Mental health awareness in young adults
While there are many more people that speak out these days about the importance of good mental health, we still find many cases where kids, young adults, and even adults per se tend to be ashamed to put their hand up to say they are not coping.
We live in stressful times, that run at top speed, filled with technology and pressure to perform. Many of us can remember when we were young, we used to play outside, climb trees, visit our friends up the road and only go home when you are hungry, or it is getting dark. Unfortunately, most kids these days don’t have that privilege… As technology plays a bigger role from one day to the next, we also don’t socialise as we used to, unless you make a concerted effort to spend dinner time together without tech at the table or setting aside some time to do activities together.
Pressure comes in many forms, whether it is to perform at school, in sport, at home, in your circle of friends or in other social circles, it is sometimes difficult to stop, stand still with each other and become mindful of our own emotions, the state of our physical health and very importantly the state of our mental health. While there are many more people that speak out these days about the importance of good mental health, we still find many cases where kids, young adults, and even adults per se tend to be ashamed to put their hand up to say they are not coping. We tend to rush past each other, living our own lives, so much so that we don’t always pick up the signs that underneath the perfect mask, there might be a call for help.
There are various reasons why spending mealtime together makes so much sense. Firstly, it creates an opportunity to find out how the day was, what went wrong, what might be needed and could also create a space for good debating around certain subjects. Eating together, one will also immediately pick up if there are any changes in a family member’s eating habits. Not eating properly can be a clear sign of all not being ok. Teenagers and young adults are very vulnerable when it comes to the forming of eating disorders and one should remember that eating disorders tie back to mental health.
Another thing to look out for in teenagers / young adults would be signs of self-harm. According to www.mentalhealth.co.uk self-harm is usually a way to deal with overwhelming emotions that provide temporary relief for the person. Self-harm can affect anyone, and there are various other coping mechanisms that can be taught. It is important to talk to someone to break the cycle though.
Depression is another condition to look out for. Some people that suffer from depression, are masters at hiding this. Depression is the persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest in activities and this can lead to a range of behavioural and physical symptoms. Loss of sleep or sleeping constantly, loss of appetite, low energy levels, lapse in concentration and at the very worst depression is associated with thoughts of suicide.
In these times of the pandemic, it might be even more important than ever before that we try to live a mindful life. Check in on your family members, friends and colleagues. Find out how they are doing and if they might need something you can assist with. Send messages of encouragement and positivity, encourage them to talk about their day/week/month. Be the one that also reaches out when your batteries are running low. Self-care might be one of the most important things we can teach our children by also setting the example of caring for ourselves, and in the process avoiding burnout. Looking after your physical health by getting all your annual health checks, looking after your diet by eating a balanced, healthy, fruit&veg rich diet, exercising, and making sure that mental health is addressed in whichever way works for you. We need to remember that our kids will do what we do, not what we tell them to do…
Medwell SA offers various services and have offices countrywide. For more information visit www.medwell.co.za
