You’re probably confused and wondering what this is all about. Well don’t be, you’d soon find out. Before you do though, I’d like to ask something.

Why do people often neglect their needs — physical and mental and just go on with their day to day activities. It would seem that human beings have this superpower to just neglect everything that’s going on with them and just focus on pushing through life everyday.

Although, while it’s great to meet life’s great challenges head on and to tackle one’s problems by taking the bull by the horn, it is still rather detrimental to the health not to take care of one’s physical, mental and emotional well being.

Now back to our story. I met Susan at the supermarket yesterday. What you would call a typical movie meeting. So here’s the thing, she forgets something she paid for and I ran to give the item to her outside.

On reaching her, she thanks me and we sort of have a little chit chat. From that small talk, I could instantly tell something was wrong. She seemed all fidgety and very distracted. My initial thoughts were that she was on drugs or something. I didn’t want to ask so that I didn’t end up sounding rude, but something still prompted me to.

So, I asked. At first, she brushed it off saying she was fine and was just tired from work stress but somehow I was convinced there was more and unlike myself, I probed a little bit more.

Like a flower blooming, she began to open up. Susan was dealing with a lot. She was having family drama, relationship problems and was actively trying to leave her current job.

I asked her how she was handling all of the stress that comes with that and she told me she wasn’t doing very well. You see, according to Susan, she was feeling separated from the world, isolated in a box of whirlwind emotions and just going through the motions of daily activities without actually being present.

These were telltale signs that she might be struggling with her mental health and could even be teetering on the edge of depression.

Not to worry, I gave Susie some advice. And for the sake of this post, I’d give you some advice too.

If you ever find that your state of well mental wellness is being compromised, then you should try to do some or all of the following;

• Working on yourself is paramount. Take some time out to do things that make you happy. Go on movie dates, take walks, treat yourself to a day at the spa or even get your nails done if that’s what gets you.
• While doing this, you want to set some goals for yourself. On this front, there’s no pressure. Try to set realistic and achievable goals and don’t expect perfection from yourself.
• Don’t underestimate the power of a good meal. Yes, eat properly — right time at proper quantities. You’re going to be doing yourself a lot of good if you maintain healthy eating habits.
• Exercise is great for the physical body and for your mental health too. So yes, stretch out in the mornings, do some cardio, take walks, jogs, runs, whatever it is. Just get that blood pumping!
• Finally today, confide in someone. Humans are not designed to go through life alone. Part of a problem truly is solved when it is shared. And no, it doesn’t have to be a psychologist or any medical professional. It could be your mom, sister, friend or even the random stranger you meet at the supermarket!