As we live our ordinary life we notice that occasionally our thinking isn’t on the right track. There are millions of factors that contribute to your mental wellness. Let’s take school for example. School is a space where we go to get educated, but during school people’s mental health isn’t the best. School is draining as we stay up late finishing tasks that we want to earn good grades for or even staying up preparing for a huge test the next day. Some of us don’t take breaks when it comes to school because we want to make our parents proud and let them know we are capable of a lot of things. Or even to get into a good college in order to accomplish your life goals. Other people feel lonely, overwhelmed, or exhausted during school. We set limits on ourselves which cause us to get stressed out. As I looked for an accurate definition, I came across this article that has a simple definition. 
“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.” Many people put their mental health aside and don’t bother about it but later on, they discover that they aren’t able to do what they set their minds to. We all need breaks that help us get through stressful situations. Sometimes we need to remove ourselves from the situation at hand in order to relax or find a solution. If your mental health isn’t handled seriously it can cause difficulties later on such as anxiety. This article it shows how “When the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted.”
One of the biggest things I struggle with that impacts my mental health is putting a lot of stuff on my plate which leaves me really worried and overwhelmed. Mental health is just as vital as physical health. Although we must look out for our Mental Health, there are people that can aid us as well as animals. I have recently given a dog for my birthday and I feel as though it has helped my mental health big time. Dogs aid with mental health by lowering stress and anxiety levels, as well as making sure to keep us entertained. My dog does an excellent job keeping my attention off things to play with him or just look and see what he’s doing. Dogs are very active and make sure to get you up and running. If I don’t keep up with the energy of my dog he would destroy most of my stuff. He loves to go on runs and running gets me breathing fresh air as well as improving my physical health. Going on walks can also improve mental health as you take your mind off of work and focus on nature. You should always make sure that your mental health is stable and in the right place, and if it’s not make sure to fix it.
Mental Health can also affect our sustainable development global goals. It falls into number 3 “Good Health and Well-Being” almost 1 billion people suffer from mental disorders. Mental health costs the global economy almost $1 trillion each year, that is a lot of money. However, this can change and we could be getting a step closer to accomplishing one of the global goals. We must work together, but there are in fact other countries/cultures that don’t believe in mental health. They take it as a whole different aspect which doesn’t help those who are struggling with a mental disorder. We may think that it doesn’t have an effect globally, but as we see it those just that. In my global citizenship class, we have been discussing the differences we have in our ways of life here in the United States and comparing them to other countries. One of our main topics right now is education and how some countries do a better job of educating/ teaching than other countries. I feel as though this could also apply to Mental Health, some people aren’t getting taught about Mental Health which is bad because others can treat it like a disease, but it’s not. It is something important, but it isn’t contagious yet it should be taken seriously. We must make sure that the world knows what Mental Health is and how it affects people in order for us to move forward.
Questions:
(1) Think back to when you were last in a stressful/hard situation how did you overcome it?
(2) Do you believe Mental Health is essential? Explain.
Citations:
About Mental Health, https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
What is Mental Health, https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health
“Mental Health America | Homepage”. Mental Health America, 2022, https://mhanational.org/. Accessed 9 Dec 2022.
“Mental Health: Definition, Common Disorders, Early Signs, And More”. Medicalnewstoday.Com, 2022, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543. Accessed 9 Dec 2022.
“Mental Health”. Who.Int, 2022, https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1. Accessed 16 Dec 2022.
“How Are Other Countries Treating Mental Health Issues?”. Pulsetms.Com, 2021, https://pulsetms.com/blog/mental-health-treatment-around-the-world/. Accessed 16 Dec 2022.
3 Comments
ella lutz · January 5, 2023 at 7:02 pm
question#2
I think mental health is extremely important and having good mental health is essential. Mental health is key to being happy and feeling good. However your mental health is at that time affects your daily life and how you feel and act. Everyone’s mental health varies but it really does have an effect on everything in your life. I believe that good mental health is essential and everyone should take the time to relax and work on their mental health.
Max W · January 14, 2023 at 11:51 pm
When I was last in a stressful situation, I overcame it by pushing through. There wasn’t any other option at that point, and I had to just continue to push myself through those tough times. Sometimes life sucks, and you need to have the perseverance to push yourself until you finally see how much you have improved.
I believe that mental health is incredibly important, possibly more important that physical health, although the two are intertwined. Mental health is something that gotten more important over time, and for good reason. Your mentality effects everything that you do. Whether it’s getting up in the morning, or going to bed at night, or even when your sleeping, your brain is telling you what to do and how to feel. That is why mental health is so crucial, and why keeping a good mentality is so important.
RJ · January 17, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Araceli, I enjoyed reading your blog post. As the son of a Psychiatrist, I know how important mental health is. Without an understanding of mental health, mental illness cannot be identified or treated. I agree with your assessment of the stressors of everyday life in high school. The work load, the drive to be successful, constantly thinking about the future, it can all be very overwhelming. I don’t have to think back very far to remember a stressful situation. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I go back to the basics. I try to make sure I am getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, and eating healthy. I also try to spend more time with people, even though sometimes it is the last thing I feel like doing.
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