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It’s a whopping 450 million people all over the world!
Yes, that’s the number we are looking at when it comes to mental health issues and associated disorders.
It is safe to say, almost all of us have been there. That constant gloomy feeling, the nagging baseless irritation, the unexplained exhaustion – admit it, you have let those negative feelings slide. Every time, you have dismissed those times as “just another bad day”, least realizing the damage you are doing to yourself every single time.
To begin with, mental health is something you should never ignore, and you know it already. But perhaps, the conversations around emotional well-being are way too many and at times a tad bit confusing. Maybe, that’s the reason why all of us are missing out on the key factors ignored in every talk around mental well-being.
Today, let’s dissect the tell-tale signs of emotional dips that we tend to ignore.
An enforced positivity
Have you ever felt that the very thought of positivity has become a burden for you? Do you always have to actively tell your body and mind to be positive? Of course, there could be nothing better than trying to feel positive. But, let me also tell you this. Positivity should be a natural course of your life. Right from the time you wake up in the morning, you should feel the surge of good vibes in your body and mind by default. If the constant gloomy feeling stays with you for days together even after practicing a healthy life, if you have to stop every time in the middle of the day to remind yourself to be positive, spot the problem right there.
Asking yourself a few basic questions can help identify the reasons behind such patterns –
- Do you have any emotional baggage or unresolved matter that needs closure?
- Are you unhappy about certain things in your life but have accepted them just to simplify the matter and move on with life?
- Have you recently gone through a direct or indirect trauma that you have not had much conversations about?
Sit down, take a deep breath, and try to find the answers to these questions. This will not only improve the clarity of your thoughts and actions but also help you ask yourself similar questions that are not listed here.
Binge behavior
Are you indulging in any particular activity too much? It could be overeating, endlessly surfing the web, binge shopping, or anything that you normally don’t engage with too much. Watch out – it is one of the common signs of onset anxiety or depression.
The moment you have the sudden urge to have that extra meal right after a meal, try to curb your desire and instead make a list of things that bothered you on that particular day or in the past few days. This will divert your mind instantly and help you figure out ways to fix at least a few problems and clear your mind of the clutter.
Up until recently, I never realized that at times I have even been binge-watching TV shows or movies that I don’t exactly like. While trying to analyze the reason, I had two important observations –
- I always feel the compulsive need to keep pace with the crowd – anything the world loves to watch becomes my favorite (at least that’s what I start telling people). FOMO is real and dangerous!
- Very often, I am trying to escape certain situations or “reality” in my life and binge-watching a series until my eyes hurt and my brain is too fatigued to “think” helps me cope.
But tell you what, that’s not how you cope. You got to face what you eventually got to face. So, whenever you spot such patterns, gently pull yourself back to reality and try to face your fears, your uncertainties. One step at a time, one day at a time.
Frequent mood swings
Once again, stop calling it “just another bad day”. If you are having frequent behavioral changes, the very first step is to accept and recognize it when someone points it out. Because if you are surrounded by caregivers, they definitely will notice fluctuations in your patterns and call it out.
Instead of being defensive to those inputs, try to accept and analyze.
The best way to slightly step out of a “bad mood” state is to clearly spell it out for yourself. As loud and clear as –
“Yeah, you know what, lately something is off with me. I am unusually grumpy these days.”
As unrealistic as this sounds, it makes things better. There was a phase in my life where I had dangerous mood swings every now and then. It was making my life and the lives of people around me equally difficult. Starting one day, I started having open conversations about how I was feeling, and guess what, things did not take too long to get better.
Feeling of isolation & rejection
Although you barely admit it, many of you navigate these feelings almost every waking hour. Every time you walk into a party, you feel uncomfortable around that girl or guy who pulls the crowd with their looks, ways, and words. Every time, without fail, you think – I wish that was me.
That is just the beginning of a never-ending feeling of –
I am not worth it. I am rejected. I am isolated.
Even before the world does that to you, you start rejecting yourself. Self-rejection is very disturbing for your body and mind. Start watching out for signs of self-rejection and stop things from getting worse before it is late. Seek medical advice if needed.
Disturbed sleep
If you are tossing and turning too many times even on your cozy comfortable bed, it is not just another day with poor sleep. It runs deeper than that. Right when you notice this pattern, sit up and make a quick list of things that bothered you on that particular day, or the day before, or let’s say – the week before.
Often ignored, interrupted sleep is a clear sign of unresolved issues that you keep pushing aside. Trust me when I say – “It isn’t just another bad sleep day”. Think about it.
Repetitive behavior
You cleaned that doorknob 10 minutes ago. Wait, are you cleaning it again? No, this isn’t just about hygiene. This is something else too. Extensive research has proved that repetitive behavior at odd intervals is indicative of mental unrest. It can mean you are constantly dissatisfied with your life and everything around you.
Once again, sit and try to figure out one important thing –
Are people around you treating you differently or expressing discontent in you?
If the answer is yes, know for a fact that the same behavior is getting translated into a repetitive behavior – when you keep feeling nothing is good enough and that everything needs extra attention. Very often, this is a clear manifestation of you feeling low about yourself and thinking you are not good enough.
That brings us to the end of just 5 among many signs of a disturbed state of body and mind. Nip these in the bud and start living a happy, healthy, and blissful life today.