Mental Health and self care!

Do you have a count of how many times you have fallen sick since you were born? No. Do you take medication when you fall sick? Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t, depends on how severe it is and other factors. I just spoke about your physical health. Mental health is just the same. When you were an infant, every time you cried feeling irritated or uncomfortable, the guardians took care of you trying to calm you down and make you smile. As you grow up, though you were taught how to take care of your physical health but you were never taught how to handle and take care of the mental health. None of us were. Hence we all suffer from mental health issues in one form or the other.

Once you learn how to handle your mental health, just like every time you fall sick and take actions towards it, you will learn to manage and take actions towards fixing your mental health. Some of us need Counsellors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists depending on what level of issues we face. But thats again like physical health, a person battling Cancer or other major health issues definitely needs an expert’s advice, medications and treatments.

All of us as Humans have the innate ability to fight and survive. Having mental health issues isn’t the end of everything. Even at the age of 70 or 80 or above, being able to learn to manage mental health better is a priceless feeling that is unmatched to any level of material success you may have achieved by then.

Whatever be the reason of a bad mental health, a childhood trauma, an adolescent trauma or series of bad experiences or failures being able to identify it is the first step. I will always swear by taking a pen and paper and write down what exactly you have faced and how do you feel about it. Be so sure about writing each detail down. This already makes you win over the thoughts and the brain. Because its now not just inside your brain , but out in the physical environment. This is the power of a Human that you possess.

If the brain and the thoughts try to put you down, you have the ability to fight it by bringing it out, off the inside!

I have often torn/burnt the papers i have written my weird feelings and thoughts to. And at times, I have also gone back and read them like I would read an article. Often times when I read it as an article I have got better perspectives of my problem. Either ways I have always felt stronger than before, because now its not just inside of me but I have faced it physically in front of my eyes. You are brave to do that!

When you have a fever or a physical ailment, don’t you rest while on medication, treatments or just sleep so that you get better. Yes, we do take bed rests sleeping for hours, have a coffee or tea etc. Sometimes you don’t really have a good appetite while having a fever or sickness, but you still manage to eat something just so that the body doesn’t get weak. Sometimes its bread, sometimes its porridge , I even order a burger from McDonalds so as to feel normal! When it comes to fighting bad Mental health for weeks, months — its the same. You feel like staying on the bed a little longer, sometimes the whole day. Sleeping is definitely good. At the same time, it is important to eat food. Days when managing money is also a problem during bad mental health days, I would prepare a porridge with milk and oats(or rice) with sugar. I would eat bread and Jam! Just like you push yourself to get better on days when you fall sick , it is important and helpful for your mind, to push yourself to take care of yourself while battling bad mental health. Watching influencers dress up well, people giving motivational talks, Instagram reels on fashion while scrolling on the social media platforms should be a good way to get up and take a good shower!

Everyone these days battles mental health. The older generations, the younger generations, the generations to come. So fear not! We were never taught to take care of our minds. In the present times and in the future , One who has learned the skill to manage mental health better are the ones who are successful ! Isn’t being happy everything at the end of the day! ::)