By Blessing Ugwuede and Lorenzi Ureke
Mental health and wellness are critical components of our entire well being, impacting our thoughts, feelings, and interactions with the world around us. Mental health, like physical health, is a dynamic state that changes over time. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well being, which influences our relationship, productivity, and quality of life. To maintain good mental health and wellness, you must make a deliberate effort to be self-aware, and seek support. Making mental health a priority helps us overcome obstacles in life and find a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose in life.
From the times of old, women have taken up several roles, such as taking care of their husband, the children and the household, that they tend to neglect themselves just to give their best to their family.
They were nurtured to become wives and mothers to their children with little or nothing to their names as an individual person.
In Mbu-Amon, Enugu state, the male husbands give their wives farmlands to farm on and grow food crops. The proceeds are used to feed the household. This practice is said to be prevalent amongst the women in the community.
Women in the society today act as bread winners for the family. Mostly, they work twice as hard as the men, neglecting both her mental and emotional well-being. It is important for women to prioritise their mental health as well as their emotional health. They can do this by prioritizing self care. Self-care is not selfish, it is vital. Women frequently prioritize others, while neglecting themselves. Creating time for oneself and engaging in exercise, meditation, or hobbies refreshes one’s emotional vitality. How can they do this? Plan self-care time like your regular tasks. The length of time is not a problem. Even 15 minutes each day can make a difference.
Also establishing healthy boundaries is of essence. Saying “no” is a great ability, not a wicked trait. Overcommitting causes tension and tiredness. Learn to set boundaries in both personal and professional settings to safeguard your emotional well being. You can save a lot of energy and stress by forcefully yet respectfully dismissing things.
Creating a strong support system can be very helpful. Surrounding oneself with positive influences, such as friends, family, or support organizations can make the load lighter. Talking to partners about one’s exhaustion and seeking for help could dwindle the figures of stress-related casualties.
Talking about your feelings relieves stress and promotes emotional connection as well. Do not be hesitant to seek assistance. Seeking support is a show of strength, not weakness.
Lastly, focus on what you can control. Stress is sometimes caused by attempting to control the uncontrollable. Shift your emphasis to what you can control and let go of unneeded concerns. Make a list of the things you can control as well as focus your efforts on productive solutions.
As women, the need to correspond to phony standards and perpetually demonstrate your value can severely impacts one’s psychological health. You are undoubtedly obliged to be the loving mother, the devoted employee, the caring spouse, and a good friend. However, in this entire process, most women forget to take care of the most critical person in their life, which is essentially themselves.
The good news here is that resilience isn’t about always being strong, rather it acknowledges the importance of rest and support as well as the necessity of saying, “That’s enough.” It is giving yourself permission to withdraw and most fundamentally, acknowledging that you are human. It is appreciating that your worth does not depend on how much you achieve in a given day, but rather how well you prioritize your self-care during that time.
Women need to learn to establish boundaries without feeling guilty, to practice self-care and to ask for assistance openly. Not having all the answers is okay. Slowing down is okay. And accepting the support that you so desperately need is absolutely okay. The nature of true strength is experienced in a state of balance rather than through pushing one’s self to the brink of emotional exhaustion. Prioritizing your mental well being is equally as important as the duties you carry out. You deserve to not only exist, but to find happiness and fulfillment.
