Our present world is one that glorifies the hustle and the bustle, the struggles and the chaos, the challenges and the burnout, many times at the detriment of our health and wellbeing. While the narrative often focuses on ‘faking it till you make it’, ‘don’t let them see you coming’, ‘thank goodness you don’t look like what you’ve been through’, what gradually starts to happen is that it etches away at a very fundamental, though quiet, part of our lives: ‘our mental health’.

Mental health describes the emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of an individual. It affects how we think, feel and behave. It also relates to how we interact with each other, manage and cope with stress, as well as make decisions. Mental health is important as it affects every aspect of our lives, including the quality of our lives, physical health, personal growth, adaptability and resilience to life’s challenges.

Minding our mental health in this time and season is a necessity, not a luxury. It involves paying close attention to how we feel, think, imagine, perceive, behave and cope with life’s everyday challenges. It is about being in tune and in touch with our feelings, the feelings of others and knowing how best to regulate so that we are not constantly in distress. Checking in and minding our mental health should be as seamless as seeking help and support for a physical health condition such as a broken bone or hypertension.

Ensuring that we mind our mental health can be as simple as asking the following questions:

• How am I feeling right now — physically, emotionally and mentally?
• What emotions do I find I have been avoiding?
• What thoughts have been repeating in my mind lately?
• Have I been kind to myself lately — in my thoughts, words, actions, or expectations?
• Am I holding onto something that’s constantly weighing me down?
• What do I need more of in this moment —is it rest, support, quiet, emotional connection or joy?
• Who in my life makes me feel safe and seen?

Checking in may appear the most basic thing to do, but it is a good place to start to mind your mental health.

Make your mind a priority and remember that there is no health without mental health.