And the saying goes – mind over matter. What the body finds challenging, the mind can overcome. And yet so many of us don’t quite comprehend the importance of mental wellness. Or rather misunderstand it as a mental health problem. Mental wellness is not just about being free from depression or anxiety. It’s how we feel, think and act in our day-to-day conundrum with a positive streak. It’s how we relate and react to the curve balls life throws at us without hitting rock bottom, and emerging stronger each time. Thus, the importance for mental wellness and its impact on our well-being cannot be taken for granted.
In recent times, we have seen COVID upended our everyday lives. Our children are confined to home-based learning instead of mingling freely in a school environment that enriches their development and personality. Someone we know or don’t know has lost their job. And the usual manner of how we socialize with friends and family has become a thing of the past. And what does mental wellness have to do with any of these? Just about everything.
If COVID infects our body, then the effect of COVID infects our mind. The pandemic has taken a toll not just on our emotional wellbeing but equally on our mental wellness. Yet how we deal with these changing times and challenges is why it is crucial to understand the importance of it. Mental wellness is not just about the absence of mental illness. It’s a variety of positive engagement of the mind to feel good and be resilient and grow in spite of the adversity we face in life. From a simple bubble bath to meditation, we all strive to achieve mental wellness in our own way. We just have to be mindful not to neglect it.