Living in a country like mine, people often attribute mental illness only to those who physically display a state of madness walking on the street and are usually sent to a psychiatric hospital, there is a popular psychiatric home in Lagos Nigeria, whose name is not as popular as its location, so whenever you hear a Nigerian referring to someone as a Yaba left patient, just know that they consider the person to be suffering from mental illness.
It is important for us to note that mental illness doesn't exclusively apply to those who display the act of physical madness, there are other types of mental illnesses that affect us humans, and we can still go about our normal day-to-day activities and still suffer from mental illnesses that if they don't get professional help might lead to a more serious issue.
It was shocking to read the newspaper headline a few months back about how the average population of Nigerians suffering from mental issues but would never seek professional help but instead use their religion as an excuse to forbid what they are going through because of the fear of stigmatization as a mental illness sufferer, although some are ignorant of this predicament, but deep down, they still know that things are not alright within them.
Wonder why people easily suffer from this illness? No, it is not contagious, might be hereditary though, but also our lifestyles and pressures from different commitments of life, our work, relationships, finance, self-inflicted and other societal pressure, can become so overwhelming on our minds that the stress and challenges we face begin to affect our mental state, especially when we neglect our mental health while going through our struggles, it can have profound consequences, manifesting in various forms such as anxiety, depression, burnout, and cognitive impairment.
I have witnessed a family go through this struggle, and it was when it became physical and late due to ignorance did we realized that indeed mental illness is real, I don't know how it started for that aunt of mine, but judging from what happened, it wasn't just a one-day occurrence, she had been suppressing her feeling, hoping that prayer and fasting would heal how she felt mentally, we saw her as a very religious and committed aunt, not knowing that she was going through mental health struggles due to the challenges of life she was faced with. It is never easy watching a family fade away from mental illness, but thankfully she got healed with time, after seeking professional help and also the love of family, staying by her side, rendering support, without judgment, and also not ignoring prayers, all worked together to heal her, I'm not against any religion, but don't in the name of religion, avoid seeking professional help or involve yourself with activities that would help maintain a healthy mind.
Challenges are part of life, but how we face them determines how they affect us, it is important we maintain a healthy mind because not only is it essential for our well-being, but it also plays a crucial role in helping us go through life's challenges and attaining fulfillment within ourselves without overwhelming our minds with stress, and I will share ways or activities we can involve in to protect our mental well-being.
- Embracing Self-Awareness and Mindfulness
It is important for us to develop self-awareness and mindfulness, this means being conscious of things, words spoken, actions, emotions, or even watching movies that may provoke stress in us, when we know our triggers it would be easier to avoid them. For me, I don't like being in a state of anger because it drives me off balance emotionally, and can make me do things I would regret later, in simple words, anger and me can be a dangerous mixture, I've been aware of this after ugly incidents in the past, now, I practice mindfulness, to avoid any trigger, we know we can't always steer clear of things or people in this case that might trigger that emotion, so what I do when I'm faced with an upsetting situation is first to vacate that environment, if it's impossible for me, I practice deep breathing just to distract myself or just plug in a earphone and listen to a favourite music, which helps give me a calm effect and less reactive to the external stimuli. These practices encourage us to observe our thoughts and feelings with compassion and curiosity, rather than judgment or resistance.
- Form a positive relationship with family and people in your society
We humans are inborn social beings incase you don't know, whether you are introverted or not, you can't ignore the place of relationships because developing positive relationships can help impact our mental well-being, from the support and that sense of belonging we feel.
Prioritizing time for interactions with loved ones, making good friends, and joining a local religious circle where you connect with and receive advice from can help us deal with the feeling of loneliness, which is another feeling that can be linked to mental health challenges.
- Engaging in Regular Physical Activity
My type of job often has me sitting at one place for long hours, and this happens to be a daily job, I get pain and feel totally demotivated some days due to having the same routine, one fine evening, I decided to ride a bicycle just for fun which is also an exercise, I felt more alive than I've felt for a long which made me realize what I've been missing out in my day to day life's activities - Exercise there is a feel-good hormone often released in our body when we involve in physical exercise, exercise not only improves our physical fitness but also release those hormones endorphins, which can help us elevate our mood and reduce stress and anxiety, therefore a more healthy mind and body.
- Restful Sleep and Relaxation
In our haste to meet up with our financial challenges and other life goals, we often sacrifice good hours of sleep that it becomes habitual, how do you feel when you don't sleep for long hours? I have a special name for that feeling because I've also been guilty, I call it a Zombie Feeling your sense of creativity becomes numb, you get easily irritated, and your stress level spikes, then imagine what your mind would be going through in that state from the exhaustion.
To avoid a mental breakdown, take your sleep and rest time seriously, every other thing can pause for you to get refreshed and back to your active and creative self
Additionally, engaging in leisure activities that bring joy and a sense of calm, such as reading, listening to your favorite music, or having fun with your creative hobbies, can help us feel sane and sound.
- Building Resilience and A Positive Mindset
Life is not a bed of roses as we already know, challenges will always show face, learn to appreciate your success, don't focus on what you haven't achieved yet, and learn to build a positive mindset no matter the challenges you face, seeking rational solutions to each problem, don't worry about what you have no control over, that's life, live beyond that and unburden your mind with all those stress-inducing thoughts.
In conclusion
Remember it is important to seek professional help, don't feel stigmatized neither feel that way about others, normalize the process of seeking professional help for mental health concerns, as doing so can greatly enhance our ability to manage and overcome challenges, ultimately promote long-term well-being and personal growth, protecting our mental well-being is not a luxury but a necessity, especially in this hard times.
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Image 1 is edited using canvas, image 2 is mine