For Each year around the globe, October 10th is recognized as World Mental Health Day.
For 2022, the theme is “make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.” Some goals for creating this day would include raising awareness of mental health issues, destigmatizing the subject, and ideally opening the conversation about mental health. This year, the topic carries a bit more weight as it forces us to dissect the inequalities within the mental health system, which turns into looking at society as a whole, both chronologically and geographically.
Although we are all living in our own version of reality, there are also many experiences that we all share. For example, the pandemic is something that has impacted everyone in the world in one way or another. Another example could be natural disasters. There are millions of people impacted by natural disasters each year.
The media plays a major role in how we digest all of this news. We must keep in mind, the news being broadcasted in each country will be a bit different, whether that be in content, tone of voice, or perhaps even intention.
As we all take in a huge amount of information each day, there is a great potential for overwhelm. There are days when fatigue and burnout start to settle in, or perhaps days when we are happy if we can get out of bed. If we are not focused on our own personal mental health, then how can we care for anyone else’s?
In order to make mental health a global priority for all, we must understand the benefits of taking care of our own mental space first. We must also understand that not everyone has equal access to a counselor, support group, or even a loved one or close friend to confide in. Being able to prioritize mental health in our day-to-day lives is a privilege. Sure, there are self-care techniques that can help reduce stress, but what about the times when someone needs more than a bubble bath or a long talk with their best friend? There are ways to systematically change mental health. Investing in community healthcare options or cheaper and more diverse access to mental health support are two examples. I believe it will take a societal shift to create the systemic changes we need. We have to keep the conversation going beyond this one day a year.
It is essential we continue to be creative with how to support one another’s mental health. Education about our bodies and how the mind works is vital to a deeper understanding of who we are. Humans are intimidated by the things we do not know much about; this biological trait has kept us alive for many generations; however, it is also the thing that is holding society back and keeping all of us disconnected. We all have more in common than we think, and we could all benefit from mental health becoming a worldwide priority.