Mental Health – Why we should prioritise it in 2023 ?
By
Dr G Om Prakasham
Chairman, lotus Wellness
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon
95% of us say mental health is important, yet only 26% prioritize it. Here’s why you should.
If you’re reading this, chances are your health is important to you. It’s important to us too, and we want to understand more about how people like you think and act when it comes to health. So we teamed up with the research company to talk with 2,500 adults across the country about their health goals. In 12 questions, our “Picture of health” survey asked people to rate their physical, mental and spiritual health, share their goals, and discuss the barriers they face to achieving them.
Turns out, we’re an optimistic bunch, with most of us rating our current health as good or excellent, and believing it’ll stay that way. We also have similar health aspirations: losing weight, lowering stress. And we cite similar challenges to achieving our goals, namely lack of time and money. Previous research conducted by us echoes the need for more time.
Nearly two thirds of people say that they would dedicate more time to mental and physical health if they had an extra hour in the day.
The most surprising thing we found is that, although we say mental health has a powerful influence on overall health, we’re doing very little to prioritize our emotional well-being. Why don’t our actions line up with our beliefs? We dug into the data and consulted with experts to understand this crucial disconnect. After all, doctors now know that supporting mental health is essential to treating complex physical conditions like heart disease and chronic pain.
Keep reading to learn what you should be doing to care for your mental health. Just as important, discover tips to help you make it a priority.
The surprising disconnect between our health intentions and actions.
Most of us (95%) say that caring for mental health is important to overall health. At least in theory, we recognize that good mental health can’t be taken for granted and requires some Tender loving care . Our actions, however, tell a different story: Only 26% of adults say they prioritize mental health over physical health. Somehow, our good intentions get lost in the hustle of daily life.
Make no mistake: We do make time for working toward our health goals. But one particular to-do tends to dominate our attention: weight loss. One in three of us says it’s our most important goal. That’s way ahead of the second place goal, eating a balanced diet, endorsed by 9% of adults. With 74% of the us considered overweight, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to get to a healthy size. But it poses a problem when a single-minded approach leaves no room for other important health goals.
Here’s why that disconnect matters when it comes to your health (and your health goals).
More and more people are recognizing that mind and body are essentially the same thing. And growing evidence shows that investing in your mental health can boost your physical health as well.
Psychiatrists, Psychologists and other mental health advocates at lotus wellness and rehabilitation Center believe that strong mental health comes from paying equal attention to the “four pillars” of good health: nutrition, exercise, sleep and relaxation. But when we asked people to select multiple health goals, diet was at the top of the list, with some people choosing more than one diet goal. The other three pillars
• exercise, sleep and relaxation
• were afterthoughts, as was spending more time with friends and family.
Speaking of friends and family, many studies have noted a strong association between good health and supportive social relationships. Indeed, 10% of survey respondents said a lack of support from friends and family got in the way achieving their health goals. And yet, we don’t seem to prioritize our relationships very highly.
“Spend more time with friends and family” ranked #6, below goals about diet, sleep and getting outside. “Maintain a healthy relationship” ranked #8.
In another twist, the majority of survey participants (51%) say the community they live in has no impact on their health
• neither positive nor negative. The truth is, your home location pin code is a greater indicator of your health than your genetic code, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
When it comes to achieving health goals, many of us believe having more time and money would increase our chances of success.
In our survey, 25% of Indians said “It’s too expensive,” while 23% believed “I don’t have enough time.” On the surface, those responses are perfectly logical. Paying for a gym membership can certainly make getting fit easier. And working fewer hours can free up more time for grocery shopping and cooking healthy meals. But the fact is, some people with tighter schedules and budgets still find room for their health.
Then what really is getting in the way? It may be the fact that we don’t prioritize mental health.
Why Indians don’t prioritize mental health.
It’s clear that we’re not prioritizing our emotional well-being, but the question is why? The evidence points to three likely suspects:
• Stigma, especially among older adults. After age 55, time spent on mental health drops dramatically, with just 14% of those 65 and over reporting they spend most of their time on mental health. Obviously, physical health problems are more common as we age, and therefore take up more of our time. But mental health professionals say there’s still a stigma around mental health among the 50+ crowd.
“It remains taboo to focus on mental health,” I Dr Om say so . “We know that people who struggle with chronic back pain also struggle with depression. But if you ask them, they focus on the physical. And people are willing to say, ‘I’m not feeling well,’ but they won’t attribute it to mood.”
Stigma seems to be less of an issue among younger adults. According to a recent study, millennials are more accepting of others with mental illness, and more likely to talk about mental health than their parents or grandparents.
Lotus survey shows that 20- and 30-somethings ― the millennial generation ― are twice as likely to put mental health first than adults 55 and up.
• Lack of awareness about the interaction of mental and physical health. Studies show that people with heart disease experience more cardiac symptoms, both in number and severity, when they feel under stress. The best cardiac treatment plans address not just physical factors but also emotional ones.
Many Indians don’t understand that proactively caring for mental health can benefit both mind and body. This is especially true for older adults. “Unless you have a well-defined psychiatric issue, seniors may not take mental health seriously.” But depression, which affects 30 million Indians age 65 or older, can contribute to a number of physical problems, including dementia.
• Not knowing how to get started. One in ten people expressed confusion over how to get started as a barrier to achieving their health goals. At some point, we’ve all been overwhelmed by the idea of a big project. Taking the first step to a healthier life is often the hardest part.
So how do you prioritize mental health?
The good news is that prioritizing mental well-being is a lot more straightforward than you might think. Experts stress that relationships are key to strengthening emotional health. For many of us, that means shifting our focus toward connecting more with others, preferably offline.
The health benefits of connecting with others are far-reaching. Experts agree that social involvement is an important factor in maintaining all kinds of healthy behavior, whether it’s exercising, eating right or quitting smoking. It’s also a powerful stress reducer, which has its own positive impact on health.
And don’t forget to prioritize sleep, nutrition, exercise and relaxation. In addition to keeping your body running, these activities work wonders for your emotional well-being.
Finally, if you’ve been struggling to lose weight, changing your approach may be just what the doctor ordered. For many people, calorie counting isn’t nearly as effective as paying attention to the emotional triggers driving unhealthy eating. Refocusing on mental health goals may actually result in better weight control.
Mental health is the cornerstone of relationships as well as physical and emotional health. The past two years have highlighted the importance of taking care of yourself because if you don’t, your mind, body, and spiritual health can suffer.
Your Mental Health
Mental health affects people’s thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. For example, at some point, maybe after a death of a loved one, you can experience depression. Your depression can affect how you interact with, think about, or feel towards people.
Everyone can struggle with their emotional health. However, when left untreated, feelings like depression or anxiety can increase and disrupt your life. Mental health disorders can hurt or harm your relationships with your friends, family, or co-workers.
Depression and Anxiety
Depression or anxiety are two of the most diagnosed mental health disorders.
Depression can affect you because you can:
• Lose interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Stop socializing with friends or family
• Have thoughts of hurting yourself
Anxiety disorders can disrupt your life because they can:
• Create a feeling of danger or doom
• Decrease your ability to concentrate
• Lead you to avoid situations or people who can trigger your anxiety
The various symptoms of any mental health disorder can also adversely affect your physical health. Over the years, several research studies concluded that mental health issues could contribute to diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart issues.
Making Mental Health a Priority
You may say or think your mental health is a priority, but is it? Take a week to journal your daily habits. After the week is over, review your week and see how often you incorporate self-care into your daily routines. Whether your self-care is routine, sporadic, or non-existent, there are ways to make your mental health a priority. Some suggestions include:
• Spend time in nature: Getting out of the house or office and spending time in nature can help you relax.
• Find meaning in your life: Spend time having fun, helping others, or trying new activities. Whether you volunteer, hike, or go on adventures, discover activities that mean something to you.
• Sleep: Emotions like depression, stress, or anxiety can disrupt your sleep patterns. Activities like yoga or breathwork can help decrease negative thoughts or feelings because they require you to focus on the connection between your mind and body.
• Physical activity: Exercise is an essential part of taking care of yourself. Not only can it bring you joy, but it’s time when your mind can wander, process, or heal.
• Hang out with your pet: Pets give unconditional love and have therapeutic benefits. Take time to pet, play, or exercise with your pet.
Whatever you decide will help you prioritize maintaining good mental health, make sure you include it in your daily routine. The amount of time you spend isn’t what matters. What matters is that you make yourself a priority.
Prioritizing your mental health is essential to your overall well-being. Your body, mind, and spirit rely on your mental health. If you can’t take care of yourself, it affects your relationships and physical health. Sometimes knowing how to make yourself a priority is challenging. If you feel overwhelmed or lost, you can seek help. Lotus Wellness and mental rehab , located in Picturesque Pollachi near Coimbatore in southern India, provides deep understanding and expertise. We’re tucked away from busy cities so you can rest and heal in the privacy of our quiet and peaceful Center. We look forward to helping you.
LOTUS WELLNESS TIP
let’s make mental health our priority in 2023. Our Health is our Biggest Wealth.
ABOUT LOTUS
LOTUS is India’s leading Mental rehab and wellness centre known to offer the most Comprehensive treatment programmes in mental health , addiction recovery and overall wellness .
LOTUS WELLNESS AND REHABILITATION CENTER
Pollachi, Coimbatore , Tamilnadu , India
Call confidentially 24/7 (+91 7339062555)
Reach us at info@lotuswellness.life
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Dr G Om Prakasham
