We must give due attention to our Mental Health

26/05/2020

Some simple incidents in life can teach us valuable lessons. My daughter drew a sketch for her homework; it was a simple sketch with a semi circle (like glass paper weight) with a hammer, spanner and a paint brush attached to its helmet to represent May Day. She showed it to all the family one by one without saying a word. Someone said it looked like Corona Virus, a kettle and a hat. This is a perfect example of how individuals perceive and interpret objects and/or situations around them.

At the present, COVID-19 we all are going through tough times and reading and listening to almost the same news and consuming similar social media information. As ever we are keen to know and predict our immediate future. Some only see doom and gloom and concentrate on negativity while on the other hand some will be utilising less hectic time to analyse probabilities of what can transpire after lockdown and returning to normalcy based on factual information. They will make challenging plans to explore possible opportunities to harness maximum benefits.

Those who will concentrate on positivity will come through victorious with their mental and physical health intact and they will also be beacons of encouragement for others. Those who fail to see any possibilities will end up with further health, emotional, relationship, economic and social issues as they will blame their fate or envy others’ good fortunes. They may end up being exploited by Charlatans or Babas getting their ‘bad luck’ fixed. Whereas Babas are rubbing their hands as they can see more clients coming their way. Those who end up seeking Babas’ help would have forgotten that in a time of need Babas (or people with super powers) were unable to do anything to alleviate fellow human beings suffering.

To set ourselves free from Babas’ invisible shackles (that exist in our minds) make a promise with yourself that you:

Will not seek fraudulent assistance from Babas, astrologers etc. Irrespective of how difficult situation turns out for you
Will assist others where you can and seek help from others
Will Seek professional help
if you do not know where to start to tackle your issues you will contact Taraksheel Society or other local welfare (Citizen Advice Bureau) or charity (Mind) organisations in your area

To look after your mental health you can follow these easy steps. They may not seem to offer or provide solutions to your problems but they will definitely help to maintain good mental health, which in turn will help you to follow the right path to deal with your challenges.

Rather than keeping your problems to yourself and go into hiding talk to someone you can trust and get it off your chest
Have a chat with someone who will listen and not ‘fix’ your problems. Being listened to is all you need
Keep up with your daily routine – or add new structure to your day i.e. Go to the gym, go for a short walk or go swimming
To get perspective read a motivational or inspirational quote
Aim to do something new like volunteering or taking up a hobby
Think of a challenging time that you faced in the past and feel a sense of achievement you felt at that time
Stop and pause – take time to reflect in with your head by using mindfulness, writing or meditation
Practice deep breathing – breathe in and out slowly for few minutes. Use any deep breathing technique that works for you
Check on your nearest and dearest ones how they are. Helping others can make you feel good
Write down your strengths that you have for example: languages you can speak, ability to drive, have a car, good health, family and friends support network and so on. DO NOT take these strengths for granted as there are many people out there who don’t have strengths you have.