Civil Unrest: How to boost your mental health

Mental health affects our overall well-being. 

High-stress levels have been linked to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Happy Setsiba says it is important to prioritise your mental health. 

The expert says people need to realise that they can’t control external factors. However, your response to unpredictable events or the demands of the world determines your stress level. 

READ: World Mental Health Day: How to manage your mental illness

Setsiba says the first step to better dealing with stress is realising situations come and go and stress shouldn’t last forever. 

“There are a lot of things that you can’t change. For example, if you feel this day will be overwhelming for you, just accept that this day will come, and it will pass. You must know that stress is not an experience that will last forever," says Setsiba. 

But it is important to check how you will allow the stressful situations to control you. 

“You can either decide if those things that stress you should stress you forever, or you can change the way you see them or simply accept that there are certain things you can’t do,” says the Clinical Psychologist.

“If you start to accept that you can’t change certain things, you will have more options,” she adds. 

She adds that this will also help you better deal with the situation. “How you behave afterwards will change," says the Clinical Psychologist. 

To better deal with stress, Dr Setsiba says “keeping a positive attitude, exercising and eating well” is key.

READ: Food that can help ease stress

Apart from those, she says people should realise the triggers and stay away from them if possible. 

“There are things that you can avoid. For instance, if you have people that always say things that you don’t like or that stress you out, you can always avoid them,” advises the Clinical Psychologist.

What we consume on social media also affects what occupies our thoughts. Constantly watching things that will make you feel anxious is a bad idea and will only escalate your stress levels. 

Other things to help you better manage stress: 

- Exercise

- Talk about your worries

- Do activities that you like

READ: The sip: 14-year-old author Jess Robus talks mental health with Mack Rapapali

Image courtesy of iStock/ @tumsasedgars