HEALTH

One dictionary meaning defines health as the state of well being free from illness or injury while another defines it as a person’s mental or physical condition. Health they say is wealth, this statement generally means that the state of well being, free from disease or diseases, both physical and mental as defined above is indeed a wealth .For today, we will discuss Mental health. To start with, what is metal health? Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. The topic about mental health can never be overemphasized neither can it be underemphasized as it affects all areas of our lives. There are so many factors that could contribute to mental health problems which could include Biological factors (such as genes or brain chemistry), Life experiences, (such as trauma or abuse) and Family history of mental health problems. One or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:

Pulling away from people and usual activities, Having low or no energy, Feeling numb or like nothing matters, Feeling helpless or hopeless, Yelling or fighting with family and friends, Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships, Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head, Hearing voices or believing things that are not true, Thinking of harming yourself or others, 

Please, we need to note that having any of these signs does not necessarily point to one having mental health problems/issues as we understand that we live in a world that naturally saps us of our energy or increases the stress level day in day out, but a constant or persistent feeling of any single or combined behaviors could point to mental health signs. Even if one could conclude that he/she is having mental issues, all hope is not lost as the person could still find help by seeing a therapist as soon as possible, getting physically active by engaging in activities that could help the brain relieve stress like cycling, playing games like chess. Helping others too could help as we drive satisfaction from doing so which can secrete happy hormones to our brain. We want to also try to get enough sleep (the average sleeping hour is 8hours per day) as sleeping helps our brain recover from stress. Also we want to bond with people especially ones closer to us as oxytocin is the hormone your brain emits when you fall in love, or when you are bonding with a close friend (it’s often called the “love hormone”!) and this hormone can definitely help reduce anxiety. Above all, we want to always maintain a positive outlook on life, stay optimistic. Let life play its course while we develop coping mechanism to help us adjust to the everyday hustle and bustle, the highs and lows of these fast paced planet and continue to protect our mental health.