Mahatma Gandhi once said, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver”. If such is the case, then we should adore and take care of our minds and body to live a happy and healthy life. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body and vice-versa. Therefore, the way we perceive our bodies has an impact on our mental well-being.
Mental well-being is a state of mind- about how we feel and how we cope with our everyday life. It is about the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that make a home in our minds and noticing how well we handle them. Our mind’s health encompasses psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you must smile and always be happy, rather, it is about acknowledging how you feel and regulating your thoughts in accordance with it.
“We live in our bodies and spend most of our time in our minds, therefore, it is important that we make our mind and body a happy and healthy place to live in.”
Undoubtedly, the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has impacted our lives in unforeseen and uncertain ways such that it has become difficult to cope with our everyday thoughts. Being locked down in our homes for months with strict physical distancing rules feels like a caged animal. In addition, the glittering world of social media has flooded the internet with all sorts of hustle and bustle including the overwhelming news of COVID-19 infections and deaths. Surely, one may lose their mind in such a chaotic situation.
Nonetheless, many people are now finding time to finally be home with their families and friends and are finding the lost time they once enjoyed. It will not be wrong to say that we are spending more time with ourselves now, reflecting on our body, mind and spirit.
Why is mental well-being so important?
- To have positive self-esteem
- To openly and freely express how we feel
- Maintain good relationships
- Increase productivity at work
- Manage everyday stress of life
- It helps us combat mental and physical illnesses (These are just a few benefits)
One thing that the lockdown has given us is ‘time’. Time for ourselves. Little time to ponder on the dreams we had for our future, the reality we are living, and the memories of the time gone forever. I believe that reflecting on the thought of spending more time with ourselves is making us more critical of our bodies and is also allowing us to be more accepting and non-judgemental towards it. Therefore, I’ll lighten up my thoughts on one aspect of mental well-being that is quite close to my heart, i.e., body positivity or body image.
So, what is meant by body image? It simply means how you think or feel about your body and the perception you have about yourself. This perception can be positive or negative. While a healthy or positive body image means you are comfortable in your body and feel good about it, a negative body image can result in you judging your body negatively and feeling unhappy about the way you look. This can result in high risks of an unhealthy mind resulting in conditions like depression, eating disorders, bulimia, and anorexia, among others (see this Research).
Being more thoughtful, mindful and frequently reflecting on ourselves can help us come out of the judgment trap that we constantly put ourselves into. Engaging more in self-care activities has the potential to lift us out of the bland self-images that we hold of ourselves. If not a 100% cure, self-care compels us to at least take out some time for ourselves and learn to listen to the person within each of us.
“Being vulnerable can sometimes make us more powerful.”
I somehow collected my courage and thought of speaking out about myself and my dear and not-so-dear acne, I will share with you my thoughts on my strange embodied relationship with it.
I think my acne loves me so much that now I have learnt to live with them. They are the unloving, unkind intruders on my face. They often act harshly on me. One or the other of its gang members visits me frequently. They make their settlements on my cheeks, enjoy the steep terrain of my nose and pop up on the flat plateau on my forehead. They also intrude on the southern lands of my chin and upper lip, but they come here only a couple of weeks before my next period. We share a strange relationship with one another. I think I’ve become habitual that they may come and visit me any day or any time. They especially accompany me to special occasions like family functions, weddings, professional meetings and gatherings and all events I look forward to attending. Well, I don’t want them to pop out at least before these special occasions, but they seem to be a jolly batch who too want to enjoy and celebrate along with me. No matter the close relationship we share, I do not adore them. Even if I lose contact with them, I will not grieve. In fact, that separation would be a happy one!
So, you see, being vulnerable can sometimes make us more powerful. Throughout my life, I’ve always tried to devote my time to self-care. Maybe, that’s the reason that I feel a bit more comfortable in my skin.
Coming back to talking about mental well-being, the World Bank stated in 2019 that one in every four people suffer from mental disorders globally. Considering the context of my country, India, the World Bank in a study conducted in 2015 stated that one in five Indians may suffer from depression in their lifetime, which equals nearly 200 million people.
When it comes to physical illnesses, people get so conscious and rush to doctors for their cure. However, mental health and well-being, especially in India are not seen as a priority to devote our attention to. There is a whole lot of stigma attached to speaking out about mental well-being. Though the Government of India passed the Mental Healthcare Act in 2017, a lot needs to be done at the individual, familial and community levels.
But how can we expect others to initiate a change when we hold back ourselves and compromise with our own mental well-being? Why will someone appreciate us if we cannot adore our own bodies? I believe that we can start from the very basic, simple and individual level of taking care of ourselves. We can indulge in self-care. Self-care is not about being selfish, it’s about “deliberately” taking out time for yourself in order to take a pause and understand your worth and self-esteem.
I know I feel in need of help sometimes and associated with this is a lot of silent suffering, but the first person I look upon is me, which means I look within myself. I believe that you are so powerful with yourself, with your mind, body and spirit. Therefore, self-care is an easy, effective and efficient way to take care of your body and mental well-being. We live in our bodies and spend most of our time in our minds, therefore, it is important that we make our mind and body a happy and healthy place to live in.
So, why don’t you just see yourself more consciously in the mirror today and smile and maybe laugh and maybe just say to yourself, I love you!
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