Emerging Ideas to Innovate Mental Health Awareness

Nadia Mushtaq

The World Health Organization WHO states that Health is a condition comprised of complete well-being of Physical, Mental and Social without the lack of illness or weakness. Commonly used phrase is Health is Wealth. Seeking help in regards to physical Health is very common among the general population, but seeking help for mental health is considered as weird. Going to a psychologist or psychiatrist is considered as mad by laymen. The eye-opening figure of mental health problems is significant in Pakistan. This is not what only we observe today, but it happens for centuries that mental health remains neglected. It considered under the umbrella of magical powers and witchcraft. Pakistan is considered a third-world country having a population of 200 million people approximately; having the burden of disease is stressful. In that disease burden, Mental Health is on top. So, it is important to see the indispensable of Mental Health among people. Let’s start with me and you, “the readers,” to highlight it as a major concern.

Why Seek Mental Health?

The human body is made up of emotions, hormones and feelings. We are considered a complicated machine in society, and each individual is different from others. The way a person thinks, feels, and perceives is totally different from others. One of the reasons is the coping mechanism to manage stress is unique for each individual. In society, it is visible how the young population are doing unsafe stunts on road with motorcycles as a source of fun with friends, use of substance abuse, anger management, and so on. Then, Suicide rates are also up in Pakistan especially among youngsters. To keep the nation united and strong, it is vital to give coverage to Mental Health.

Signs a Person Needs to Seek Help

Increase or decrease in eating or sleeping pattern
Staying away from people and habitual tasks
Feeling low or lack of energy
Having Unexplained discomforts
Feeling desperate and deserted
Use of Substance abuse
Aggressive behavior
Ideas of self-harm or others to harm
Remains confused and diminished memories
Frequent changes in mood
Uncontrolled continuous thought cause problem to sleep
Changes in sensation and get delusions
Unable to perform daily livings like; eating, dressing, etc.

Ways to Achieve Good Mental Health

M = Meditation

Meditation is a practice where a person intentionally takes out time from the busy schedule and focuses on something. It provides peace of mind and helps to stay away from problems, at least sometimes. It helps to relax the mind from different uncontrolled thoughts. This is one of the oldest practices; relaxation and religious practices to connect themselves with God. It requires a person to sit or to stay in a calm environment and, with closed eyes, think of something which builds favorable a thought.

E = Exercise

Exercise is the physical activity that is done to keep the body and mind fit. It helps to keep our body functioning properly by circulating enough blood supply to all parts of the body like the Brain, Heart, Kidney, Lungs, and so on. Each vital organ of the body has a different task to help us stay mentally fit by means of normalizing hormones in the body. Exercise helps to maintain our healthy lifestyle. It includes Stretch-Out, Walk, Running, Aerobics etc.

N = Nutrition

Balance nutrition remains basic for healthy living. As the human body is deliberated as a multifarious system so it has to take a diet that must carry Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, Multivitamins, and Minerals. These days, the trend of unhealthy food is common, which has a direct impact on the human body and illnesses. The proper amount of nutrition is important to modify lifestyle and stay away from diseases. Similarly, having at least 10-12 glasses of water daily keeps cells of the body, especially the brain, active.

T = Getting Enough Rest

Rest is the time to get a break from physical activities. It relaxes the mind and body for some time. If a person is having continuous work on electronic devices or anything which requires attention, it is recommended to rest. You can close your eyes for some time and, if possible, put your head down on a table. It will prevent stress on the neck and head. By the same token, it helps to refresh the thinking mind.

A = Always Smile

"The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection," said Thomas Paine. A smile is the only thing that can be spread among others without any cost. It keeps the face lively by stretching all muscles of the face. It is an important thing but we usually forget. Wear a smile all day because every person is suffering from stress. Your smile can help them to change their mood and make them feel lighter. Therefore, a smile has a dual function that is on you as well as on others.

L = Live in the Present

Life is a precious gift from God and we must live it fully. The majority of the part of life goes with the stress and worry about the past and future whereas, the present moment we don’t enjoy. The power of now can transform your thinking. The results? "More joy, right now," said Oprah Winfrey. The present moment is comprised of lots of energy and must be delighted in.

H = Happiness

Steve Maraboli said, “Happiness is not the absence of problems; it’s the ability to deal with them.” Happiness is the gesture of saying thank you to God for everything. It is an acknowledgment. If a person remains happy with whatever they have in the present, it has a great impact on the future. This gives peace of mind and helps to get a solution with the help of God. It connects a person with nature, and in this way, the problem which the person has is not limited to that person but connects with nature and obviously gets a solution.

E = Enlightened Relationships

To generate healthy relationships with others, always work as a motivation to face or deal with problems. As we know problems are part of light. It occurs every day, every time around the world. To deal with problems, society plays a vital role in continuing the sharing and caring process. Enlightened relationships keep the inner and outer environment of the human body hale and hearty.

A = Acceptance

This world is not permanent as everything has some end. Similarly, events and incidences or scenarios are also not permanent. It is good to accept uncertainty; it happens; move ahead, although it is difficult. Remaining in the past or sticking with the incident will not allow a person to enjoy the present. Denial from reality will not give any benefits and also shrunken mental health.

L = Love

“Only from the heart can you touch the sky,” was said by Rumi. If we look around our surroundings, we can see everywhere is love. Plants and birds are in love with each other. Similarly, our whole Eco-system is also considered as falling in love with each other to sustain life. Love also happens in between souls. Devine love has no end, and everything present in this world belongs to the divine. In this way, we can all fall in love with each other. The sense of love gives us motivation to gain reconciliation.

T = Transform the Thinking

Today, we can do many things as a source of motivation. Like art work, craft work, sand work, and so on. Doing hobbies or spending time on something recreational can also help to transform thinking. Reading, writing, singing, poetry writing, dancing, swimming, and drawing ... all are recreational activities. It is better to use all sensory parts of the body to give soothing effects on the mind and body.

H = Habits

Good habits which impact health positively are essential. It includes physical activity as well as diet. These give dimensions to seek help. Unhealthy habits may cause damage to the body both physically and mentally. Healthy habits gives meaning to our daily living. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going”, said jim Rohn.