Slesha Tuladhar
Equinox Staff
Mental health is as important as physical health because it determines the way you feel, act, behave and think. Mental health also affects a lot in your decision-making process. Since the brain is an integral part of the human body, it is very important for us to keep it healthy. In college, however, it seems more difficult to take care of all these things (academics, social life, friendships, health, etc.) at once.
Sometimes we feel like we are drained of energy even though we haven’t done much in a day. When this happens it becomes apparent that our brain needs a little break. A mental breakdown does not happen instantly. Several things pile up to a point where the stress becomes unbearable and we have a mental breakdown. Being human, it is nearly impossible to not stress, but the goal is to be aware before things pile up.
When a person does not have a stable mental state, we can often see its effect on their sleep. They tend to sleep and eat too much or too little. A person experiencing a mental breakdown may feel hopeless at times, tend to push people and things they like to do away, may hear voices that do not exist, overthink, indulge in drug use, smoking, etc. and often think about harming themselves or others. If any individual is going through this, they should get help because this is curable and it is never too late to ask for help.
At times staying positive is very hard and it seems impossible, but for people experiencing a mental breakdown staying positive may help a lot. Having a positive outlook on life makes a person ready to take on any challenge life brings to them. Also, one should try to participate in productive activities because an empty mind is the workshop of the devil.
Getting enough sleep is also very important because the human body needs at least eight hours of sleep to function properly. Getting involved in the community may also help us meet new people, be productive and have someone to talk to about what is going on in your life.
Several clubs on campus are working for mental health, like active minds and Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP). Anybody can join these clubs and participate in the activities they do. The Wellness Center at Elliot Center is also always there with arms wide open for students regarding counseling. We can always talk to our friends and close ones about how we are feeling as well. The Wellness Center at our college and Live Well KSC also come up with several activities, programs and co-curricular activities to promote mental health.
For me, travelling has helped a lot in escaping the stressful mind at times. Whenever I feel like I am stressed or experiencing a mental breakdown, I leave whatever I am doing and go for a walk or to the gym.
Likewise, I make sure that on weekends I at least travel and go to a new place. I am taking a class on Fridays called outdoor recreational experience in northern New England and it has helped me a lot to cope with the stress of the week. Another thing that I rely on when I am feeling down or sad is art. So, when we are down, we should try to invest time in being productive and busy.
Slesha Tuladhar can be contacted atstuladhar@kscequinox.com.
