Why you must take care of your mental health | Brain Exercise for better Mental Health
We often undermine our mental health, as it is something that we cannot see deteriorating in front of our eyes. And when it comes to our notice, it gets too late that the situation worsens. Which eventually affects our mood, behaviour and our day to day life. So much so, that our relationships with our close ones get sour.
When we neglect our mental health, it affects our relationship with ourselves and the way we look at us. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you must take care of your mental health.
Check out: All you need to know about Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic & How to Cope with it
Why your Mental Health is Important:
To me, taking care of myself begins with taking care of my mental health. And I assume, we all lie on the same page.
Since everything that are doing at present is because our brain is carrying out its functions properly. Which is known as cognitive abilities or brain-based skills.
In layman’s term, cognitive functions are mental processes that allow us to carry out tasks effectively. From receiving, choosing, transforming, storing, processing and remembering information. This helps us to deal with situations arising in our day to day life.
When our brain is under chronic or acute stress, it leads to impaired cognitive functions. Therefore, to lead a happy and fulfilling life, one must find effective measures to deal with stress.
Wanna burn stress? Here are effective ways to deal with stress
- 5 easy ways to burn stress in the comfort of your room
- How to achieve Solitude in a World full of Clamour
- 8 Stress Relieving Outdoor Activities that’ll bring you closer to Solitude
The role of Stress in Impaired Cognitive Function and Poor Mental Health:
In today’s world, we are always on the go. Multitasking several things at once, doing our best that we can. But in this mad rush, we pile so much stress that we forget to take care of our mental health.
When the stress multiplies tenfold and becomes chronic in nature it causes cognitive impairment. Due to which people face problems in remembering things, learning, reasoning, concentrating and making decisions for themselves.
Not many people know that stress can cause acute and chronic changes in certain areas of the brain, resulting in long-term damage. Studies prove that short term stress works as a performance booster. Whereas, long-term stress can lead to memory loss and can cause a host of mental health problems, such as:
- Anxiety, Depression and Personality disorders,
- Cardiovascular disease, including Heart disease, High Blood Pressure,
- Abnormal heart rhythms, Heart attacks, and Stroke.
How your Relationship with yourself Affects your Mental Health:
We all have a relationship with ourselves. And we all define it in different ways. It can be noticed by introspecting yourself and noticing— what kind of image you have constructed about yourself in your mind.
“Your mental health is a mirror to the relationship you have with yourself.”
Some think they can never go wrong and picture themselves as “godly” and whitewashed. When such narcissist people are confronted with their mistakes, they don’t accept it and often behave like a victim.
Their victim mentality and denial of problems (that they need to work on) degrades their mental health. As they always find mistakes in others, whilst ignoring, where they went wrong.
Here’s why you should lie to yourself: Beautiful Illusions of Self-Deception: The Consequences of Lying to Yourself
Empaths and their Mental Health is subjective to their Emotions:
On the other hand, some people go and about blaming themselves for every little thing that goes wrong in their life. As they think they are responsible for everything.
Although, it’s good to be in charge of your situation and taking responsibility for your actions. But at all costs, you must remember that you aren’t responsible— for the action of others. Therefore, it is not your loss, when others don’t pay heed to your advice, in times of distress.
Empaths, hear it out! Don’t feel bad about things you cannot make right.
I’m citing this, because some people, especially empaths, often get troubled and blame themselves, when they aren’t able to help their loved ones. But you must understand, that worrying for something on which you have little to no control is unnecessary.
So believe in yourself, have faith in yourself as it will help in strengthening your relationship with yourself. When you’ll be happy and contented with yourself, it will have a great effect on your mental health.
Do you have an Empath Child? Check this out:
- 15 Signs that Suggest your Child is an Empath & How to Embrace the Gift
- How to take care of the Emotional & Mental well-being of an Empath Child
Don’t think too much about Others, as some People are Puppets of their Emotions:
You can advise someone, but you cannot undo a situation or re-wire someone’s mind. So take a chill pill, sit back and relax. Let your loved one fight with their situation. Be it an abusive partner, a stressful marriage/job, or with their mind.
So they clear the cast of lies by understanding, how having a distorted image of themselves, and taking fake promises as a token of love is overshadowing their conscience. By doing so, you’ll help two people without even realising.
If you really wanna help. Help someone to rebuild themselves by encouraging them. From experience, I am telling you, nobody needs anybody’s advice. People are simple, they need help, support, and words of encouragement when dealing with tough times.
Check out: Why loving someone isn’t a child’s play & What you should know before Committing
Old age and Mental Health:
As a person ages, they are at more risk of developing chronic diseases, which increases their dependence on medicines.
Studies have found people who suffer from chronic diseases, have poor mental health, and are at a high risk of having depression and strokes. Therefore, taking care of your mind and body should be kept on top priority by all.
However, the society we live in is more concerned about economic success than building a healthy environment, where people can be productive and mentally strong at the same time.
How Poor Mental Health affects your Life:
Good mental health is associated with greater economic success, building better social relationships, having a healthy life with reduced chances of illness.
On the contrary people with poor mental health have weaker participation in labour force, work fewer hours, lose more workdays. Hence, they earn lower wages than others.
Such individuals are likely to have rocky relationships, that do not last long. Since keeping up with another person takes a toll on their mental health, which is already in the doldrums. Overall, poor mental health affects a person’s life to a great extent.
Estimates suggest, in Ireland alone, the overall economic cost of mental health problems is €3 billion per annum; only cardiovascular disease is likely to contribute more to the overall burden of illness.
Brain Exercise to deal with Stress & for better Mental Health:
What I have realised is, that everybody can easily check up on their mental health if they notice themselves. Just observe how you feel about yourself when you are in a good state of mind, and when you are in a bad state of mind.
We are doing this so you can understand— what are the things that trouble you the most, and what are simple daily stressors, that you mistake as grave problems. This, in turn, will help you to understand how your brain works in different situations. It will also give the answers to your problems like— what makes you anxious, how to control anger, take effective measures and how to ignore simple daily stressors.
It could be a thought, a situation that hasn’t arise or stressing about past, present or future goals. etc. For example, some people overthink about situations that won’t arise shortly and they circle their life around it. Like it’s a dead end.
When you realise the root of the problem either try to solve it by working on it or just accept the present and continue to move on. Accepting the situation gives you strength to continue life. On the other hand, ignoring it creates havoc, as you don’t take precautions to avoid such problems in future.
I strongly believe, we all are a victim of such thoughts and by repeatedly fighting with the same dull thoughts. We will know how much it affects us, our mood, behaviour and our life. Since when we overthink about situations that haven’t arise or about the probabilities that lie, we often ignore that there’s light on the end of the tunnel.
Let thy spirit be high in love. Namaste
