Mental health can be defined as an individual's state of well being and one's ability to cope with normal stress while making a contribution in their life and of people around them.

Mental health is as important as physical health. A large section of people in the world is not aware of this. Just like a person has blood pressure, sugar, heart problems, or a fracture, one can also have mental health ailments. Any health ailment should not be ignored and must be treated by a doctor.

Good mental health requires a person to have a good routine in one's life. A person should wake up at a fixed time. One must incorporate some sort of exercise or workout or yoga in one's life. Making a contribution to a community is also an important aspect of mental health. One must do something or be engaged in some activity to keep him/her active. Eating healthy food is very essential. Proper sleep of about 8 hours must be taken.

Consulting a psychiatrist or a psychologist or a therapist when a person experiences some sort of discomfort or difficulty in routine life shall be the first and foremost step. Apart from taking regular medication, talking to your family members or friends or basically anybody whom you are comfortable to open your heart with can do a lot. Listening to some good music, writing, cooking or keeping yourself busy in any activity of your liking is important. Learning something new helps.

A person's living environment should be made safe. One should not be exposed to discrimination or gender inequalities. Discrimination can result in low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, and hesitation. It is very important for the family members to be there with the sufferers, support them, and be patient with them. A good conversation with them helps a lot. Providing them with time and space so that they can understand the process, recharge themselves, and work this out is essential.

Primarily it is important to talk about the mental health problem and not judge people so that they can trust you with it. Loved ones must actively listen to the sufferer so that he/she can express himself/herself and share freely what he/she wants to. This shows that one wants to understand and help the sufferer cope with it. It is also hard for people to understand what the sufferer is going through especially when they have not experienced it themselves. So educating yourself and doing research on the things you do not understand such as symptoms, causes and consequences of the ailment helps.

There is an evident relationship between physical health and mental health of a person. A person who has had a chronic physical illness in past can experience mental illness in his/her life. And likewise if a person has had mental health problems can have physical health problems. There is a close relation between both.

The presence of mental illness is one of the strongest risk factors for suicide. There could be several risk factors that may lead to a suicide such as increased alcohol, someone talking or writing about death, feeling hopelessness, withdrawal from family or friends, a conflict with a loved one, unexpected change in circumstances and many other factors. Although experiencing any of these suicide risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean that the person will attempt suicide.

Sometimes it may also happen that a person may get worried about something. Generally, worries are a normal part of life. Many a times worries may come and go but quite often worries may stay and affect a person’s everyday life or well-being of a person. There can be several ways to cope with worries like writing about your worries, crying and talking about them with a friend or family member. Worrying can affect one’s sleep pattern and may lead to depression. So it is essential to postpone your worries and practice realistic thinking.

In today’s fast-changing environment, one is constantly working throughout the day. People are in a rush. They want to experience everything. They want to achieve everything. Their list of goals is endless. This is also affecting their mental health negatively. They don’t have time for themselves and this may result in stress or it may cause worry and hence they are more likely to seek for medical help.

Many people are unaware of the fact that depression, psychosis and other mental health ailments are completely curable and preventable. These ailments require treatments. There is a proper course of treatment for such ailments. Medication plays a very important role in the treatment. Medicine has to be taken as prescribed by the doctor and on time.

But there is still a stigma attached to mental illness in our country and also across the globe. This discriminating behavior exists because of the psychiatric label attached to it. This is because despite being a CA or an engineer or a teacher, one may not be educated enough to deal with it. And this may also be because the awareness and education about mental health is not imparted in schools, colleges and workplaces.

Various mental health awareness programs and campaigns must be launched and introduced at university levels and in workplaces. Mental health must be made a part of curriculum in schools. When there is more awareness it would also lead to a rise in recovery.

For good mental health it is utmost important to strike a balance in all aspects of life such as physical, social, economic, spiritual or mental.

One should build high self-esteem and self-confidence, acknowledge one’s strengths and weaknesses and accept them. The person should learn how to deal with normal stress in everyday lives. Sometimes challenging yourself and saying “Yes, I can deal with this” is extremely helpful. One can also volunteer for help in NGOs and hospitals and involve oneself in some activity to gain satisfaction. This will give a meaning and purpose to one’s life. Making an effort be it big or small counts.

Many people are juggling offices, relationships, responsibilities and their health. Setting manageable goals will give a sense of accomplishment. The more control we have on our work, the less will be the stress. Stop procrastinating. This will lead to the timely completion of the work. Staying flexible will make one more productive. Expressing your opinions, and suggesting another best alternative to your boss or colleagues regarding a decision to be taken can also reduce stress.

Taking care of your health, both physical health and mental health makes you happy, content, confident, and satisfied. One must make health the highest priority in one’s life. God has created us. We all are souls and our bodies are our shields that protect our souls, so it is important for a person to nurture themselves and grow with time. Health is our responsibility too. Health is the most expensive treasure of one's life. One must guard and protect one's mind and body. Health is wealth in the true sense.

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