Mental well-being is an integral part of our life as it affects the way we function. Mental well-being includes psychological and emotional well-being and is determined by several aspects such as physical health, life experiences, and the surrounding environment. Prioritising mental well-being enhances the ability to cope with the stressors of life, productivity, and relationships. It further reduces the risk of developing psychological disorders and physical health concerns.
Benefits of Prioritising mental well being
While good mental well-being reduces the risk of developing psychological disorders, there are several aspects of our lives that benefit from prioritizing mental well-being.
Here are some of the aspects that are benefited from good mental well-being:
Physical Health:
Mental well-being and physical health are closely connected. Being in a state where one has good mental well-being reduces stress, improves cardiovascular health, and increases the functioning of the immune system
Emotional Functioning:
Mental well-being promotes higher emotional resilience and improves one’s overall mood. Furthermore, it helps build self-awareness and regulate one’s emotions.
Social Functioning:
Good mental well-being helps to build strong relationships and improves the ability to communicate one’s needs from their immediate surroundings.
How can Mental well-being be prioritised?
There are several ways in which we can make mental well-being a priority. While the list is not exhaustive, here are a few ways that can be used as a starting point:
On an individual level:
- Pay attention to self-care:
Taking some time out each day for self-care is a great way to focus on your mental and physical health. Dedicating as little as 15 minutes in your daily routine to self-care activities such as going for a walk, reading a book, or even taking a short nap, can help to cope better with the regular stressors we experience.
- Optimise your Sleep schedule:
Sleep plays an important role in our day-to-day functioning and maintaining a regular sleep schedule which can help improve energy levels and your overall mood. Sleeping and waking up at the same time regularly helps to establish a regular sleep routine.
- Seek support:
Seeking professional help when you are feeling overwhelmed can help to improve your mental well-being. Some of the best mental health apps on the market today, ensure that you can have timely access to mental health professionals who can help you work through your concerns. A mental health app such as Wysa can help you build awareness and skills to cope with emotions and stressors, and deal with problems on your own.
On an organisational level:
- Build awareness at the workplace and schools:
Talking about the importance of mental well-being through regular workshops helps individuals understand the necessity to prioritize their mental health and how they can take steps to do so. This also reduces inhibitions to talk about what they are struggling with and helps them seek help.
- Promote mental health days at the workplace:
Mental health days for employees are a great initiative to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity at the workplace.
Conclusion
Taking a few measures to prioritise mental well-being helps maintain a high quality of life. Each individual has different needs and ways of reaching a state of mental well-being. While this takes time to identify, consulting a mental health professional is a great place to start as you can build awareness of your needs and understand what are the steps that work best for you, to ensure that you are prioritising your mental well-being.
