#FIRST PRIORITY

F- Focus on I- Insightfulness R- Resilience S- Self-care T- Trust yourself

So, I have a question for you all? What is mental health?

Is it okay to just say that I am free from any mental illness? Because mostly this is the only thing, we consider important while addressing or creating awareness about mental health. I have heard a lot from people about mental health and their perspective, which usually is about freedom from mental illness.

Doesn’t it focus on how I am feeling or how a certain incident has impacted me, how is it okay that we are not feeling good or low at times? There are several questions like this.

Mental health is not just about having no illness, but it is much more than that, it is about feeling genuinely happy and satisfied with life, making choices that give you pleasure, our relationships with others, how we handle our stress, emotionally, psychologically, socially, physically, and everything we encounter in our lives.

But the essential part is - the constant need to talk about how we are feeling, how I am not able to handle or manage things in my life, how it's fine to seek help. Feeling low is not just depression, but it may lead to if it continues for long and not addressed on time. Why can't I seek help from a counselor or therapist if I can see something is affecting my mental health? Why can't I visit a psychologist if I am having negative thoughts or not able to maintain good relations with others? And even a therapist can seek help from a therapist if feeling low or finding himself/herself in a condition that needs to be brought up.

Instead of using mental illnesses as an adjective, look at its importance, look around you, look at yourself, try to introspect your feelings, thoughts and changed behavior. Taking into account both physical and mental health is important. We should focus on mental health as equal as our physical health. As a result, it will make a difference in our life.

Most importantly, we should not make fun of people around us who express that they are not feeling well or ask for help in certain matters or maybe they are not able to enjoy or have good relationships with others. Don't always see people in a way that they are seeking sympathy or attention, maybe for some it's just a small matter, but for them, it is hampering them in some way.

Also, these feelings are not gender-biased it can happen to anyone. Please let’s stop making and believing in myths as males don't cry or women are too emotional and take things very seriously. Yes, males do cry and it is okay to cry and express. And women express themselves and talk about which is appreciating because keeping things to yourself can make this worse.

We should try to talk about our feelings and listen to others with a non-judgmental perspective.

And there is saying by Sheila Walsh: “It is okay not to be okay, but it is not okay to not seek any help.”

And I appreciate those who share such thoughts and carry them forward. You don't realize, but yes, you've already made a difference.

#mentalhealthawareness