After having the Insights about the Mental health issues, associated with Work from home – Now let’s know how we can deal and manage Mental health issues.
Some of the common issues that people face are – Anxiety, stress, irritation, aggressive behavior, mood swings, depression, fear, insomnia, mental fatigue and confusion.
The course of the disease initiates from feelings, thoughts related to mental aspect of the person. These feelings and thoughts have an impact on physical levels of the individual, which further hampers the daily routine and performance in day to day activities. This triggers a feeling of inability, fear of failure, negativity, lowered confidence and then resulting in refraining to perform a task.
The root cause for all these symptoms is – excess of worry (Chinta), a series of thoughts usually negative, causes dushti in rasa dhatu and its channels, the seat of which is hriday, (heart and mind) and affects the functioning of the same.
Excessive worrying (Chinta) leads to –
- Vata dushti, which manifests either as Pralaap i.e more/ irrelevant talking or vaak sanga/ graha i.e. keeping mum or speech abnormalities
- Hyperactivity, stress
- Palpitation (hrid drav), fear, anxiety.
- Feeling of sadness (Manoavsaad)
- Fatigue (bal haani)
- Fear
- insomnia
If Pitta is associated with Vata it produces symptoms like
- Irritation
- Aggressive behavior
- Mood swings
If Kapha Dosha is associated with vata, it manifests symptoms like –
- Lethargy
- Fatigue
- Excess sleep
- Decreased sex desire
- Lowered confidence
How to deal with our mind?
Speak up – Speak up about your feelings and concerns to your close friend, family or relatives. Expressing yourself will help reduce your pressure and guilt, thus making you feel relieved and relaxed. Comforting moral support transmits positive vibes and attitude.
You don’t have to struggle in silence, you can be un-silent, you can live well with a mental health condition, as long as you open up to somebody about it.
The imbalance of the Dosha is to be treated, with vata and pitta pacifying medicines and activities, along with improving the functional ability of mind. These ayurvedic medicines relaxes the mind and body without suppressing their normal functions.
Meditation and Yoga – Meditation and Yoga helps to control the flow of Pran vayu, and also regulates the function of all other Vata types; this calms down and stabilizes the mind and the thought process. You can also practice any other exercise which you like. Meditation, Yoga and Exercise improves focus and oxygenates the brain.
Practices like Yog Nidra not only relaxes the entire body and mind but also takes care of problems like insomnia, anxiety, and fear.
Nurture a hobby – Our hobby keeps us engaged and most importantly happy. It helps to keep worries, stress, pain aside and gives immense pleasure. It can be anything from gardening, playing a game, dancing, painting or just listening to music or going on a long drive.
Plan your day – Demarcate your work timings and leisure time. This will serve a dedicated relaxation phase to your mind and improve efficacy at work.
Dress well during working hours, this will keep you active and enthusiastic at work.
Arrange for proper sitting arrangements, which will take care of your posture and vision. Fix your meal timings.
Spend time with loved ones – Spend time with friends and family, socialize, be empathetic, help others. A good deed done, gives you inner peace.
Self motivation – Appreciate yourself for everything you do. Feel good for yourself, love yourself, this will boost your positivity, confidence and indirectly erase the negative thoughts.
Mindful Eating – Have right food, avoid junk foods, fried foods, instant food recipes.
Eat freshly cooked healthy and easily digestible meals.
Avoid cold drinks and carbonated drinks
Include 2-3 almonds, black currants, dates, milk, ghee in your diet.
Consult a doctor – If you are still not able to find a way out, consult a doctor. Counselling by an expert proves beneficial.
Ayurveda treatment will help you re-establish the Dosha balance, calm your mind, boost your mental ability, and reduce anxiety and fear.
Therapies like Abhyanga, Shirodhara, Shirobasti, Shiropichu will pacify Vata and Pitta Dosha at Physical and manas (emotional and psychological) level. These therapies will also nourish the brain and mind.
Procedures like Nasya strengthens the mental ability, has calming and soothing effect on mind. Netra tarpan, anjan and karna puran strengthens the indriyas (sense organs) like eyes and ears, respectively.
Some other tips –
Avoid watching TV, mobile till late night, or keeping awake for late nights Practice early to bed and early to rise habit.
Avoid sleeping at daytime.
Apply a drop of cow’s ghee in the eyes and gently massage around the eyes, this will strengthen the eyes, reduce eye fatigue and dry eye problems, arising due to excess screen time.
Apply oil on head every day and gently massage. Nasya with cow’s ghee daily is also beneficial.
Mental health issues take its time to recover. It is not very easy, but not as well impossible, to come out of it. Be patient, don’t hesitate to ask for support, and believe in self power.
As rightly quoted by Matt Haig – “Mental health problems, don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, YOU ARE NOT THE RAIN.”