In the barrage of never-ending skills to be learnt, and the fulfilment of perfectionism on social media upfront. We often neglect the amount of strain that consumes our mental peace in this overthinking loop. Though our generation is aware of these terms: trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD and many more. But now using these terms is a trend and is said in conversations so frequently that the proper attention and care they deserve is now part of a joke. This environment in the peer group can lead people suffering from actual mental problems to suppress their emotions.
Our youth face several challenges regularly; they get bullied, they get swamped with tuition, homework, and school assignments, coiled up in peer pressure to react to memes, and using Instagram. Pressurised by parents to score full marks and take part in every competition, and functions are being an obstacle to finding their interests and distinguishing them from others. And for teenagers, it gets too much to cope with all this and their hormonal imbalances and body changes, all of which can give rise to various insecurities that can make them question their own identity.
Adults go through mental torment when the workplace isn’t suitable for them, working overtime, not having a safe and suitable atmosphere, financial obstacles, and responsibilities of the entire family can be overwhelming.
Trauma beneath the happy-go-family mask sometimes carries generational cycles of patriarchy and misogyny, which is not only venomous to women but men of the family as well. Constant objection on body image, colour, caste amongst the people we are surrounded with can cause self-hatred and dishonesty with one’s true self. This search for peace can lead to paths that can be vexing emotionally, mentally, and physically.
To overcome all the strain and distress, we can indulge ourselves in a world full of creativity, and we can symbolise the pain into beauty with the help of art. Dance, music, writing, painting, you name it, you create it. It’s therapeutic for our subconscious brain, which absorbs more negative comments and criticism from our day-to-day life than our conscious brain.
Physical happiness is not only materialistic; it is also completing our daily goals, doing exercises on time, accomplishing our step count, conquering our limits, and stretching our ability a little. All this might be considered a small win, but it definitely can turn into a big milestone one day.
The perfectly imperfect ride of proper nutrition for gut health, several physical exercises, water check-in, creative outbursts, journaling, and other coping mechanisms that make you feel yourself is the journey to a healthy mental health.
In this journey, you might feel overwhelmed, you might feel too much, too little, too alone, too crowded, but to make it easier, you can ask for help. From the people who feel right, who were meant to help you. You can seek therapy, no one will judge you there for who you are, what you have been through. Therapists will help you untangle your knots with care and diligence.
But first, you should accept that yes, I am not okay, and I will fix this. Be your saviour first, for a saviour to come save you.
-By Prisha
