Look Around! | by Tanya Budhrani
Take a look around: are you met with any dirty laundry waiting to be picked up? What about those discarded soda bottles that have rolled to the back of your room, or the pile of unfinished homework that has, slowly, been growing bigger and bigger ever since class started. These are all signs of poor mental health that we tend to pay no heed to as it brings comfort in staying away from the words ‘mental illness,’ but whether you’re inflicted or not, it is apparent that the stigma surrounding mental health has escalated exponentially and, people everywhere, veer away from getting the help they need or desire solely because they underestimate the gravity of the situation. While it may feel satisfactory to ignore our mental health and hope that it just mends itself, we all know that that isn’t how it works; we aren’t mindless robots who can reprogram themselves anytime they feel a tinge of sadness come their way. We need to recognize that that’s okay-- it’s okay to have feelings and it’s okay to feel sad at times.What isn’t okay is completely shoving those feelings down and manifesting yourself as impervious when you, in fact, aren’t.
The World Health Organization defines mental health as “the foundation for the well-being and effective functioning of individuals. It is more than the absence of a mental disorder; it is the ability to think, learn, and understand one's emotions and the reactions of others.” However, the negative connotations that surround mental illnesses as well as the ludicrous costs of treatment has led only 9.5% of the adult population, 23% of teenagers, and 6% of children, to meet with professionals, when, in reality, those affected are more than double of the aforementioned numbers; individuals not getting the treatment they require, prevents them from holistically forming themselves and, as WHO elucidates, being balanced both within themselves and with those around them, which is why normalizing mental health as a necessity rather than a luxury would be a desideratum. While we can’t refer everyone to a professional, we can give you a few tips on coping-- this isn’t meant to distract you from the subject matter of course, but it is intended for you gain pleasure in partaking in these activities--
Coping mechanisms have a wide range of examples, from technicalities to hobbies, but one of our favourites would be daily mantras. We mentioned, at the start, that it is completely okay to not be okay however, constantly beating yourself up over something you may not even be able to control should serve no meaning to you. Look at yourself in the mirror and repeat a daily mantra. It can be anything as simple or as intricate as you want it, as long as it comes from your heart and grants you joy. Perhaps you already have one in mind, something you subconsciously say to reaffirm yourself, or maybe you don’t; this is where we can help.
Another coping mechanism would be to clean your space, specifically, “spaces that are cluttered that make for easy distractions, which can actually impair your brain's ability to process information and leave you feeling unsettled.” Lastly, we recommend treating yourself; a factor that may come into play when discerning the reason for your mood, or when you’re burned out. You need to realize that it’s valid for you to take a break because like we said earlier, it isn’t possible to renovate ourselves with the simple push of a button. Feelings are valid, they’re what make us humane, and disregarding them isn’t going to make them disappear.
In the end, you need to recognize what you’re feeling inside, and if you don’t like the way it makes you feel then, it's time to take action to reaffirm your worth. So, take a look around, what you see may open up a new perspective for you or it may not. Either way, it is worth a shot.
Sources;
Does cleanliness affect mental health? (2017). VERCIDA. https://www.vercida.com/uk/articles/does-cleanliness-affect-mental-health