What Mental Health means to me: Kyra Grewal

In today's day and age mental health is severely declining but people’s interest in it does not seem to be rising.

We see people inclined towards becoming doctors and lawyers and architects but few feel like tackling psychology and addressing issues like anxiety, depression and more severe ones such as OCD and bipolar disorder.

To me, mental health is important because I personally have struggled with various issues and I wish to ensure that few others go through any troubles or difficulties. I dream of becoming a psychologist and I believe The YANA Community which spreads so much awareness and does so much through its efforts, workshops, Instagram and articles is a beautiful first step for me on my journey to becoming a psychologist.

Mental health requires so much understanding and attention which it does not receive in this day and age. We give so much care to a physical wound, treatment and bandages and tenderness but someone who is hurting even more on the inside is brushed aside and forgotten. Mental health is a daily struggle that rarely fades, it’s a battle that drains the mind and requires more than just one soldier.

To conclude, mental health to me is something that represents a balance between all aspects of life. The WHO defines health as "not simply the absence of sickness but also the state of complete physical social well-being." Mental health is extremely similar. It is not simply about suffering from disorders and symptoms but being present and able to think, behave and feel completely healthy and well.

The journey of stable mental health is one that requires company, friends, outings, continuous self-care and most importantly awareness of ourselves and our environment around us. We cannot heal in any environment that previously hurt us and we cannot thrive in any place that stifles us. We must let our mental health grow healthy and well in the correct environments with the correct behaviours.

-Kyra Grewal