Mental health is a very thin thread that forms our thought spirals as well as connects it with others. It's personal and societal in nature at the same time - how I feel affects me and those around me.
Now, more than ever, we understand that.
We've learned that what's important is to be there for yourself while also being there for others. There are ongoing conversations everywhere now about mental health because more people are talking and more importantly because more people are listening.
A major step to breaking the chains of ‘Log Kya Kahenge?!’ ( What will people say?’ is to decide what the war is for and where it's at because that makes the fight easier. There are two battlefields when it comes to this particular, very wide-spread, issue: one, the fear of it, and two, the need for it, and both are being fought for the protection of our mental well-being. I grew up in a house with both. I had the habit of seeking validation. I still do, I think. My parents, on the other hand, were scared of what their friends, their neighbors, their relatives would say for certain things. And then slowly, as I realized how bad we'd end up feeling because of these thoughts, I started reading about it and making my parents read as well. We tried to understand why we feel this way and how we can become better. My family and I have grown more in the last year than we did in all the years before, and that's because the internet and the conversations the youth have started came to our rescue.
Before, the stories of change, of betterment died down before others could benefit from it. Even if one house learned the importance of happiness and peace, it was too hard to let everybody know. In my instance, my parents never heard of someone in their village worrying about mental health. They grew up around gossip and caution. The youth of today understands that and that makes it easier. Yes, this is a war but we're not fighting against our people. Just the world they grew up in. Another thing that helps is the Internet. Our stories reach far and stay long.
The answer to how this shift towards a happier self has become faster because of the youth and for everybody is really simple: we're doing what we've grown up doing. We're understanding, learning, and then educating those around us, just like we'd help our friends before an exam was due. We understand the importance of having a proper conversation. And even in a locked-down world, the conversations won't stop. Pandemic or not, here's the thing: we, 'the youth of today', will forever be from the age of the internet, it's one of our strongest suits. Take everything we had before this normal, and lock us in a house with the internet and you've still got a revolution on your hands.
Written by - Utsav Raj
Your mental health matters as much as your physical health. Don't hesitate to take a step towards your mental well-being. If you’re looking at talking to a professional, book your Initial Consultation with us on https://www.themoodspace.com/freeconsultation or write to us at info@themoodspace.com. Take a step towards bettering your mental wellbeing because you deserve it!