Akshita Wasnik
2020 has to be that one rollercoaster ride where you didn’t know which twist or turn or an entire loop is ahead. It has affected all of us in one way or the other, the sudden rise with regards to mental health is a proof in itself that in one way or the other, people indeed are understanding majorly two things about mental health: Mental health is real, Mental health is being affected henceforth it is clear that mental health matters in determining the course of our entire well-being.
This year, especially the period of lockdown was one thing none of us saw coming, and as a matter of fact none of us knew exactly what to do in order to be our ideal selves or to function properly in an atmosphere which is completely new to us, be it working from home, studying from home, attending online classes from home or watching your business suffer losses or being shut down, being fired from the job all of it with a surrounding full of restrictions and precautions which no one is used to impacted our mental health in such a way that we weren’t able to understand what is happening but we all knew something is wrong.
Some took it in a humorous manner and didn’t address it properly others just brushed it off being unbothered about it while some faced it ask for help and are trying to heal from it while some are just complaining about how difficult it is but aren’t doing anything to fix it or make it better. We all are one of these or a mixture of all of these, but 2020 no matter how messed up or complicated it has made us realize a lot of things about ourselves and the people around us, and appreciate a lot of things which didn’t seem that important or significant earlier and on the contrary made us realize that a lot of things that we were fussing about weren’t that important or necessary in the first place.
It has to be one of the most weird years that any of us have faced, it has made us feel sad, anxious, happy, there have been days where one was happy making dalgona coffee and days where one didn’t even feel like washing a single cup in hand. All this with a lot of changes happening all around is a clear indicator that mental health plays a very important role in proper functioning of an individual and in order to do so, it Is important to address it, keep a check on it and destigmatize it for our own good.
In times like these which none of us are sure about when will they end, one thing that keeps us fit and fine, is not just a healthy body but a healthy mind as well. Well we all know how important it is to keep our body fit and we do find various ways to do so, as a matter of fact people are getting aware as to how important one’s mental health is, but we are still not sure about the correct ways to seek help, or the right and ideal ways to keep our mental health in shape.
With the awareness regarding the importance of mental health being spread a lot this year, many platforms have emerged as an online mode of offering help, awareness, treatment regarding mental health issues. Though there must be a good thought behind all these platforms, it is important to understand that the credibility of the people spreading awareness, providing help and treatment must be checked whether they are a reliable source for your issues or not.
In order to do so one needs to be aware of the qualifications that are required to be called a mental health professional, be it a counsellor, psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist etc. One needs to check whether the individual has proper credentials to be called a mental health professional the one that they claim to be.
2020 has taught us a lot about various things, has gotten us aware regarding things that matter a lot, has shed light on important/necessary things that didn’t seem important earlier. Mental health is one of them, it’s not like the idea of mental health emerged in 2020, it was there earlier and the taboo around it existed and still exists, but now 2020, the pandemic, the lockdown has made it very evident that mental health matters a lot and it is important to understand it, be aware about one’s own mental health, take steps to keep a check on it, seek help when required, help others understand the importance of it and help people who want to seek help but don’t know how to reach out for it.
As a matter of fact help is just one step away but to take that step does take a lot of courage but once we take that step it gets better, still a bumpy way ahead but indeed worth it if honest efforts are made towards one’s own betterment. Because Mental Health Starts with “ME”.
