How To Improve Mental Health, Especially For Freelancers

This article will shed light on the effects of depression and mental health. Please read further to gain knowledge, self-assess and heal your mental health.

Do you think your professional achievements alone define your worth as a person? Have you been neglecting every other aspect of your life to excel in your career? Do you at times feel like running away from everything and start life afresh without the constant turmoil of competition, failure, and the chaos of everyday life. Like our previous posts, we won’t say that we will solve all of this for you. But, we surely want to talk about these often sidelined aspects of the life of an individual, be it a working professional, a student, or a homemaker.

Recently, on June 14th 2020, Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide in his apartment in Mumbai. His death, among other things, has reinitiated the discussion on mental health on social media platforms. Unfortunately, we had to lose a young, talented, and hardworking person to get this conversation started. We, at infothatmatter.com, have decided to share our stories and whatever insights we have on coping up with the demands of gruelling work life. We want our readers to know that they aren’t alone in their fight. So many people like you felt these exact feelings of hopelessness and desperation. What’s important is to acknowledge that these feelings exist and then try to work towards a solution.

Do you know: India is the most depressed country in the world

Report by WHO in 2018

More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from some form of anxiety or depression, India being the most affected country. The suicide rate in India is 109 per million of the population, and the majority of people who commit suicide are below 44 years of age.

Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

C.S Lewis

This quote sums up why mental illness and depression aren’t given their due share in the societal narrative. The taboo that is often attached to depression forces people who are suffering from it to stay quiet about it and suffer alone.

Thus, it becomes imperative that we start conversations at the smallest level. The only way of removing the stigma attached to mental health is to talk about it more, share your experiences. By doing so, we can make it easier for the ones suffering from depressive disorders to seek out professional help.

Identifying The Problem:

It is normal to feel sad or low at times. However, when the sadness persists for a duration long enough so as to interfere in your everyday functioning, it can be a sign of clinical depression. Some of the symptoms that may indicate depression are:

1. Sadness or frequent crying
2. Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or worthlessness
3. A drastic change in the sleep cycle
4. Loss of interest in activities that previously sparked joy
5. Fatigue, lack of motivation, and low energy
6. Thoughts about death, suicide, and self harm

You can check if you are depressed and need action through this online checker.

What Causes Depression?

The exact causes of depression aren’t known. Sometimes people report feeling sad or depressed without any reason. However, there are certain factors that may lead to depression. These are:

1. Imbalance in brain chemistry
2. Genetics
3. Poor Nutrition
4. Work/Life induced stress
5. Addiction to drugs
6. Physical health problems

Treatment:

One of the prevalent myths around depression is that a lot of people believe it does not require treatment. Often, depression can resolve with time with the support of close ones. But, sometimes, medical intervention is necessary to treat the person. Medical professionals often prescribe antidepressant drugs, therapy, or a combination of both. It is best to reach out to a certified psychiatrist and discuss with them the necessity and modes of treatment.

How to be happy and satisfied again:

Besides actively seeking out therapy and medical help, you can do certain things to cope with depression and restore happiness in your life.

1. Reach out to your support system: Positive, loving, and accepting people who listen to you with patience will be your biggest asset in the struggle against depression.
2. Take care of your physical well being: The mind and the body are intricately linked with each other’s well being. Eating a balanced and varied diet, taking proper sleep, and regular exercising are some things you can do to stay fit and get the dopamine flowing in your system.
3. Keep Stress in check: Identifying sources of Stress and then eliminating or reducing them will go a long way in improving your mental health. For example, if social media makes you anxious, then it would help you to temporarily not use them. It is called “Digital Detox”.
4. Create happy memories. Consciously: Find ways to indulge in activities which you know will lift your mood and remember good memories frequently. Creating new happy memories lightens your stress level and induces right-mix of hormones in your body.
5. Spend some “Me Time” daily: Take out at least 10 minutes for self-reflection daily. You will create some effective strategies and realize many points which you have missed in the mayhem.

Via this article, we have scratched just the surface of the vast topic, that mental illness and well being is. Our main motive in writing this was to move the wheel of discussion on mental health. We want our readers to know that they aren’t alone in this struggle. We are here to help you reach great heights in your career, but at the same time, we want you to know that career just forms a small part of life, and it is your physical and emotional well being that should be your top priority. With the support of your loved ones, you will be able to conquer this mountain of depression too.

First published here.

Comments