October 10 was Global Mental Health Day, which reminds us of the importance of learning about the role that caring for mental health plays in our lives and our society.
Mental illness, a silent epidemic
According to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), mental illness is a silent epidemic, with depression and anxiety as two of the leading causes of disability. Despite this, global spending on mental health represents only 2.8% of the total budget spent on health, and this percentage is even lower in low-income countries.
Peru possesses the means to provide mental health services around the country
To help the population access high-quality mental health services, countries such as ours have adopted some measures for the benefit of the population. According to the government’s webpage, the Peruvian Ministry of Health has 1,042 health centers with professional psychological services, as well as 208 community mental health centers, 52 safe houses, and 30 hospitals with mental health and hospitalization services.
The Wiese Foundation created a series under the Educational Quality Program focused on strengthening socioemotional skills
As part of the video series “Strengthening socioemotional skills in challenging times”, from the Educational Quality program, various specialists share advice and recommendations to deal with and face the different emotions that we experience every day.
Taking time for ourselves is good for our mental health
If you feel guilty about taking time for yourself and find it difficult to say “no” to others, keep the following in mind:
- No one is judging you for it.
- You need to be doing well yourself to accompany and help others.
- Your wellbeing is a priority and you have the right to practice your own self-care.
- Taking breaks during the day is good for improving your wellbeing.
Understanding our emotions is necessary to be able to deal with them
It is necessary to understand that emotions are transitory and reversible states. To deal with them, we should pause and accept what has happened to cause these emotions, as well as the other feelings that come from them. If we do this, we can find opportunities to work on the emotions that we begin to recognize.
Feeling sad with the appropriate intensity allows us to reflect and find alternatives
Sadness is a necessary and normal emotion that, in moderation, allows us to generate spaces for reflection and introspection. It is important to find mechanisms to prevent the sadness we feel from interfering with our activities and other emotions. To achieve this, we can:
- Be aware of how and how much a situation affects us.
- Understand why the emotion is present.
- Notice an emotional and physical misalignment in the situation.
- Take a certain amount of time to process this emotion.
- Establish a circle of support with people we trust.
- Take charge of the situation.
Visit the Wiese Foundation’s YouTube channel and enjoy the videos from the series “Strengthening socioemotional skills” from the Educational Quality program.
