Mental well-being is among the UN classification of quality of life under the psychological category together with self-esteem, spirituality and body image. “ Mental health is the state of being at peace with your mind and in sync with your thoughts.” says Sharlotte Kigezo in-house therapist at NGLHRC.
Mental health is important as it allows humans to live to their full potential, Sharlotte continues.
Mental means of the mind don’t get it twisted with the layman’s semantics to mean you're mad. Everything that can and has been achieved by (hu)man has been conceived in the mind. So, that means the mind must be the most powerful tool to have, and to get it to be fully optimized we need to ensure it's healthy and well cared for.
Mental health problems are reported to be a menace to minority groups including the LGBTQ+ persons, especially now since the safety climate of queer folx has taken a turning point for the worst. ‘Most women shared with us the high levels of stress as a result of the different forms of violence they experience in daily life and how this has even led to depression’, states a research conducted by GALCK on The LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND QUEER WOMEN IN KENYA.
Although we know this is true across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. These mental issues include without excluding :
Depression
Anxiety
Paranoia
Trauma eg childhood trauma, PTSD
Abuse e.g sexual abuse
Loneliness
Grief
To live your best life and thrive as Annabel Kendi, a counselor at Minority Womyn in Action(MWA) explains, ‘Mental health is the fuel that keeps a human being going, without a sane mind life definitely becomes unbearable. Mental health care is as important as any other aspect of a person's life and everyone deserves the care” ;here are 6 ways to improve your state of mind and achieve that decent quality of life we all want.
1.Sleep
Yep, we’ve heard this countless times it’s cliché now but still doesn’t get old, trust me. Unplugging from life just a little is quite worth it. Sleep itself is part of the bear minimums of a physical quality of life. Self is a form of self-care routine where you let your body and all it inhabits rest, actually according to science you are partially dead when in dreamland. Rest is crucial for growth and rejuvenation so why not take that 8-hour sleep every day like clockwork for a gleamy glow, your mind, skin, and organs will thank you!
2. Take count
For us to know where we are going we need to know where we came from. After all that self care what are the results, are you more alert? Is that skin glowing, mama? Are you more articulate with your feelings?
3. Connect
Speaking of articulating feelings ? How are your relationships? How strong are your boundaries? Connecting with Mother Nature and Human connections are important for our evolution, ever heard the saying or reggae song, no man is an island, no man stands alone. Humans exist to interact with others face to face but don’t be shy to try digital intimacy and socialization. The impact behind #s results elevates that sense of community belonging.
4. Exercise
We can’t emphasize enough on self care in regard to mental health. Physical exercises greatly enrich the state of mind. You are more focused and clear-headed than when you miss that workout. This eases interactions and improves the articulation of emotions.
5.Learn a skill
Learning something new excites you , boosts your confidence and expands your knowledge. In this digital age, learning has been made easy to access through the globalization of the Internet. Educate yourself on a topic/issue that speaks to you, kinda like what you are doing now, reading this.
6. Gratitude
Gratitude acknowledges the past, present and future. It accepts what you had, have and will have. A spirit of gratitude always wins!