficient to de-stress yourself!

7th - Do something you’re capable of

Ask yourself - What do you love doing most? What excites you to derive pleasure? What sort of activities can you lose yourself in? What did you prefer doing in the past? Enjoying yourself can help reduce stress. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, and achieving something boosts your self-confidence and productivity.

8th - Seek help

None of us are superhuman or extraordinary! We all sometimes get tired or confused or even overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go according to our plans and wishes. If things are getting too much for us and we feel we can’t cope, simply ask for help without any hesitation. Your family or friends may be able to offer practical help or pay a listening ear. Nowadays Mental Health Care services are also there to help you out. Just do not hesitate to reach or visit a reliable resource.

9th - Accept who you are, love yourself unconditionally

No one is the same, person to person varies. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re UNIQUE than to hope you were more like someone else. Feel genuine about yourself, accept the way you boost your confidence to learn new skills, make new friends, and so on. Good self-respect and confidence can help us cope when life takes a difficult turn.

10th - Be compassionate

Having empathy and sympathy for others are very crucial. Empathy involves putting yourself in another person's shoes and understanding WHY they may have particular kinds of feelings or behavior. To become aware of the root cause of why a person feels or acts the way they do, we can better understand and provide healthier options. on the other hand, sympathy involves understanding from your own viewpoint. Caring for others is often an essential element of maintaining better relationships with people close to your heart. It can even bring you closer together. True friends and passionate family members can play vital roles under such circumstances. We need to develop the aptitude to help each other, be compassionate whenever we can, and so it’s a two-way street! Remember supporting others during their crises in one way or another uplift yourself too.

11th - Practise mindfulness regularly

To manage our overall wellbeing and mental health, mindfulness can be used as a very powerful tool. Mindfulness is recommended as a treatment even for some people who experience common mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s also for those who simply want to improve their mental health and wellness. Anyone can learn and practise mindfulness: children, young people, and adults, and there's no age limit! At a certain point, we all go through times when we feel stressed or scared or for no reason, simply down. Though research is still going on, evidence has recommended the gain of mindfulness to optimum health and wellbeing, with results showing positive impacts on several aspects of whole-person health which we call holistic approach, including the mind, the brain, the body, and behaviour as well as a person’s relationships with others.

To build mindfulness into our everyday life, we can practise varied relaxation techniques like breathing, count down deepening exercises, body scan, guided imagery, mindfulness meditation and so on. These techniques can be applied only for 5 to 15 minutes a day to empower yourself and to know that we can control our reactions and feelings in any situation without others even being aware of it.

* Sabrina Haque, holistic counsellor and certified healer (USA), is visiting consultant at Beacon Point – the top rated internationally acclaimed and ISO Certified Rehabilitation Centre in Bangladesh