By: Luz E. Figueroa Oliveras, BHE,MPA
Triple-S Salud Health Management Coordinator
Having good mental health is feeling good emotionally and psychologically. It directly influences the way you think, interpret situations, make decisions, feel, and act.
Which factors can change your mental health status?
- Diagnosis of a physical or mental illness.
- History of mental health problems in your family.
- Experiences you have lived, such as: trauma or abuse, caring for a sick person, economic problems.
- Social isolation (you find it difficult to establish social relationships).
- You maintain unhealthy lifestyles such as poor diet and the consumption of substances such as alcohol and other drugs.
When your mental health is affected, you may experience different signs, which ones you should pay attention to?
- Changes in your diet and sleep patterns.
- Difficulty coping with your problems and activities of daily living.
- Distancing yourself from the people and activities you regularly enjoy.
- You feel sad, very anxious, or depressed.
- You are confused, you forget things frequently, you feel anger or continuous worry.
- You have extreme mood swings or violent behavior.
- You think about how to hurt yourself or other people.
As an alternative to dealing with these warning signs that your mental health is being affected, it is important to cultivate self-care. Take time to do things that will help you live well and improve your physical and mental health. Some ways to practice self-care:
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water.
- Sleep the necessary number of hours.
- Daily interaction with family, friends and neighbors is a way to avoid social isolation.
- Practice activities such as meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation.
- Get professional help, if needed.
When you enjoy good mental health, you will be able to cope better with health, couple, family, community, and work situations.
If you are suffering from a condition or situation that affects your mental health, remember that you are not alone, you have the Employee Assistance Program of your workplace. You can also contact 24/7 the PAS Line 1-800-981- 0023 or the Suicide + Crisis Lifeline (9-8-8).
Do not forget that you are a warrior, with the inner strength to get up and continue moving forward.
Let’s celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month in May, believing in your ability to overcome any situation that may affect your quality of life.
At Triple-S, emotional well-being is an essential part of health care. For this reason, efforts have been directed through its Socializing is Healthy! project, a platform that includes different sectors of the island that contribute to reducing what is considered today as a health epidemic: social isolation and loneliness. For more information visit their page: https://management.grupotriples.com/socializaressaludable/en/
