MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS: MEANING, FIVE THINGS YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM BEING MENTALLY AWARE.
Let’s focus on you today!
You are here, alive, and you are working hard and smart to bring your dreams to life. Many factors affect how far we go as humans. These could be having a goal in mind, consistency, or intentional steps to reach your goal.
However, our mental health has a significant role in our lives, including our thought processes, emotions, and actions. How much do you know about your mental health?
This post explains mental health awareness and the benefits of being aware of your mental health.
What is mental health?
Mental health is the social, cognitive, behavioural, and emotional well-being of an individual. According to WHO, “mental health goes beyond the absence of mental disorders”. Instead, it is a state that influences how you process information, feel, and behave.
Mental health also determines how we deal with stress, associate with others, and make choices. Therefore, it plays a massive role in our goals, daily activities, health, and perception of our lives and that of others. In other words, your ability to live happily depends on your mental well-being.
Facts about mental health
- Mental well-being entails more than the absence of mental illnesses or disorders.
- Mental health is an essential part of our health in general; hence, our mental health can affect our physical health.
- Our mental health can be influenced by our environment, society, childhood experiences, genetics, and substances like alcohol or drugs
What does mental health awareness mean?
Mental health awareness means accepting that our mental health is an integral part of our general well-being, learning about it, building self-awareness, and educating others about their mental well-being. Being aware enables us to improve our way of life, determine who can get help, and create a positive environment.
Mental health awareness is an excellent way to get people to understand themselves, grow, recognise, and talk about their problems. Internationally it is characterised by a green ribbon symbol, and annually, and is usually celebrated for a week.
Five benefits of mental health awareness
Mental health awareness can significantly improve our interactions in our lives, school, workplace, and society as a whole. But you are the top priority of today’s article, so here are five things you can benefit from mental health awareness:
- You get to understand the impact of mental health/mental illness.
Mental health awareness educates you on the negative impact of mental illness and your mental health in general in your life, workplace, relationships, and your environment.
When you better understand mental health/illnesses, you can reduce the stigma associated with mental illness in your community.
2. It helps you build empathy towards others.
Knowledge of mental health allows you to identify signs and risks of mental illness, how to cope with it, and the dangers of mental illnesses. This will enable you to recognise similar signs in others as well.
Mental health knowledge allows you to interact, relate, and collaborate effectively with those dealing with mental illnesses. It also enables you to understand that the mental health of others is just as important as their health, and it can also influence their productivity.
You get to understand people as you learn to understand yourself and deal with stress or certain emotions.
3. It helps you develop self-awareness.
Mental health literacy aids in the detection of problematic thought patterns, unusual behaviour, and sensations. This enables you to acquire a deeper understanding of yourself as a person and how you see yourself.
It also helps you delve deeper into how you see things and deal with uncomfortable situations, stress, workload, and positive and negative emotions. This is the first step to dealing with these emotions.
4. It aids the development of confidence and resilience.
Being aware of your mental health can assist you in focusing on your positive habits, coping better at work, and increasing your creativity and productivity. You will grow more resilient to destructive emotions, stress, and unhealthy settings due to this.
When you can deal with your challenges positively, you bolster your self-esteem and grow in various aspects of your life.
5. It helps you find peace within yourself and in your relationships.
Investing in your mental well-being can improve your quality of life, allow you to form stronger relationships with others, sleep better, lower your risk of depression, and provide you with a sense of serenity. It also helps improve your physical health; you are happy, your brain is comfortable, and so are those around you.
Final thoughts
Exercise, a good diet, and quality rest aren’t enough to keep you healthy if your mind is unsettled. Mental health awareness is also a gateway to self-discovery, leverage it and enjoy the peace that comes with it.
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