Holistic Health is Incomplete If We Do Not Take Care Of Our Mental Health. Study says 1 in 7 people struggle with mental health disorders and more than 40% of the private sector workforce in our country is suffering from mental health disorder.
All of us are looking for some easy fix for boosting immunity, cleansing toxins, reducing weight, improving health etc. In all of this the one thing that is constantly and rigorously ignored is our mental health. At the most we may take a few supplements that promise to ‘relax’ us, make us ‘calm’ or ‘reduce anxiety’ but the buck stops there.
The mind and body connection cannot be denied, how many of us have experienced aches and pains when we are going through something stressful? How many of us have had some stomach issues when going through traumatic or anxious experiences? How many of us have been unable to do the most basic things when our thoughts seem to be against us?
The answer to these questions becomes clear from the 2017 statistics that states that 1 in 7 people struggle with mental health disorders and more than 40% of the private sector workforce in our country is suffering from mental health disorder. This is due to highly neglected mental health.
Holistic Health is Incomplete If We Do Not Take Care Of Our Mental Health.
For good mental health we need to take care of the following four components:
1. Physical Health- yes, physical health is part of mental health, remember the mind and body connection. It is extremely easy to take care of this aspect all we need to do is to
a) exercise regularly b) eat nutritious food c) sleep well d) relax.
Simple! Although a lot of us struggle with this step. For example, sleeping becomes an issue when we are not taking care of our mental health and vice versa. There are simple things that can be done to solve this very common issue, the psychologists at credo psychological services have a whole session dedicated to just this one issue in their mental health series. Good sleep can solve so many issues.
2.Manageable anxiety- all of us experience anxieties in our day-to-day life. There are innumerable stressors and causes for anxiety. It is inevitable to escape them but it is possible to manage them.
There are simple strategies which when used everyday can be helpful in managing our anxieties. For example, creating lists of things to-do during the day to reduce the anxiety of unknown and overwhelming work, or using a journal to keep track of thoughts, moods and even of what we are thankful for. Sometimes all that is required is just a little reminder that it is not as bad as we think it is, there are good things all around us.
There are of course quite a few research based ways of relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety which can be learnt by going to a mental health professional (e.g., psychologist).
3. Healthy Relationships– Human beings thrive on connection with other human beings, we need our human relationships. Therefore it is important that we learn how to make our relationships healthy? Like the previous components this too can be managed easily we need to a) create healthy boundaries and b) communicate effectively.
Boundaries and communication can help us create trust, respect and comfort in any relationship; professional, social or personal. We are however, not taught how to create healthy boundaries? and end up in situations which make us uncomfortable and threaten our relationships.
Consulting a psychologist or any mental health professional can redeem this shortcoming.
4. Satisfaction with Life– This last component is reached when we address all of the above components. Finding a purpose in life, living true to our personal values being grateful and compassionate can be very effective in feeling satisfied with our lives.
It is to be noted that none of these components are supposed to be 100%. It is not about absolute perfection, it is about balance.
Consult a therapist, psychologist, counsellor if the simple demands of life are becoming overwhelming. Support each other and normalise seeking help for mental health. A healthy mind is essential for holistic health.
Somya Awasthi
Psychologist & Co-founder
Credo Psychological Service
