The thoughts and imagination of an innocent child could be to become Wonder woman, Flash or Super girl when she/he grows up. These thoughts are the engine room of man, irrespective of age. She goes to school the following day with her flash backpack believing that she can outrun anything and anyone only to be told that she cannot participate in the race because it’s only meant for male children. Her heart is broken, her dreams shattered and her once powerful wings clipped.
“Am I not as fast?” She thought to herself. “How can I prove my worth if I am not given a shot?”. As a result, she goes home and decided never to wear the flash backpack anymore because: “after all, they told me that it’s not meant for female children.”
She goes into a mental state that convinces her that she is not as powerful as she thought therefore, she is nothing. She decided from that day that she will never run again. As a matter of fact, she lost interest in a lot of things and never wanted to be around people anymore. This also affected her academics as she wasn’t getting excellent grades anymore. No one (including her parents) really cared to know the root of the problem. Most persons had concluded that she just decided to perform poorly at school. “It’s just a phase", they concluded.
As a young adult growing up with so many dreams about graduating at a certain age, getting the dream job and moving out, getting your own comfortable home and getting married after meeting the love of your life, with life all planned out. You never planned for the traps, challenges or setbacks along the way – losing your Dad while trying to navigate through school, struggling through school only to graduate and you say to yourself “finally, I’m out so I can breathe properly”. You start applying for your dream job and then you get it. Finally!! Only to get into an accident that prevents you from starting work for a while so the company replaces you. At the hospital, in tears and anguish, you say to yourself “where did I go wrong?”, “Who did I offend?” Only then did you start to realise that those who were excited with you on social media about that your great job were the first ones to say that you deliberately got into an accident because you knew you weren’t good enough. Another set of gossips were of the opinion that you had it coming because you thought you were better than everyone else by daring to dream too big at an early age. Where have we seen this story before? Oh yes! Joseph (one of the sons of Jacob) in the Bible who got a similar reaction when he told his brothers about his dream of other stars bowing down to his own star. So the brothers decided to dispose of him and lie to their father that he was devoured by a beast. Life starts hitting so fast that you go into a mental state that convinces you that you are not good enough. Your mind starts outlining all the things that are wrong that would take ages to get fixed. And even if they get fixed, you would definitely have grow older than the age you had in your dreams. Your health is now in danger – your mental health especially.
Mental health is a vital aspect of our overall well-being, and it plays a crucial role in our daily life.
It is important to have a good understanding of what it entails in order to know how to tackle mental illnesses like depression.
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is an essential component of our overall health and affects how we think, feel, and act. Our mental health influences our relationships with others, our ability to handle stress, and our overall quality of life.
When our mental health is compromised, it can lead to several complications. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses can affect our ability to function in our daily life. They can also lead to physical health problems, such as heart disease, chronic pain, and other conditions.
Having known all these, the vital question is, what can we do in order to improve our mental health?
Fortunately, there are several ways to improve our mental health and maintain our overall well-being. Here are a few things you can do:
Practice self-care by consuming mentally stimulating materials like books, audio and video on things that boost your confidence, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
Learn to manage stress by practicing relaxation techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises.
Connect with others by cultivating healthy relationships with family and friends.
Seek professional help if you are struggling with mental health challenges.
Breaking the Stigma
Despite the importance of mental health, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness. Many people feel ashamed or embarrassed to seek help, which can prevent them from getting the care they need. Especially in Nigeria where people can laugh at you when you tell them that you may be feeling depressed. We tend to belittle people’s challenges by making statements like: “is it because of that reason that you’re feeling depressed?”, “Alright then, kill yourself na but tell me where you kept all your money first”
It is essential to break the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage people to seek help when needed. This means creating a safe and supportive environment where people can talk openly about their mental health challenges without fear of judgment or discrimination.
Conclusion
Mental health is an essential aspect of our overall well-being, and it requires our attention and care. By practicing self-care, seeking professional help when needed, and breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness, we can improve our mental health and maintain a healthy and fulfilling life.
Thank you for reading this and I hope you found this information helpful. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, please seek professional help.
If you have any comments about this post or have any advice on mental health, please feel free to comment in the section below.
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