We tend to think of mental health as an all-or-nothing concept, either “we’re fine” or we need medical help. That is far from true.
We tend to think of mental health as an all-or-nothing concept, either “we’re fine” or we need medical help. That is far from true. Early in my career, I witnessed the pain of 2 colleagues and their daily battle for normalcy, and it taught me:
Mental health is the spectrum between being fine and not
We go through significant ups and downs in life, but rarely pause to reflect on their emotional toll. We get so focused on tasks, progress or success, that we ignore the signs, till it is too late
It can happen to anyone
A perfect storm of adverse or toxic circumstances can bring suffering no matter how smart, strong and talented we are, and knock us off balance. And that is all it takes.
There are early warning signs that we need help
When we feel constantly overwhelmed, have chronic lack of sleep, debilitating anxiety, start struggling to articulate thoughts clearly, dread work interactions, go beyond reach of people who care, or have psychosomatic illnesses, we definitely need to prioritize our mental health
Stress is a double edged sword
While stress propels us to do better, we do struggle to identify the line between optimal and harmful stress. Most of us think we have a realistic assessment of our stress tolerance, but do we?
Taking prompt action can change the trajectory of mental well-being
Accepting reality early, taking control, and finding coping strategies or removing ourselves from the toxic environment can enable a faster recovery
What do you think?