Mental Health Matters

Why is mental health important?

Mental health refers to our psychological or emotional health and wellbeing. It deals with how people behave, feel and think.

Mental health impacts our daily life activities, relationships, and even physical well-being. Other factors like interpersonal connections, biological factors and lifestyle can also affect mental health. Independent of age, sex, gender and income, everyone is at the risk of suffering from mental illnesses.

Importance of mental health

Taking care of your mental wellbeing is necessary because it provides numerous benefits, such as improving your cognitive thinking, directly impacts your physical health and builds for better resilience to everyday stressors. It directly influences how we think, feel and act.

Experiencing mental health problems may feel confusing, upsetting and frustrating. It can also be scary especially when you feel that you are alone. The negative portrayal of mental health mainly stems from what has been shown on TV, in movies and in the media. They are often unrealistic.

However, in reality, mental health problems are a common human experience.

Factors that affect mental health

Here are some examples of factors that may negatively impact your mental health:

Circumstances like trauma, losing someone, etc.
Genetics (family history of mental disorders)
Childhood traumas
Emotional and/or abusive trauma
Biological factors like genes or brain chemistry
Poor diet or lack of physical activities

How to recognize symptoms of poor mental health

Symptoms vary from person to person. These may affect behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

Here are some examples of what you could experience:

Feeling down or Sadness
No concentration
Inability to deal with the daily issue
Excessive fear or extreme anger
Low energy level, tiredness
Sleeping issues
Hallucinations
Eating disorder
The problem in a sexual relationship
Suicidal thoughts

How to cope with mental illness:

If you find yourself struggling, find somebody you trust and share with them what is on your mind; whether that is a friend, family or a mentor. Do not let the stigma stop you from talking about your problems or seeking help.

Here are a few simple tips that could help you cope with mental problems and/or to maintain good mental health.

1) Get Enough Sleep

Sleeping for 8 hours helps to improve mental health. When you sleep for 7 to 8 hours, your mind feels relaxed and calm, and it helps to restore daily brain functions.

2) Fuel Your Body

Healthy eating is not only important for your body, but also your brain function. Being deficient in vital minerals can cause imbalances in the brain that could enhance feelings of depression and social withdrawal.

Start with simple steps such as cutting out sugary carbonated drinks, or processed foods such as chips and packaged treats. Fill your body with whole nutritious veggies and fruits.

3) Do Something You Enjoy

Take some time out from your very busy routine and do the fun activities you like to do. Go for a walk, do some painting, watch your favorite TV show and try to take some time out for yourself.

It’s important to prioritize activities that are good for your mental wellbeing.

Sometimes all it takes is stepping outside and taking in slow deep breaths. Taking a moment to be present with yourself is important. Remind yourself how grateful you are to be alive and living.

4) Move Your Body

An active body makes for a healthy mind. You will feel better mentally, physically and emotionally. You can do high intense workouts or low impact exercises like yoga, walking, or jogging. Change things up by finding somebody to do workouts with.

5) Sunshine

Sunlight is an instant mood booster! It contains a lot of vitamin D, which is important for the functioning of our brain, muscles, and joints. Sunlight also causes increased release of chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, which are considered to be mood-elevating chemicals. Getting daily sun exposure of 30min is a great start for maintaining good health. Next time it’s sunny, take a step outside!

Takeaway:

As you know, mental health is vital at every stage of life; no one can ignore mental health. If you are suffering from mental health issues, it will affect your mood, thoughts, and behavior. In short, it will affect your overall health. So if you are experiencing mental health problems and are unsure what to do, don’t be afraid to reach out to somebody.

There are so many incredible organizations, doctors and help groups.

Always know that you are not alone and there is always help.

Helpline x the rosy weekend

If you or someone you love is struggling, there is hope and help:

Please contact your local CMHA.
Visit www.cmha.ca/bounceback.
Visit the Government of Canada’s Wellness Together portal.
Thinking of suicide?

Please call 1-833-456-4566 toll free in Canada (1- 866-277-3553 in Quebec).

If you would like to learn more about understanding mental health problems, we found an amazing pdf link that covers all the important topics. Click here!