Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.  – WHO

Mental health is about how we feel, think and behave. Our mental health can affect our daily life, relationships, and even physical health. Each year, one in five adults experiences a mental illness, and one in two will experience one at some point in their lives. The most common types of mental illness are anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. These disorders are often a reaction to stress, insecurities, loneliness, or a difficult life event such as bereavement.

Mental health isn’t something everyone pays attention to until it becomes an issue. This is because it is not a physical illness, it’s an internal one and can be difficult to explain to someone who isn’t emotionally intelligent. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Our thoughts affect our actions and our actions affect others every day of our lives.

Do you pay attention to your mental health? To take care of your mental health you can adopt the tips below;

1. Be Positive: Send every negative energy away, have faith and embrace positivity. Speak positive, think positive, act positive, expect positivity.

2. Speak up: Talk about your feelings; it’s okay not to be okay. Ask for help when you need it; nobody knows it all. Keeping your feelings bottled up only does more harm than good.

3. Exercise: Regular physical activity elevates your mood and keeps you healthy.

4. Practice Yoga: Yoga is a good way to release tension and emotional baggage especially when you practice it with mediation. It helps to reduce stress, it induces happiness, makes you more mindful, and it also improves your breathing.

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5. Eat Right: Be mindful of what you put into your body. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health. If you don’t take care of your body who will?

6. Take Breaks: A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. Breaks are good, really good so take breaks regularly to take care of your mental health.

7. Love Yourself: Be kind to yourself and love yourself enough to walk away from things that affect your thoughts negatively.

8. Maintain Friendships/Relationships: Keep the lines of communication open with your friends and family. Don’t alienate your family because you have a new lover in your life. Form meaningful friendships every stage of your life. It’s good to always have people to talk to, people that listen, and people to help too.

Good mental health offers a feeling of wellbeing and keeps you in a content, healthy and relaxed state. It’s normal to feel low every once in a while but you have to pick yourself up because if you don’t, it becomes detrimental to your health. Always have in mind that no matter how terrible you feel right now, you will feel better again. Self-infliction, annihilation, and suicide is never the answer.

It was World Mental Health Day on October 10 but we need to be conscious of our mental health every day.  

Mariam Shittu