By Dr. Satabdi Roy Choudhury

You Cannot Survive Socially when You are not okay Mentally

Your Mental Well-Being Defines the Performance of Your Whole Being

Cheers to the Self State of Mind is the Best Therapy to Heal Soul of Your Body

From the above maxim makes it evident that in general sense mental health refers to our emotional, psychological and social integrity. It is simply how we think, feel act, react, handle stress and make choices in our day-to-day life.Now, here one need to understand the main existing difference between the mental health and mental well-being. Mental well-being is a broad category which includes peopleÂs emotional responses, domain satisfactions and global judgements of life satisfactions. Though the above focused components often correlate substantially, but for a person suffering from mental illness or disorders may experience these components differently depending upon his or her mood, thinking and behaviors.

Why Mental Health is Important?

Mental Health is important for all of us as it helps us to cope with the various stresses of life. It provides healthy life-styles, which in return provides healthy body. A mentally healthy person can not only an asset to his family but also make meaningful contribution to the community. Moreover, a mentally healthy person can realize his full potential and can provide productive way of thought and work (Source: Medline Plus). In short, the social and economic cost associated with growing burden of mental ill health focused the possibilities for promoting mental health as well as preventing and treating mental illness. Thus, the mental health is linked to the behavior and seen as fundamental to physical health and quality of life (Source: Vikaspedia, an Information Guide by Government of India).

Why Mental Health Became Important Part of TodayÂs Life Style?

TodayÂs life-style is a multifaceted compendium of evolving technology and social media. Communication outlets are changing every part of our lives so rapidly that it can be tough to adjust (Nichols.H, 3^rd July, 2017, Medical News Today). Hence, modern life has not only witnessed scientific advancement but also an influx of technology and gadgets into our lives. In todayÂs age, people live a very high paced lifestyle which puts them in a state of constant stress, causing deterioration in mental health. At this juncture many would consider mental health to be a state of constant happiness and satisfaction, whereas, as also discussed earlier that a mentally healthy means ability to cope with normal activities and stresses of life. But off course it does not mean a stress-free life(Roy Choudhury. S &Barman. A, 2014, ZENITH International Journal). Various studies have shown a direct and bilateral relationships between oneÂs life-style and mental health. It is often small and regular habits that defines mental health. Hence, present life-style provides small to huge changes or sometimes within the on-going life-style and can cause an impact on mental health of a person (Julka. Dr. P.K, 24^th April, 2019).

From the above discussion we can summaries that the modern world is wonderful in many ways. It gives us technologically advancements so that we can easily keep in touch with our loved once. But it is also too powerfully and tragically geared to causing a high background level of anxiety and wide spread level of depression. Therefore, from here we can see the eruption of following ironical inferences: 

1. Golden Rule of Society, as per societies set rule, everyone is free to achieve via his own talent and energy. But the downside of rule is if anyone became unsuccessful than no one call it an accident or misfortune, rather the focus is mainly on lack of talent or laziness. 

• Rule that ÂYou are Special, as per this rule each and every individual are equal and everyone is special to his or her destiny. But in society to be an ordinary is a curse. These result to be extensive race among us, to get proper appreciation and hence, the mental pressure began to be a heroism of everyday.

• Rule of Secularity, the rule is every individual is secular irrespective of any gender, caste and religion. But these whole triumph of being secular simply get vanished as we forget to being Âhuman at very first point.

• The Philosophy of Romanticism, which teaches us that most of us should wait for very special person coming to our life and her or she will completely make us happy. Yet in reality, we mostly settle for moderately bearable relationships which are not too bad, but the bad side we cannot correct, mentally we adjust to be together.

• Role of Media,which has an immense prestige and plays a huge role in a society. But mostly our attention is grabbed to those, news which shows worry, panic, disaster, etc., due to human nature curiosity on why its negative these results in imbalance in mind.

• Rule of Perfectionism, Modern society mostly bring out the image that we have to be perfect and profoundly content. As a, result, we end up loathing ourselves and sensing that we wasted our lives being unsuccessful. Here, we have to understand that being little imperfect is not too bad. The imperfection is actually an inescapable part of our human nature. 

(Source: The School Life, An Organization)

The above inferences depicts that we our present life is mostly occupied with money, fame and self-consciousness. Furthermore, such pre-occupied thoughts prevent us from accepting the facts that are mentioned above. Thus, in order to be happy and stress free we have completely forgotten or does not pay attention that:

1. It is ok to fail
2. Self-appreciation is also important, if other does not provide you with continuous appreciation. Hence, no need to be sad.
3. We should spend sometimes away from social-media, with nature like stars at night sky, an evening or morning walk, seating on the lawn or balcony etc.
4. We have to accept others as they are, we cannot change otherÂs opinion according to our need. Thus, we should build friendship, the real-life friends rather than virtual.
5. Talk with someone or write in a piece of paper regarding our real fear and vulnerabilities.

Rise of Corona Virus and its Far-Reaching Consequences

The Novel Corona Virus, later named as COVID-19, is an infectious disease that can spread from human to human. It emerged initially in the city of Wuhan in China in late December-2019, when cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology were reported. Following its emergence that led to serious health concerns. By the mid-march 2020, WHO declared a global pandemic due to the substantial global-wide spread of the disease, affecting many countries (Ayesha et al., 25^th March,2021, Journal of PLOS Digital Health).

The spread of this corona virus within the society leads to devastating effect. Millions of people felt into extreme poverty. Many people lost their lives and many people remain alone in their houses, as death toll upon their family members. Many of the business enterprises faces an existential threat. Nearly worldÂs half of the workforce lead to loss their livelihoods. Daily paid workers mostly faced dire consequences of no money due to strict lockdown policies. Ultimately without the means to earn an income during lockdown, many are unable to feed themselves and their families. Moreover, due to this corona pandemic, the entire food market and trade policies bare the fragility. People started storage of food in their houses like grocery stores, border closures and trade restrictions prevented farmers from accessing markets. Food security and supply chain got disturbed, which leads to increase malnutritionÂs of millions, many suffer from lack of safety and labor protection and as well as lack of social support. Many have started working in an unsafe condition, which exposes themselves and their families to risk. Many others went vulnerable due to long days of lockdown and home confinements. Trend of work-from-home and far from changes in free survival life-style became called as new normal and gradually people started to develop various health issues and mental health problems proves to be of serious concern(World Health Organization, 13^th October,2020)

Shadow Pandemic: Covid-19 not only a Pandemic, but also Threat to Mental Health

As more and more the lockdown policies started to become strict, the more and more people are forced to stay at home. Isolation, Social-Distancing, Separation from Loved Once, Closure of Educational Institutes and Other Workplaces, Closure of Entertainment Venues, shopping malls, Hotels and Restaurants etc., consigned people to stay at home. All these in long run, leads to negative impact. These negative impacts open the path for rising cases of Anxiety Disorder, Stress, Stigmatization, Xenophobia etc.

Hence, the competitive nature of modern life style which we are already fighting to survive, the coming of this corona pandemic and its shadow lockdown rules and regulation acted as fuel in the fire. Loss of freedom and uncertain atmosphere causes the deterioration in an individualÂs mental health status. Even the children are not spared as they are also confined to home. All these new normal life pattern showed some noted behavior in the society as:

Changed Behavior Among Children during Covid-19

1. Excessive Crying and Annoying Behavior
2. Increase Sadness, Depression or Worry
3. Difficulties in Concentration and Attention
4. Some started to stay too much quite or started to avoid certain activities which they loved at past.

Changed Behavior Among Adults during Covid-19

1. Change in Eating Habits
2. Irritating and Shouting
3. Emotional Out Bursts
4. Insomnia and feeling something bad might happen
5. Revising Past Again and Again
6. Jitteriness and distraction of focus

Changed Behavior of People within the Society in General During Covid-19

1. Stigmatization towards Health Workers as they may carry the Virus
2. Stigmatization towards Quarantined Patients who Recently Recovered
3. Rise of Domestic Violence against Women leads to serious Issue of Human Rights Violation (Source: UN, Women Organization)
4. 67% rise in Suicidal Behavior due to breakdown of social network, limited access tohealth care services, fear of contracting the virus, social disengagement, mental stress and feeling of being burden on families (Source: The Wire).
5. Fear of losing the Basic Resources
6. Alcohol Withdrawn Syndrome.

Summary of Above Discussion

From the above discussion it can be summarized that the modern living is actually simple but we due to again attention, we ourselves has made it too competitive and now we are loathed. Moreover, the forces of psychological distress in the present world are currently much wealthier and more active than the needed cures. We deserve tender pity for the price we have to pay for being born in the modern society. But more hopefully, cures are now open to us, both individually and collectively, if only we can recognize, with sufficient clarity, the sources of our true anxieties and sorrows.

BIO-NOTE of the Author

Name of the Author: Dr. Satabdi Roy Choudhury

Designation: Freelance Writer, India

Email: 08satabdi08@gmail.com

Contact Number: 848680241

Born on 8^th September 1988, is a Freelance Writer form Assam, India. She started her educational journey form KendriyaVidyalaya, and completed her Graduation from St. EdmundÂs College, Shillong, Meghalaya. She is Credited with MBA degree in HR Major and Marketing Minor from EIILM, Sikkim. She holds the PhD from Assam Central University, Silchar (2018). Dr. Satabdi has more than 27,788 reads, 39 Citations and 31 Recommendations from various national and international Universities as per Research Gate. She has 15 International Publications. Total of 9 Awards for her Academic Skills from different organisations and also mentioned in more than 15 media sites.

Reference:

Ayesha et al., (25^th March, 2021), ÂImpact of Covid-19 on Mental Health and Quality of Life: Is There any Effect? A Cross sectional Study of the MENA RegionÂ, Journal of PLOS Digital Health, Available online at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249107

Julka. Dr. P.K, (29^th April, 2019), ÂModern Life Style and Mental Health Issue Available online at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/modern-lifestyle-mental-health-issues-dr-pramod-kumar-julka/

Medline Plus, U.S National Library of Medicine, Available online at URL https://medlineplus.gov/mentalhealth.html

Nichols. H (3^rd July, 2017), ÂHow Modern Life Effects our Physical and Mental HealthÂ, Medical News Today, Available online at URL: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318230

Roy Choudhury. S &Barman.A (2014), ÂHolistic Model of Subjective Well-Being- A Proposed Model and Exploration of Contents ZENITH International Journal, Available online at URL file:///C:/Users/ASUS/Downloads/29_ZIJMR_VOL4_ISSUE3_MARCH20142.pdfThe

The Wire, Â67% Increase in Reports of Suicidal Behaviour During Lockdown: StudyÂAvailable online at URLhttps://thewire.in/health/suicides-covid-19-lockdown

The school life (an organization), ÂHow the Modern World Makes Us Mentally Ill Available online at URL https://www.theschooloflife.com/thebookoflife/how-the-modern-world-makes-us-mentally-ill/

UN Women Organization, ÂThe Shadow Pandemic: Violence Against Women During Covid-19Â, Available online at URL https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19

Vikaspedia, An Information Guide by Government of India, Available online athttps://vikaspedia.in/health/mental-health/awareness-of-mental-health

World Health Organization, ÂImpact of Covid-19 on Peoples Livelihood, Their Health and our Food System Available online at URL https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2020-impact-of-covid-19-on-people’s-livelihoods-their-health-and-our-food-systems