It’s World Mental Health Day! Here’s Why Your Mental Health Is Important!

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, and it affects how we think, feel and act.

Our mental health also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices.

Photo via Inc. Magazine

If you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood and behaviour could be affected. According to MentalHealth.gov, many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

1. Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

2. Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

3. Family history of mental health problems

But please, don’t worry, mental health problems are common and help is ALWAYS available. People with mental health problems can get better and many even recover completely!

Early warning signs

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of mentah-health problem: 

1. Eating or sleeping too much or too little

2. Pulling away from people and unusual activities

3. Having low or no energy

4. Feeling numb or like nothing matters

5. Having unexplained aches and pains

6. Feeling helpless or hopeless

7. Feeling unusually

8. Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared

9. Yelling or fighting with family and friends

10. Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

11. Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head

12. Hearing voices or believing things that are not true

13. Thinking of harming yourself or others

14. Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Mental health and wellness

Positive mental health allows people to:

1. Realize their full potential

2. Cope with the stresses of life

3. Work productively

4. Make meaningful contributions to their communities

Here are some ways to maintain positive mental health include:

1. Getting professional help if you need it

2. Connecting with others

3. Staying positive

4. Getting physically active

5. Helping others

6. Getting enough sleep

7. Developing coping skills

If you think that you may have a mental health problem, please get help!

By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat