World Mental Health Day: Embrace Silence, Nurture Kindness

World Mental Health Day, yet every day should be dedicated to nurturing our mental well-being. Take a moment to observe your surroundings, and you'll quickly realize that each one of us, including myself, requires positive mental health. This awareness is essential because mental health can encompass both positive and negative aspects. Before delving into the subject of mental health, consider spending just one minute silencing your thoughts to listen to yourself. Only through self-listening can we truly assess our mental well-being. Otherwise, we may find ourselves preaching about mental health to others without addressing our own needs. It's paramount to start with self-awareness.

Mental health can be especially challenging in today's world, dominated by social media platforms and driven by the pursuit of success, power, status, and material possessions. I urge you to look around before passing judgment (Mindfulness) or dismissing this message. In the whirlwind of life, we often neglect to pause, listen, and reflect before making judgments about others. I'm not here to judge you, and I'm not suggesting that you are judgmental. However, it is crucial that we recognize this tendency.

 

The pressure of modern life often leads us to focus more on others than on ourselves, resulting in negative effects on our own mental wellness. Additionally, we may succumb to the pressures of comparison and the blame game instead of prioritizing self-care and self-fulfilment. Mental wellness is closely tied to self-confidence, which, in turn, relies on self-love and self-acceptance. In the age of social media, self-identity can become clouded, leaving us uncertain about who we truly are and whether we measure up to our own standards. 

Seeking professional help, such as counselling with someone like Ms. Nava, is crucial when needed. In Malaysia, and in other places, there exists a social stigma associated with seeking counselling. Our reticence to seek help may be exacerbated by the influence of our loved ones. However, counselling is a private and confidential process. Placing trust in a qualified counsellor can be transformative, provided you are willing to take the first step and begin sharing your thoughts and feelings. It's essential to understand that talking to friends and family members is not a substitute for professional counselling, as their biases may come into play.

While free counselling services are available from various organizations, it's important not to choose friends or family members as counsellors simply because their services are free. This can often lead to more harm than good. In my own experience, even my in-laws and my own daughter have unintentionally contributed to damaging my mental wellness. However, my mental strength has allowed me to bounce back from moments of despair (Yoga Magic).

To all of you incredible individuals, remember to cultivate kindness within yourselves and share it with others. Your actions and words can have a profound impact on the mental wellness of those around you, let alone your own, because each time we fail to understand silence and kindness, we fail as humans as well.