Staying mentally and emotionally healthy

THE EDITOR, Madam:

In the eyes of the average global citizen, mental health may be viewed as something that is insignificant or trivial. People often treat themselves with contempt and complacency when it comes to caring for the well-being of their mind. It is common in our society to make light of what is going on in our minds, and even our hearts, because everything that we do flows from those two places.

We often tend to ignore our feelings and emotions as well, as our capitalistic society suggests that we work hard to earn a living. This is not to say that we should not be diligent in our various jobs and vocations, but just as how we care for our bodies, we should definitely care for our minds and hearts.

As much as we want to believe that our bodies are the most important thing we could ever possess, if our mental health is not in check, it will be impossible to live and experience life effectively.

A famous poet, John Milton, once said, “The mind is its own place, and can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven.” In this quote, we can see the author alluding to the fact that we can become our own worst enemies by the way we think and perceive life.

Each day we live, things may not always unfold the way we would want them to, but let us not let those challenges get the best of us. The human experience is much more than just existing to live through challenges and being unhappy while going through the ups and downs of life. With all of the daily struggles and grievances that we may face, we can lose sight of what it means to exemplify self-care.

A real-life example of this may be identifying and processing our emotions after experiencing disappointment, and then gradually releasing those negative feelings and thoughts. For example, whenever I feel discouraged about a particular situation or nervous about taking on a new challenge in my personal life, I often try to identify how I am feeling in the moment.

Afterwards, I try to find the root cause of why I may be feeling discouraged, and I work on retraining myself to think differently. If someone does something that is not so pleasant, I try to understand why I may have felt that way in the moment, but I also try to genuinely understand where they were coming from. Afterwards, I try to resolve the conflict if possible.

Let us not forget to be kind to ourselves and others by being genuinely compassionate and understanding, because whatever is going on inside, will surely surface to the top. Due to this fact, we should always pay attention to what’s going on in our hearts and minds. It is my suggestion that we make a serious effort to get the necessary help and counselling we need to stay mentally and emotionally healthy. There is nothing we face that we cannot overcome!

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” – Nelson Mandela

RENE LAMBERT