Hello!

Last year has been tough for everyone. Rapidly spreading virus, delay in competitive exams, and now, having to deal with online education has been really exhausting. What we all wanted was to have a wonderful college life, make new friends, develop new hobbies. Instead, what we got is online classes, numerous assignments, and frequent evaluations. We've spent a whole year this way, and many of us aren't very optimistic about what lies ahead either. The entire situation has been nothing but negative and has left us feeling miserable and burnt out. And nothing can be done about feeling this way until the pandemic is over, right? No, we can! It's important to care of ourselves and stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Through this article, we, the members of SMAC, are going to talk about mental health.

Mental health is one of the most common, as well as misunderstood, terms. There are various kinds of mental health issues that people face every day without realizing it. Although people have started to talk about and raise awareness of mental health issues nowadays, some still consider it taboo. There are many facts and factors which should be kept in mind while talking about mental health. So now we are going to take one step forward and talk about a few common issues and how to deal with them on our own.

SEVEN COMPONENTS OF MENTAL HEALTH

Research shows that a balance among the seven components of mental health, also known as the 'Seven Dimensions of Wellbeing', leads to a fuller, happier, and more intellectual life. The Seven Dimensions include Physical, Intellectual, Environmental, Vocational, Social, Emotional, and Spiritual health.

Physical health

Move More. Eat Better

Too much screen time and not enough exercise are two of the biggest factors in deteriorating mental health. Students today are less active than ever before – and much of the blame could be put on this period of quarantine. But even during this time, there may be some things you could do. Spend a few minutes looking outside your window, or better yet, on your balcony or terrace. A lot of home workouts can be found online that do not need any fancy equipment and can be done from your house

The physical dimension of mental health focuses on practicing healthy daily habits. It is vital to building strength, flexibility, and endurance. A regular work-out routine goes a long way in achieving these.

After all, health is wealth, isn't it?

Building better mental health

Truth be told, the current situation has not been good throughout the world. Everybody is locked inside their house, not allowed to go out or have fun with friends. Some of us didn't even get to spend our first year in college. But right now, that's the best we can do for everyone's safety, right? We all need to take care of our health, avoid gatherings, take every possible precaution to stay safe.

Along with physical health, we need to look after our mental health, which has also been adversely affected by the pandemic. Covid, lockdown, online classes, frequent evaluations, assignments, and not interacting with our batchmates and seniors have been overwhelming for all of us. We all faced ups and downs this past year, and it's completely okay to feel so. Mental health issues are not something to be ashamed of; instead, it is something to be taken of. It's alright if you feel down. It's alright if you don't want to do anything. But just going with the flow cannot be the solution to it, right?

Along with physical health, we need to take care of our mental health as well. We need to look for solutions to our problems. Dealing with mental health issues is difficult, and it may seem like nothing is going to be alright, but no, that's not the case. It's just a matter of determination, patience, and a little effort, which can make it a lot better.

COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

Here are some of the common mental health issues faced by students

Anxiety

Do you remember when we used to have oral tests in school where we were asked to recite a poem in front of the whole class? We got nervous before our turn, thinking about what would have happened if we couldn't do it well. Everybody will laugh, make fun of us. All of this used to scare us a lot. We faced anxiety at some of the other points in our lives but facing it often can be an issue. Anxiety, in simple words, can be defined as the feeling of worry or fear. It is one of the most common issues among the younger generation. It has been affecting an increasing number of students, and online college has not helped matters.

Some of its common symptoms are nervousness, uneasiness, insomnia, restlessness, fatigue, uncontrollable worry, sweating, and inability to maintain focus.

Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. We all feel sad sometimes, but if we continue to feel so for two weeks or longer, it is something to be taken care of. It is one of the most serious issues, yet very few people are aware of it or take a lot of time before realizing the problem.

Some of its common symptoms are tearfulness, emptiness, irritability, hopelessness, frustration, angry outbursts, loss of interest in everyday things, lack of energy, change in appetite, and insomnia.

Insomnia and other sleep related disorders

Insomnia and other sleep-related disorders Daytime sleepiness, sleep deprivation, and irregular sleep schedules are highly prevalent among school and college students, especially online. We usually stay up late chatting, having late-night meets, etc. Sleepiness is defined as the inability or difficulty maintaining alertness during a major wake period of the day. Most college students sleep for less than 8 hours. The average sleep duration for college students is 5-7 hours, far from what is required by our body. All of this seems fine until it becomes a habit and starts affecting our daily activities. Staying up late negatively impacts memory, learning, and performance.

Some of its common symptoms are feeling tired throughout the day, inability to perform daily life activities properly, and feeling sleepy all day.

Simple activities/tips to boost your mental health

It's vital to take care of yourself and get the most from life. Below are some practical ways to look after your mental health

• Talk about your feelings
• Keep active. Exercise!
• Eat well
• Stay hydrated.
(yes, go, sip on some water right now!)
• Take a break
• Accept who you are
• Care for others

('Friends are really important… We help each other whenever we can, so it's a two-way street, and supporting them uplifts me:)

Making simple changes to how you live doesn't need to cost a fortune or take up loads of time. Anyone can follow this advice. Why not start today?