The importance of being aware
This week, The Ontarion staff decided it was of utmost importance to dedicate our centre spread to the topic of mental health awareness. It is true that every one of us will encounter mental health issues at some point in our lives – whether it is personally, or through the connections we have. The topic of mental health is one that is often looked over and prejudged. It is our hope that by pursuing regular discussion of different mental health and wellness topics that we will be a part of changing and further erasing the stigma that is associated with mental health issues.
Mental health and wellness is something that affects every individual at some point in their lives, and the years that are spent as a student in university can be some of the most challenging – mentally, emotionally, and physically. By speaking up about mental health awareness, we are encouraging support in a multitude of forms, while also recognizing that no one is alone when suffering from mental health issues, even though at times it may feel that way.
Being in university, you are expected to have it all together – the pressure may be put on by outsiders, or by yourself. It’s a pretty overwhelming time in life, and finding a balance is not something that comes easily for everyone. Finding a balance takes a lot of dedication, and planning – this planning takes time, which isn’t something many university students feel they have. The end result, however, is so much better than dealing with the stress that can come from feeling overwhelmed.
In an article written earlier this year, I wrote about finding a balance in life between three elements that work towards personal mental wellness – I think it is time to revisit some of these ideas, as they can really help make life be more enjoyable. The three elements are productivity, leisure, and self-care; by understanding these three basic elements, you will be able to work towards living a more mentally sustainable life. People who are recovering from mental illnesses use this structural method; it is used to enable positive lifestyle changes by use of mindful and strategic tactics.
Let’s take a minute to understand what each of these three elements are:
Productivity consists of things we have to do. Some examples of productivity could be: going to school or work, volunteering, daily household chores, or care giving – all of these things leave us with a sense of accomplishment. Productivity is filled with some of the most important components of our lives, but when it takes over too much of our time, it can lead to becoming burnt out. This is something extremely important to keep in mind for everyone– specifically for students, as finals will be soon approaching. Your schoolwork is important, but so is your mental health!
Leisure involves the things we want to do. Some examples of leisure may be: playing sports or games, making crafts, painting, traveling, playing or listening to music, acting, dancing, or going to the theatre. Leisure can be a hard topic to define, considering it means something different to each person. Leisurely activities are all about the intention behind the motive of doing the things you love. Although it may sometimes seem like there is not enough time in a day for leisurely activities, it is crucial to make time to enjoy life outside of things that have to get done, or that we need to do.
Self-care entails the things we need to do. Some examples of self-care are: good self-hygiene, proper sleeping habits, socializing, relaxing, meditating, eating nutritious foods, drinking enough water, taking vitamins, or medications, and being kind to yourself. Self-care activities are often ones that people will neglect because they don’t feel they have enough time; students will often load up on caffeine and, although their bodies and minds are exhausted, they will attempt to pull an all-nighter to finish an assignment, or to study for an exam. Doing so is not benefiting you in anyway. It’s better to get a good sleep, and eat well, to be properly fueled for a busy day of schoolwork.
The Ontarion has made it one of this year’s mandates to make room for a weekly mental health and wellness column that discusses different issues that affect the lives of different people. We introduced the column in May of 2014, and has steadily held a voice within our publication. The weekly column was developed to have a rotating authorship since the scope of mental health is so wide, and since perspectives come from so many different places. Anyone who feels a desire to write an article that they believe would help other people feel connected and heard, is welcome to propose an idea for the column to be published in upcoming issues. In next week’s issue, we will be featuring an article that explains the blood-brain barrier, and potential ways to bypass its tight security – which is a recent scientific development that utilizes ultrasound waves to help treat mental illness.
Additionally, the University of Guelph has so many services available to students who are struggling through, or dealing with mental illness and mental health issues. This is a movement that will only continue to get stronger, so let’s talk about these issues openly, and become a part of creating great change in society.
Beginning next week, the 1 in 5 committee will be presenting Mental Health Awareness Week. The committee is based out of The Wellness Education Centre – they are working with multiple on-campus groups to provide a dynamic week that is dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, and management of personal wellbeing.