Prince Harry made headlines in 2022 when he opened up about his struggles with mental health. This confession surely came as a surprise for everyone all over the world. He spoke up about his issues with anxiety and profound grief following his mother’s death, Princess Diana. He spoke about how he is using his platform BetterUp1 to raise awareness about mental health. Since then, the Duke of Sussex has been focusing on driving advocacy and awareness for mental health. He has encouraged many to speak up about one’s mental health condition, seek help and support in times of need.
Our very own Bollywood actress, Deepika Padukone created a buzz, when she was vocal about her struggles with her mental health a few years ago. After seeking professional help for condition, she laid the foundation of The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF)2 that works across a broad spectrum of mental health offering various services related to it.
One thing is for sure, if these people whom we look upon as highest achievers and who come from the cream of the lot enjoying all the blessings of life, when they can go through hard times of mental health, then a common man cannot remain unfazed. Mental health is not just the absence of any mental illness, but it is more about a sound state of mind. Are we experiencing it? Has mental health been in your priority list?
Psychologists say mental health should be your priority in 2023. But why do we miss-out on making mental health a priority when it is as important as physical health! We did a survey and found out that while many of us want to make mental health a priority, we just are not sure HOW?
So we reached out to India’s top psychologists and psychiatrists to help us with their top tips to take care of mental health in 2023. Before you read further, you might consider sharing this article with your friends and family members who you think might benefit from these tips.
Let’s dive in.
Tip #1: An Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude makes you happier and helps improve your mental health. Whenever you feel low, simply count on your blessings and you will be able to see the brighter side of life. This will help you to come out of the negative state of mind immediately. When we go through a low phase of life, we tend to think it’s the end and we overlook all the good things that life has bestowed upon us. We forget people who have been our pillar of support during tough times. Practising gratitude will not only bring back the zeal in us, but also will strengthen the bonds. Feeling the abundance helps improve one’s mental health. This will keep the negative metal hum at bay.
You may pick up the phone and write a gratitude message to a friend who you are thankful for being with you in ups and downs of 2022.
Tip #2: Make Efforts for an Effortless Relationship
Long lasting, fulfilling relationships brings life to a complete circle. You feel loved and needed. Troubled relationships are one of the major causes of mental health issues. Hence it is an apt decision to work on the relationships. This in turn generates a positive attitude towards oneself and empathy towards others, making life more meaningful. Connecting with the right kind of people will leverage your possibilities of growth in every aspect of life. Creating and maintaining supportive relationships between friends and family can give you a sense of belonging, which will improve your mental health.
May be make a New Years Resolution to have a conscious dinner together with your family at least once a week. Strictly no phones.
Tip #3: Practice Self Care and Self Love
Self care is a major step towards one’ overall wellbeing. Make time for activities that nourish your physical and emotional well-being. Get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and engage in regular physical activity, or even indulge in art or music or your favourite sport. One can opt for gardening too or just go for a walk and connect with nature.. Try to stay away from addictions, and foods that pose a threat to your health. Apart from following a healthy lifestyle, one should love oneself. This is a must if you want to have a healthy mind along with a healthy body. Self love will enable you to accept yourself with all the positives and negatives in you, making you more resilient.
Perhaps, keep bite-sized goals every week and reward yourself with your favourite indulgences. 52 weeks, 52 indulgences.
Tip #4: The OG – Diary Entry
Most of the mental health issues are the outcome of bottled up emotions, and venting them out in a destructive way. Hence, shifting to “effective stress management methods” is imperative. As per psychologists, every action is attached to some emotion. And every emotion is linked to some experience. Hence, acknowledge the source of emotion and channelize it in a healthy way. It is important to find healthy methods to express and manage emotions. Writing in a journal, or talking to a trusted family member or friend can really make a massive difference.
But one of those 2023 Year Diary and spend 10-15 min every night to recount the good and not-so-good things of the day.
Tip #5: Don’t Delay Seeking Professional Help
We might feel self sufficient in handling ourselves but really, things do get out of hand. At times we might like to talk to our close family members and friends about our emotional turmoil to seek help. But this too might become a futile attempt in dealing with one’s mental condition. Hence, reaching out to a professional will help us in a more fruitful way. The guidance, and assistance from a mental health expert is proven effective and gives long lasting results. Hence, do not shy away from talking to a mental health expert whenever you think things are out of hand. Seeking help is a sign of strength.
It is always difficult to make that first call for help. Fortunately, to make life easier, there are many counselling and therapy apps available today. At TickTalkTo, our therapists have a ton of experience in helping and supporting people just like you. Even if you are perfectly fine, it’s a good to download the app and connect with a happiness coach to stay prepared for 2023.