I live in a society where words like ‘mental health’ are easily associated with running mad on the streets. In a lot of circles, people still believe it’s just a lingua for lazy youth who can’t toughen up to the harsh realities of life. They couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects the way we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

At the beginning of the year, (I know it’s still the beginning, but January sure feels like 3 months have passed) I fell ill. It was so bad I had to take injections. And this was weird because I was fine just weeks ago—or was I really?

Are we certain that things like sicknesses don’t creep into our bodies long before we even notice? And sometimes, even the early signals tend to be ignored or just slammed with paracetamol or any other pain killer. Some of us still do same to mental health issues. We shrug off those consistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, fear, etc because we believe we just can’t be ill (especially not mentally ill).

We should realize however that we can’t live to our full potentials If we don’t address issues of mental health early enough. Just as you would take a sick day off to cater to your physical health, you need to pay some attention to your mental health.

For those who have always been in tip-top shape emotionally, psychologically and socially, I’m happy for you. However, you need to pay more attention to your words and actions and how they affect the people around you. We’re all different and people handle things differently, which is okay. Show empathy and compassion.

It’s okay not to feel up for today. Not to feel like waking up in the morning. Its okay to be in the midst of people and feel the most disconnected; to lose your sense of value, of interest, of ‘happyness’. It’s okay to have these feelings, and trust me, you’re not alone. What is not okay is letting the situations destroy the spring of life in you—your very essence. Seek help once you get early signs that you’re not as mentally healthy as you thought. Speak to people who have developed coping mechanisms over time. Try and reduce toxicity as much as you can. At the end of the day, you can’t be your best if you’re not feeling your best. Take care of your mental heath first.

I’ll be continuing my series on suicide while we continue to address this topic of mental health. Please feel free to share your stories via my mail contact@daintym.com

Lots of love,

M. 🌹