Everyone, whether rich or poor, man or woman, old or young, needs to be mentally healthy to live a holistic, functional, and fulfilling life. Accordingly, the theme for World Mental Health Day this year is “make mental health and well-being for all a global priority.” This event has been celebrated every year on October 10 since 1992. Spreading awareness aims to spring individuals, institutions, communities, and society into action as the vision of “mental health and well-being for all” grows into a reality.
What Is The Need To Celebrate World Mental Health Day?
According to a report by World Health Organization(WHO) in March 2022, the Covid-19 pandemic led to a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide. You can read the complete report on WHO’s official website. Mental Health America(MHA) also reported that 19.8% of adults in the U.S are experiencing a mental illness.
Governments and healthcare providers must improve the quality, availability, and accessibility of mental health services. In this situation, celebrating and commemorating a day for worldwide mental health is hardly surprising. Mental health often goes underreported and unseen, as all mental health conditions are invisible and often not interpretable from the symptoms.
But What Exactly Is Mental Health?
Mental health includes your emotional, social, and psychological well-being. It means having a stable sense of self and the ability to form healthy, supportive relationships with others. Being mentally healthy also includes being resilient or resistant to mental illness.
Some of the factors that influence mental health include:-
-sleep, diet, nutrition, and other basic needs of the mind and body,
-habits, addictions, and routine, or lack thereof,
-relationships and interactions with other people,
-trauma, abuse, childhood or life experiences, family history,
-genetics, brain chemistry, and other biological factors,
-and self-identity and attitude toward oneself.
Read more: Top 22 mental health awareness blogs
World Mental Health Day 2022: How You Can Play A Part
You can also play a part in World Mental Health Day 2022. Here are the best methods to help you do the same, with a detailed explanation of how to take practical action on them:-
-Improve your mental health: Firstly, you can work on improving your mental health. It will improve your relationships, make you more satisfied and stable, and enable you to make better choices and actions in life. The best ways to improve your mental health are:
A. take care of your body with regular exercise, adequate sleep, and nutritious food,
B. develop healthy, supportive relationships with others,
C. learn new skills and hobbies that you enjoy,
D. be more mindful(in the present moment), and live consciously.
-Increase mental health awareness in the community: You can help your loved ones and peers become more mentally aware and reduce the stigma regarding mental illness. These efforts might enable some community members to seek help or open up about their condition.
-Join a support group: While support groups are meant to provide support, they also make for a beautiful community. Joining a support group, even as a mentally healthy person, can help you prevent mental illnesses and make the right decisions.
Read more: Mental health awareness websites for reliable support and care
Conclusion
World Mental Health Awareness day has been celebrated every October 10 since 1992. You can participate in this event by being more mentally aware, supporting the community, or aiding those with mental illness through volunteer work. Increasing mental health awareness is the first step to spreading it among others. On that note, you can take this quiz to test yourself for the same.
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