Importance of Mental Health in Today’s Situation

We are going through a very difficult phase nowadays. With the rising Covid-19 cases wrecking our lives, we have no option, but to confine ourselves inside the four walls of our house. The self-containment is affecting our mental health, in a rather negative way. People are becoming more and more anti-social due to reduced social interactions.

In this situation, it is common for one to feel helpless and hopeless since they have no one to vent out their feelings to. People then resort to sobbing and cursing themselves, and even self-harm. Mental health gets disrupted due to such negative thoughts. People usually keep these negative thoughts to themselves, out of fear of humiliation. These negative thoughts keep building up, which in turn catalyze the deterioration of mental health further.

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Hence, it is necessary to have control over your negative thoughts and to stop over-thinking. Over-thinking is the root cause of mental health deterioration. It is rightly said that a person who has control over his thoughts can conquer the world! Usually, negative thoughts keep us from achieving our true potential. We become short-sighted and think only inside the box.

Now you may ask, how to control one’s negative thoughts?

Well, there are many ways in which one can control his negative thoughts. It’s a difficult process but definitely not impossible. One easy way is to eliminate the causes of negative thoughts. First, find the cause of the negative thought. Most of the times, trivial issues cause negative thoughts. Sometimes, the causes may not be true at all! Then, the next step is to analyze the cause. Analyzing the cause includes finding solutions for the cause. If the cause cannot be eliminated, then one must learn to accept and live with the cause. This is hard, but with determination, one can definitely achieve it.

Another thing that one must do to reduce stress, is to avoid watching violent movies and TV shows. Studies have shown that violence in TV movies and shows, help exaggerate the inner fears, which in turn affects the mental health of the person in a bad way. Staying away from violent TV shows helps reduce stress, by a large extent. Even the news channels nowadays tend to exaggerate news situations and polarize the audience, which leads to fears and stress. Staying away from such polarizing news and news channels is also an appreciable step in improving Mental health.

One must always remember that Physical and mental health are closely related. Physical exercise helps alleviate depression and anxiety. A 10-minute jog daily not only keeps your body fit but also helps in reducing stress. But since many people cannot go outside nowadays due to lockdown, a jog may not be possible. But there are various exercises which can be done at home.      Yoga has proved to be very effective in reducing stress. A 15-minute yoga can go a long way in improving your mental health. Doing meditation daily for 10 minutes also helps in reducing stress. Regular meditation not only helps in alleviating the bad thoughts but also helps in channelling the positive energy towards your body. There are many different types of meditations, Guided and Mantra meditations being the most popular ones.

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Allot another 10 minutes daily for thinking about the day. This can include anything; thinking about your daily achievements, struggles, milestones achieved, etc. Avoid overthinking after this. Let these 10 minutes be a window for you to think about everything that happened during the day. It’s even better if you allow another 5 minutes, to think about nothing. Let this time be before you fall asleep at night. Set this time aside for you to free your mind from all thoughts.

Another easy way to improve mental health is to share your feelings with someone, whom you trust. People usually get scared to share their feelings, due to the fear of being misjudged. Talk to someone who you can fully trust, such as your parents, siblings or best friends. Be completely honest with them and share all your feelings with them, however absurd they may sound.

Helping others around you also helps in alleviating stress and Depression. Research has shown that being helpful to others has a beneficial effect on how you feel about yourself. It is shown that people who often help others in difficult situations, often look at themselves in a positive light. Being helpful and kind, and being valued for what you do, is a great way to build your self-esteem.

Going to bed on time also helps improve mental health to a large extent. Going to bed on time ensures that you get enough sleep for the next day. Going to bed on time also helps you to wake up early the next morning. Good practices include having dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed, avoiding using electronic gadgets an hour before going to bed, and avoiding the intake of fizzy drinks (soda) and caffeinated drinks.

Sometimes, taking a break is all you need. We start panicking after looking at all the negative things that happen around the world. In this fast-paced world that we live in today, taking a break is seen as a deterrent. But, taking a break from the monotonous life, that we live, helps a lot in reducing stress. Avoid doing the things that induce stress, for a week. Contemplate on your goals. Remember, it is just the beginning, not the end. One can always seek help from a certified counsellor if he/she is in Depression. One day, you will overcome all your challenges, and then, the past will not matter anymore.