My Mental Health First

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables a person to cope with the stress of life, work well, find a balance to improve their quality of life and recognize their abilities.

Mental health is so important in our lives. We must always be careful not to let anything jeopardise the time we spend on our health. They say health is wealth and when one doesn't give space to take care of their mental health, it affects other areas of their lives. What's the use of working and not giving yourself some rest? If you don't take time to relax, the body will eventually break down.

I value my mental health so much that I make sure not to be stressed beyond my capacity. The best time to think well, recognise your potential and value your self-worth is when you are fully sound and okay with nothing distracting or taking your focus away from the important thing.

Aside from when I do enjoy myself every weekend (Sat and Sun) just to relax and not do anything. I only focus on watching movies, listening to more songs and eating. The last time I had a reasonable time out away from the stress of life was two years ago when I went on a vacation with my sister. Then, I was sick and needed to change the toxic environment I found myself in. It was that time my big sister wanted a vacation too and luckily, she chose the state I was in at that period.

When I went on vacation, it was just what I wanted. I needed a change of environment, to make me see what's outside aside from the corners of my room. It felt like I'd imprisoned myself for so long and something had to take me out of it, in this case, my sister. I couldn't have asked for more with such a moment of the rest.

Lodging in a hotel for 3 days felt like being in another world. During that time, I had a different perspective about myself. I knew I needed something better, one to make me unleash the potential in me. It was as if I shouldn't leave when it was time to. From that day onward, my thinking changed.

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I've always valued my mental health and so, I do some little things inside which is to close up from my engagement in the online world and just sleep. I seek peace every time and I take things one step at a time without feeling too worried or pressured. I'm always looking forward to getting out for another vacation where I just want to be in another environment and world entirely.

Another time when I had to choose my mental health over the stress that bombarded me was three months ago. I was recommended for a remote job and I had accepted to do the job without understanding what it entails at first. It was later I got to know what I was to do. The description was to always search for jobs on some sites and compile them together and I would be the one applying for the jobs based on my client's CV.

I began the work and on the first day, I saw what I was into. It was overwhelming and tiring. I couldn't focus on anything else other than exploring different sites and looking for jobs that fit my client's skills. I couldn't continue when my mind was affected at some point. "I don't think I can continue this," I said as my temperature was already going up.

The next day, I quickly informed my client expressing my lack of interest in such tedious work. It was so stressful and someone like me values peace of mind and that ended it. I felt so free that day and returned back to my normal routine and life where my mental health is always the first on the list.

One thing we need to understand is that there will always be substitutes as humans can be replaced anytime. When one values work so much without taking some rest to attend to their mental health, once they die, it's just a matter of a minute standing just to honour the deceased and life goes on. Let's endeavour to prioritise our mental health and enjoy life more.

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_{Both images are mine}