Mental Health Day 2022: Expert Tips to Fight Stress
New Delhi:
World Mental Health Day 2022 is celebrated annually on October 10. Mental Health Day, recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), is also an opportunity to talk about mental health in general, how to take care of it and how important it is to talk about things and get help if one is struggling. . The theme for World Mental Health Day 2022, set by the World Federation for Mental Health, is “Making mental health and well-being for all a global priority.”
In this fast-paced world, where students struggle to fit into the competitive environment, every student must be taught how to manage anxiety as a skill. Managing anxiety begins with the understanding that it is not only something we experience in our minds, but also has physical consequences, which often leads to a two-pronged approach that focuses on these two aspects.
Read more || On World Mental Health Day 2022, here’s what experts think about the mental health of schoolchildren
One of the easiest and most effective ways to tackle anxiety, says Divyang Sharma, says PeakMind Expert, is to learn some form of deep breathing. Deep breathing helps slow down your heartbeat, which reduces the physical effect of anxiety.
“We recommend Box Breathing as it has been shown to be very effective. Have a list of positive self-statements like ‘I am a hard worker, I learn from my mistakes, etc.’ it helps students maintain a positive mindset,” added the expert.
Scheduling their day also allows students to focus their attention on work instead of worrying about what to do next, it’s also a way to reduce stress among students and build mental health, Mr. Sharma added.
Helping students plan and create their schedules, providing words of encouragement, appreciating student efforts, and having an open and constructive line of communication are also some of the ways that parents and teachers can help students manage bullying. anxiety.
Sharing some strategies on how students can manage anxiety, Dr. Ranjan Bhattacharyya (Psychiatry) said eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, maintaining hobbies, interacting with peers offline, and restricting the use of social media and online activities can work wonders. Regular exercise, Dr. Bhattacharya adds, secretes the neurotrophic “feel good” factor endorphin.
World Mental Health Day 2022: What parents can do to control anxiety among children
- Parents must be kind.
- Careful observation of activities and behavioral symptoms.
- Knowledge about the characteristics of drug-seeking behaviors and withdrawal symptoms.
- Do not belittle, scold, make critical comments, or physically punish or verbally abuse your children.
- Positive reinforcements, non-materialistic rewards such as pats, hugs, kisses and/or encouragement for your children
- A word of thanks can work a miracle.
Shalini Sharma, a psychologist and therapist at Plaksha University, said that in recent years, mental health has become one of the biggest concerns among students. In fact, she added, the recent NCERT survey shows that 81 percent of students attribute studying, exams and results as the main causes of anxiety.
“As an institute dedicated to nurturing tomorrow’s leaders, we strive to introduce initiatives specifically to address the well-being of our students and help elevate constructive mindsets. As part of our wellness initiatives, we have regularly held group sessions to develop students’ “emotional skills” on important topics such as managing transitions, understanding emotions, and developing coping skills. Along with individual therapy sessions, we have started an ‘Emotions Lab’ for short experiments and discussions on topics such as attitudes, perceptions, emotions, grief and anxiety,” added Dr. Sharma.
Mental health conditions in students can result in the form of lack of interest, absenteeism, withdrawal from social interaction, and loss of productivity. To address mental health issues among children, Neeraj Kumar, founder and CEO of PeakMind, said: “Providing expert counseling and therapy in a safe and confidential environment in a digital environment (Zoom/WhatsApp) has been a great help. because it removes the stigma. and provides flexibility and comfort. Positive content, social and emotional skill building, and digital self-help tools (self-assessments, guided imagery, mindfulness and breathing activities, expert videos, etc.) are proving to be of great help.”
The presence of digital features such as mental health screening games, telepsychiatry, teleconsultations, digital therapeutic approaches, virtual clinical support, online peer support forums, personal health trackers, and wellness meditation is being explored through digital startups mental health to personalize mental health care for students. wellness.
e-MANAS is one such application to increase adverse impacts on mental health. Originally launched on April 14, 2021 by the Government of India, it stands for Mental Health and Normality Augmentation Digital System (MANAS). The app is currently working on developing its multilingual functionality and integration with various public health schemes such as the National Health Mission (NHM), Poshan Abhiyan and e-Sanjeevani.
MINDS Community Mental Health Worker (CMHW), Muskurayega India, Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Project and Atmiyata are some of the other platforms to better manage stress, anxiety and depression.
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