I have a cat-and-mouse relationship with my happy hormones. Trying to be an honest cat who loves to befriend everyone, I always attempted to chase and catch them, But most of the time, it went in vain. When they started leaving me, I felt sad, and my brain started talking nonsense; I thought that it is difficult to calm my monkey mind.

Those days, I slept for long hours, shouted at kids for silly reasons, cried sitting in the corner of the bedroom, and with swollen lifeless eyes cooked food for my family. Everything I cooked those days became tasteless because I forgot to add my signature ingredient, ‘a piece of my heart', into it.!

I felt sad that I couldn't catch my happy hormones, and I started to hate them for not being congenial with me.

Depression is like a mouse. It visits you unexpectedly, holding both ears when you try to throw it out of your home, …it keeps coming to you every now and then, like a narcissist who claims he has the absolute rights to your mind and body.

Above is a scenario that many of you might have gone through. Depression and mood swings are two sides of a coin; one may be intense, while the other may be short-lived. It's a state of mind that you must be aware of. Keeping your mind at ease is difficult if you constantly ignore it.

Every year, we dedicate a day to mental health awareness, and this year we observed it on October 10th in India.

Physical and mental health are interconnected. We all are health conscious. We give utmost importance to our physical appearance and beauty. To maintain an attractive physique, we go to the gym, attend workout sessions, follow a weight loss diet, and even try all possible methods to get a good result.

Do you know about mental health awareness? Do you know, knowingly or unknowingly, we all suffer from some issues related to our minds? It can be stress created by the atmosphere at your home, surroundings, or workplace, a severe trauma that haunts you, or even short-term mood swings related to your physical conditions. But how many of us really notice these and care about our mental state?

Whatever, is there any solution existing to overcome these?

A big yes, but it will be possible only if you are ready to take up the challenge.

The very first step is to be prepared to understand yourself. We are busy building a healthy life for ourselves and our families. When we really find time for our daily work and earn more and more money, why can't we spend a few minutes on our mental purification process?

Sit for some time, exclusively dedicated to yourself and your thoughts. Just observe your thoughts, that may be ridiculous sometimes, but it doesn't matter. Just be aware that your mind is busy creating negative thoughts unintentionally. That is enough. You have entered the very first step of the cleansing process of your mind.

Have you ever thought about who is creating all these nonsense conversations? From where is it entering your mind? Why do we allow them to get in? Do we have any bad experiences, sorrows, disappointments, wishes, or cravings suppressed inside us?

Dig everything out of your mind and jot it down. Challenge yourself to find out the best practices helping to overcome such issues.

Are you aware of the chemistry of the brain? The brain plays a vital role in shaping your moods and encounters in each and every situation you are going through. We have four happy hormones constantly in a love-hate relationship with us. They are,

• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• Endorphins
• Oxytocin

We have neurotransmitters and hormones in our brains that decide how we understand and respond to certain situations. They are assigned for signaling certain areas of our brain and activating them differently.

Serotonin, the mood-regulating hormone, is influenced by your sleep patterns, memory, appetite, understanding capacity, and digestion. Improve your serotonin level by opting for a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, going out in the bright sun for a walk, or dedicating yourself to regular exercising.

Enhance your Dopamine, which is well known for its ability to make you feel good. As an essential element in your brain's reward system, it creates pleasure and related feelings inside you. Include a protein-rich diet in your food habits and change your lifestyle by dedicating yourself to recreational activities and hobbies you love to do.

Endorphins, your body's natural pain relievers, need to be enhanced to manage stress. Eat your favorite food, exercise correctly, and spend quality time with your loved ones to boost your endorphins.

Oxytocin, the love hormone, can be increased by sharing a hug with your loved one or your child. Find time to play with them, speak to them, listen to their stories, laugh with them, go for an outing and enjoy the moments.

Mental health awareness is not a silly matter. As per the reports, there are millions of people who suffer from various issues regarding their mental health. Apart from all the social concepts and stigma, it is our responsibility to realize or help others to realize how important it is to try to come out of it.

Accept your body and mind and be proud to own them. Understand your failures and drawbacks, and do not fear going forward. Be your best companion and try to lend the first helping hand to yourself.

Reach out to your loved ones or be a good listener when someone approaches to talk to you. Just tell yourself that you are capable of everything. Understand that your worth and love are your treasures.

Find time for sitting alone, reading your favorite book, listening to happy music, or drawing a picture of your choice.

Cuddle your kids or your pet, and hug them often. Write journals every day, meditate and drink adequate water. Sit sometime in the garden and admire those beautiful flowers. Smile at the stars and lemon-wedged moon, be grateful for whatever you have and be the happiest version of yourself.!

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