“Depression! Nothing of that sort used to exist twenty years back.”

We all have heard this thing many times, mostly from the elderly ones. And the argument seems genuine if you witness the scenario through their eyes. You don’t really believe in something you haven’t heard of, do you?

But times today have changed. Today, we hear about it every day. We see it. Some of us might even be suffering from it. And today, if someone would argue that depression is a new age myth, our upfront answer would probably be something like “Oh! It’s been there forever. Except that people today talk about it.”

People today seek solution, and they want to be heard. Mental Health Awareness is one way to make them feel comfortable. It’s a way of letting them near the fact that they’re not alone through this journey. And that there are millions out there sailing in the same boat and like many other phases of life, ‘this too shall pass’. All they need to do is speak up and seek treatment. Because at the end of the day, however successful we become, happiness shall be the ultimate goal of life.

This May, as the world recognizes the importance of mental health awareness, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining a sound mental health. Here are a few hacks each of us can adapt to keep our minds healthy:

1. Be the Busy Bee – A neighbour of mine owns a pair of bunnies as pets, both females. Recently, one of the two bunnies was gifted away by them to a relative. The bunnies were doing fine initially as they navigated life without each other. But as days passed by, they started feeling sad and low on energy. There arrived a time when they stopped eating and would spend the entire day sadly sitting in a corner, with minimal activity. By the way, bunnies are known to be hyperactive creatures. Give them a company, and they’ll keep you on your toes. Separated, they get bored. They feel depressed and alone. They feel as much worthless as a human would in a situation like this. My neighbour was left with no choice but to bring the bunnies back together. Within no time, they were more active than ever, and the house was back to being a mess.

Keeping yourself busy is of utmost importance, not only because it drives away the feeling of self-worthlessness, but because sometimes, a minute is all it takes for depressive thoughts to set in.

2. A Happy Company – In every class, there is a kid – the naughtiest, the chirpiest, the funniest. Despite being hated by the teachers, he is the darling of the entire class. Admit it or not, each one of us, at some point of time, has been left wondering how he manages to stay like that the whole day. And when we all grow up and bid farewell to each other, he ends up being the one etched in our memories forever. Such is the power of happiness and positivity that it becomes harder for us to forget people who spread it.

Our mental health is largely determined by the kind of company that we keep around us because negativity is as contagious an emotion as happiness. Being around people who are always on the path of resentment, or are habitual sadists, can have a negative impact on our mental health.

3. Nature’s Therapy – No matter how much we have grown up, we always tend to experience a strange fascination towards everything that connects us with nature. We grow up watching ‘Animal Planet’ and ‘National Geographic’. We grow up tending plants, so much so that we make it sure to have a garden when buying a home. It’s amazing how millions of people choose to leave their high-salaried jobs to become wildlife photographers or environmentalists or wildlife conservationists.

According to the ancient beliefs, the magic of nature can even wake up the dead. A mere touch of nature has been working wonders since the inception of planet. Being around plants and animals is a therapy that definitely works better than locking ourselves up within the four walls of home. Isn’t it why we’ve got things like parks and pets and pools?

4. Have time for Introspection and self-care – However busy you get, make sure to have some time carved out for yourself. Even the happiest of us feel the need to have an escape from the busyness of life. Be it in the form of a vacation, a trekking trip or a long drive, introspection is the only way to remind yourself of the fact that at the end of the day, all that you need to live is ‘you’.

Keeping your mind healthy is a form of self-care that reminds you to keep yourself as your foremost priority and spend as much time in your own company as you possibly can. Picking up Yoga and Meditation to accomplish the goal of a healthy mind is for sure a long-term investment that never fails to deliver effective results. Start doing Yoga if you haven’t yet.

Let’s all strive towards a healthy mind for a happy self! Cheers!