We all know that physical illness is easy to identify as the symptoms are visible on the body and you know instantly that you are sick physically.

But what about Mental Health? Do we even consider it in the sick category? Overlooking your irritation, and frustration to be a cause of situations around you and not you who is the problem. 

Sounds Familiar?

We are so used to treating our mental well-being as a separate entity from our body and spirit, but the fact is we are Spiritual beings. And good mental health has to be nurtured in all 3 levels i.e. mind, body, and spirit. Just as our body needs food, exercise, and water to live, our mind needs breaks to unwind, deep connections with loved ones, good thoughts, soul food, etc 

We all are so used to crossing boundaries several times with our mental health, especially in today’s fast-paced world, without realizing mental wellness needs Holistic nurturing not just on one level. And when you treat it like a dump bag ready to take anything, that is when it will start declining gradually. 

The other major problem is, we have not been even taking efforts to identify these symptoms and work towards them at the right time , overlooking them to be normal stress and fatigue.

           Don’t worry,

This blog is going to help you identify some prominent symptoms of declined mental health and what you can do about it.

Mind it !! Frequent mental fatigue can lead to mental illness or disorders in the long run. Prevent it or Address it at the right time by getting professional help or making necessary life changes required to balance your well-being.

In order to recognize the symptoms first let’s understand,

     What is Mental Health?

“The World Health Organization (WHO) conceptualizes mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community”.

Our respond to different life stressors determine our level of Mental Health We all have different levels of ability to respond to stressful situations in life, few might get through, few might get slightly affected, and few might get affected for a long time.

The most important thing is identifying it at the right time and taking action to avoid future severity of symptoms that might lead to other mental illnesses. Remember, Regardless of whether you have a mental illness, your mental health keeps fluctuating depending on your circumstances hence it is always a good idea to analyze your mental health regularly.

Yes, it’s a bit tricky to identify when you feel something is off and you are not feeling right. Here are a few prominent signs and symptoms that signal you to prioritize your mental health first.

         

 

1. Your sleep cycle is disturbed 

Here you might have both symptoms. Either you are having sleepless nights or you are sleeping too much as your body feels burned out and has low energy. This might happen over a period of time that you will realize your sleep cycle is disturbed and you are not able to have quality sleep as you used to have earlier.

2. You Start feeling overwhelmed easily 

When your mental functions are affected ,your day-to-day tasks will start feeling too much and overwhelming. Even if they are the ordinary ones which you are used to do on a regular basis. 

3. You often feel low and drained energy levels 

 Your declining mental health can also have physical symptoms since the mind and body are interrelated. For eg, you might feel sluggish both mentally and physically throughout the day, and due to low energy, you often feel like lying on the bed frequently.

         

4. Other Physical Symptoms 

A few of them may experience anxiety with symptoms of sweating, rapid heart rate, accompanied by breathlessness. A lot of people also experience gastrointestinal symptoms with poor digestion. These all could be indirect signs of mental health is declining.

5. Mentally and emotionally Scattered

 You find it difficult to regulate or process your emotions normally leaving you unsettled and Scattered in your mind. This is not a great feeling and can reduce your level of confidence in daily life with your decisions making skills and relations in general which might be affected. 

6. Your focus is compromised 

Your usual Focus on work starts to decline and you will often feel the overwhelming thoughts hovering over your mind distracting you often. This affects your productivity level and leaves you more overwhelmed as you are not able to finish your tasks on time. 

7.Increased Irritability and Emotional outbursts 

Due to frequent mood swings or unable to regulate your emotions, you will often feel some sort of irritability. At that period you might feel it is circumstantial but later without realizing it would become a pattern where you are constantly bombarded by thoughts or feelings that might frustrate you or cause an emotional outburst. Consistent irritability or sudden changes in mood could be the underlying cause of Mental health issues which need to be addressed and analyzed at the right time

8. Changes in Appetite:

Now, this could be both, either binge eating too much or undereating which could result in dramatic changes in your weight. Your appetite may have changed gradually hence sometimes it is difficult to trace it. Unless you check your weight frequently.

9.Losing interest in little things:

There must have been various occasions where you had the opportunity to do what you love, you would have loved to do it at that time but your work circumstances dint allow you to enjoy that moment. The tons of responsibilities around us make us sidetrack the things we love to do and eventually, we lose interest in it. Stress shrinks the interest in our soul food to an extent that the activity no more feels enjoyable.  

Recognizing these signs of declining mental health can help you a great deal to avoid things getting worse further. Identifying and accepting the situation can bring a lot of relief as half of your problem is solved, now you just have to look for a solution.

 

   What to do when you know that your mental health is declining?

Firstly do not jump to conclusions and panic something worse could happen .The best part is you have recognized at the right time and are aware of it now. To reassure yourself you can take your Mental Assesment check here

And without any further ado start making the following lifestyle changes immediately 

         

Aim to take good sleep 

There is a deep connection between mental health issues and sleep deprivation. I can assure you this through my own experience as a mental health survivor of anxiety, OCD and depression. The day I don’t sleep well I naturally find myself frustrated and a subtle drop in mental health. Lately, because of my stressful part-time job, I suffered from sleepless nights and this was the primary reason it started taking a toll on my mental health.

So for people who are already suffering from mental health issues, your sleep is the nonnegotiable factor. For us sleep is our lifeline remember that!!.

Eat healthy meals and plenty of water 

The quality of your diet determines the quality of your mind. So be mindful of what you eat especially during stressful days. Have lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and enough protein. Our brain is 70 to 80 percent water and to regulate it efficiently it requires sufficient water intake.

Connect with nature 

I have always experienced a sense of fulfilment without any reason whenever I have got opportunity to connect with nature. There is some beautiful connection we share with nature which helps us heal from any mental disturbances and rejuvenates our souls instantly. 

Get some Exercise 

Do not underestimate the power of happy hormones which are created during your exercise routine which can make you feel more energetic, and happy and will elevate your mood instantly 

“Me time”

Me time is all about slowing down and doing whatever you feel like doing whether its a priority or not but you just want to do it at that movement. Reflecting on all the things generally and nourishing your mind with some amazing reads or simply observing or not doing anything. I would say the person going through mental health issues should never compromise on their sleep and their me time. It becomes a recipe for aggravated mental health issues to our existing problems.

Journaling your thoughts

During our stressful days, we just somehow allow them to pass it without addressing them or suppressing our feelings, which are trapped and manifest later in other physical symptoms. When you are journaling even if it is all messed  up and half-cooked thoughts it’s okay, you are finding a way to process it and let them out so they don’t affect you later. 

Art or Creative THERAPY 

We all are different genetic makes , and we all have different ways to process suppressed emotions Art or any creative therapy is one of those. For some, it may be singing or just dancing. Find what relates to you or what resonates with your soul and make it part of your regular life.

Get help if you need 

It’s okay if you are not able to handle it by making lifestyle changes. Everyone’s body and mind take its own time to heal. If you think you are not able to handle it on your own take professional help before your situation is aggravated. You are not a weak person if you take help, infact you are more sensible than all other people who will just throw their random opinion of how you are feeling not giving any solution.

Todays Fast paced lifestyle is going to be a part of everyone’s life, this is something we can’t change. But as humans, we can make choices where we can choose to support our wellbeing and not deteriorate it. Chose your daily commitments consciously. It’s okay if you have to say “no” at times. This “NO’ is added in your well-being account. It adds value and nurturing to your life. If others feel you are selfish that’s okay. 

In the process of becoming successful don’t ruin your mental health, living your life “Nurturing your mind, body and spirit is itself a huge success in everyone’s daily life.”