Message from the Dominica Psychological Society World Mental Health Day 2020 calls for equality for everyone, everywhere. World Mental Health Day will be observed on October 10th and this year’s theme is, Mental Health for All – Greater Investment – Greater Access.
Mental Health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.
Mental illness, neurological and behavioural disorders are common to all countries and cause immense suffering. People with these disorders are
often subjected to social isolation, poor quality of life and increased mortality.
One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.
The new realities of Covid-19 such as adapting to lifestyle changes, temporary unemployment, physical distancing, the wearing of masks, managing the fear of contracting the virus and worry about people close to us who are particularly vulnerable, are challenging for all of us. These new realities can be particularly difficult for people with mental health conditions.
Our Frontline Workers are at particularly high risk of mental ill health with the risk of burnout. We salute you and urge you to invest in your mental health given the added stress, as together we manage the Covid19 situation.
The Dominica Psychological Society calls on everyone to invest in his or her mental health. We applaud the government, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations and other non- government organizations (NGO) for all the efforts in investing in Mental Health and we ask for even greater collaboration and investment in Mental Health from all sectors.
Some tips for investing in our Mental Health
- Get up and go to bed at similar times every day.
- Keep up with personal hygiene.
- Eat healthy meals at regular times.
- Allocate time for working and time for resting.
- Make time for doing things you enjoy.
- Talk to a mental Health professional if and when necessary
- Maintain a healthy diet and get adequate sleep and exercise.
- Know that it is ok to draw boundaries and say “No”.
- Engage in Spiritual Practice
- Exercise regularly.
- Have a routine. Keep up with daily routines as far as possible, or make new ones.
- Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga and gentle stretching.
- Talk to family and friends, about your feelings and experiences especially with Covid-19 where we encourage physical distancing recognizing that we can maintain physical distance while remaining social connected with our loved ones via social media.
Remember, there is no health without mental health!
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767
