Be kind to your mind - it’s ok to not feel ok

Jul 24, 2021

 
By Julie Lim
“We have neglected the mental health component in our education system and in teaching everyone how to deal with everyday stress,” said Dr Philip George, a consultant adult psychiatrist and addiction specialist.

“People who’re coping during the pandemic are perhaps more resilient. They may have skills to care for their mental health and make it part of their lifestyle. They may even have better immune systems to ward off infection,” he added.

 Dr Philip was sharing insights on mental health in a recent episode of the Catholics@Home podcast.

He describes mental health as being as important as brushing one's teeth in the morning. “We brush our teeth to prevent tooth decay. Likewise, we need to look at how much time we spend on mental health in a day and how to build it up in order to cope with this sort of disaster that happens in our lives.” He pointed out that it’s important to differentiate mental health and mental illness. He explained that mental health is experienced by everyone in the ups and downs of life. However, lack of care for one's mental health could lead to mental illness. Some of the signs of poor mental health are — physical and social isolation, spending extensive time playing video games, poor eating and sleeping habits, rapid weight lost and increased irritability.

Dr Philip pointed out that if this pattern occurs within a short duration, it could be attributed to stress. However, if the pattern is pervasive (continuous), it’s an indicator of a psychiatric condition. Dr Philip says it’s good to conduct regular audits on one’s mental health and to look for ways to improve it. He recommends using a mobile app, Sanvello and to keep a gratitude journal to jot down daily three things to be grateful for.

On practical tips to begin the day, Dr Philip says that a good day begins with adequate sleep the night before. He recommends six to eight hours of sleep for adults and 10 hours for teenagers.

“I advise my patients to use positive thoughts prior to sleep — which colours their whole dream and sleep quality so that they wake up feeling positive about the day,” he explained.

“In the morning, look in the mirror and say, ‘I’m a good person, I’ve got good things ahead of me and I want to make good things for myself.” This will eventually determine how the rest of the day pans out.

“A positive mind attracts positivity. If you have negative thoughts and feel that you have nothing to look forward to, you will only attract negativity to yourself. The Law of Attraction states that”, he says.

The second guest on the podcast, Kenny Lim, Executive Director of The Befrienders, revealed that the organisation has received an increase of 52 per cent average daily calls between March - May 2020 compared to the same period in the year prior to that. This is an indication that more people are stressed and need someone to talk to. The main reasons for the calls were relationship problems, psychological issues, family issues, social problems and job-related issues.

Lim encouraged people who’re struggling with mental health issues to seek help from helplines such as The Befrienders.

“Some people may find it overwhelming and scary to seek professional help. Therefore, I recommend them to use helplines, as many people feel more comfortable speaking to strangers.

“Don’t worry too much about making the call. I encourage callers to say something and see how they feel. They may end the call anytime if they feel uncomfortable, as they are in control,” said Lim who assures the anonymity of all callers to The Befrienders.

“Some may need to make a few calls before they are able to open up and that’s perfectly fine.” 

To view this podcast, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_ k0rNei4vk