It has been a long hour Rumi has been staring through the same window pane at the same sky. She felt empty. She has run out of words to express what she is feeling. She feels numb. She herself doesn’t even know what to feel anymore. She has been thinking about her past behaviors with each person she is closer to. First, her mom. How she burst on her the other day for waking her up from a long-awaited sleep after a hectic day. Actually, her mother had no clue she was trying to sleep. And Rumi yelled at her. Now that she is recalling it, she can see the lone tear escaping the corner of her mother’s eye, which she clearly was blind to at that moment.

Yesterday she pushed her friend away when he was only trying to be there for her while she was miserable from the workload, bills, fees, and pretty much everything. While she is reflecting on it, she noticed the dejected feeling crossing over her friend’s face.

There is more to this. Lately, her work pressure has increased along with all the price hikes, and study pressure. She is pursuing her MBA from a private university while doing a full-time job. As her schedule had gone crazy hectic she can’t really keep a track of everything. And now when she is reflecting on her behavior she is drowning in a puddle of guilt.

If we take a close look we will find lots of Rumis around us. They are struggling with their own set of problems and that is affecting their relationship, work performance, health, etc. In between all these complexities, their mental health is getting affected the more.

Physical health is visible. The changes in physical health are visible. But mental health is invisible. Sometimes we don’t even realize the level it has fallen to. Even though we cant see our mental health but it has direct impact on our physical health which is very much visible.

A sound body keeps a sound mind. The other side is also true.,” sound mind lives in a sound body”. If you can’t keep your mind peaceful you won’t be able to get the best out of your physical ability.

Every year 10th October is celebrated as World mental health day. The sole motive is to raise awareness among people to take care of their mental health besides their physical health.

Like Rumi, many of us have slipped into the never-ending loop of depression. According to WHO Depression is one of the most common types of mental health conditions and often develops alongside anxiety. If a person keeps sad straight for two weeks without any reason then doctors diagonose them with depression. Here Rumi has frequent symptoms of depression. The common emotional and mental symptoms of depression are:

Persistent sadness, anxiousness, or irritability
Loss of interest in friends and activities that they normally enjoy
Withdrawal from others and loneliness
Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
Taking risks they wouldn’t normally take
Self-harming or suicidal thoughts

All these symptoms might not confirm depression but one should seek professional help according to the persistence of these symptoms. WHO recommends expert opinion in order to diagnose depression. It’s important to seek help from a healthcare provider who may refer you to a mental health expert or psychiatrist.

One can take care of one’s mental health with simple steps. You can start taking care of your mental health simply by going to bed early and rising up early and by following a simple routine according to your work schedule. Spending some quality time at the weekend with your loved ones, friends, and family. Take a break from the hectic work schedule and do what you love to do. Allow yourself the freedom you are entitled to.

Self-care isn’t selfish, self-care matters. You matter.

Name: Adrin Sarwar
Department: Printing and Publication Studies
Chapter Name: DU
Designation: Sub Editorial Co-ordinator(graphics)