October 10th is World Mental Health Day.
If you ask, "So what? It is simply one among the hundreds of funny-sounding days that we usually see in our social media feeds, WhatsApp forwards, etc.,".
It is not. After the Covid-19 pandemic, certainly it is not.
A report by World Health Organisation (WHO) says that there is a significant increase in stress perceived by people across the spectrum after the onset of the pandemic. Isn't it obvious?
Every passing day, we meet people who claim they are under stress.. enormous stress... Being a teacher, there are more chances of hearing about or seeing people under stress. When you lend your ears and heart to them, they have their own stories to share. Many with deep cuts and wounds...
Most of us are not trained professionals to provide counseling. However, I strongly believe one can not be a good teacher without being a counselor. What can we do for stress management? Thought of listing some of my thoughts here:
- As there is a stigma associated with Mental health, many don't even reveal their problems. Reassure them, seeking out help is not a weakness. Indeed it is courageous to seek out help.
- Another important tool is to try "Mindfulness". That is to keep full attention on what we are doing moment by moment. Let it be eating, drinking, speaking with someone, or watching a movie. Let it be anything. Be fully focused on what we do. Isn't it much easier to say than to do? Yes. But trying is 1000 times better than simply believing it is impossible.
- Reassure them, the contents that people post on their social media doesn't fully depict what they are going through. Many believe that everyone else's life is loaded with positive events, except their own. It is a myth. This social media-induced stress is one of the prime sources of stress for our digital natives.
- Reading books is one of the easiest ways to escape this onslaught of misinformation. Right books will surely give the reader, a better worldview and equip them well to respond better in stressful situations.
- Watching the breath is something anyone can start. There is a load of information on the internet. Misinformation too. Make sure you go with some authentic sources. In one form or another watching the breath seems to be a prescription across many cultures. Even if you think, it won't work, nothing wrong in giving it a try, as an experiment.
- Another important thing that we can do with our kids is to make them not fall into the trap of instant gratification. We should make them realize that in the choice between what is pleasant and what is good, always choose the latter: what is good. The Upanishads (Kathopanishad) say this as Shreyas (what is good) vs Preyas (what gives pleasure). The ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism also projects the same. Our own Thirukkural also suggests focusing on action rather than on pleasure, இன்பம் விழையான் வினைவிழைவான் (615: Whose heart delighteth not in pleasure, but action finds delight ). This would build a strong value system which would be like the safety net when they face emotional storms.
As I said in the beginning, we are not trained professionals. So it is better to encourage them to go for an expert opinion and tell them it is as simple as meeting a physician for a fever. Nothing more needs to be attached to it.
There is an excellent guide by WHO, "Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide", which can be fetched from the following link:
https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1276043/retrieve
It is written in an easily accessible language with lots of illustrations. Anyone with basic English reading skills can understand this. Give it a try. This guide presents excellent techniques such as "Grounding", "Making Room", "Unhooking". Share with needy people in your circles.
This year's theme of Mental Health Day is "Make mental health for all a global priority". The first step for that is to build awareness and sensitize the stakeholders. Next time when someone tries to share his/her story with you, simply be a good listener. That itself is a significant contribution. I hope we all can do this.
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