Why should one prioritise their mental health?
Mental health should be everyone’s top priority; be it your school, university, home, or workplace. When we are at peace and content, it reflects itself in the spaces we occupy and speaks through our work or actions. Our mental health is dependent on various factors that have a direct or indirect correlation with how we perform. To ensure that we are bringing forth our best version, it is essential to regulate our emotions and disregard any negativity around us which could be transferred from unpleasant situations, toxic people, or an unhealthy environment.
The best way to save yourself from unnecessary drama is to engage when necessary and with those that prove to be positive rather than demeaning personalities that suck the energy out of you.
Here are a few tips to keep yourself grounded and maintain a positive aura when the environment around you gets too toxic or takes a toll on your mental health.
Respect 
No workplace is healthy unless there is a mutual respect for everyone’s privacy and opinions. Nobody should make you feel like you owe them something and each employee should posses a sense of responsibility towards maintaining their behaviour and not letting irrelevant circumstances dictate their attitude towards others. Everyone deserves to be treated equally.
Honesty
If the people you surround yourself with are not honest with you and act shady or respond only when they need something, it is time to remind them that there is no room for such things in your space. The concept of honesty has become alien, and everyone just wants to get on the bandwagon for seeking validation and looking good. However, this is quite damaging in the long term and speaks loudly about your priorities. Be honest even though it may be hard for a lot of people to accept this. Just be true to yourself and loyal to what you do.
Voice your opinions
It is so vital that we speak for what we believe in otherwise we spend most of the time overthinking and triggering our anxiety by wondering how things may or could have been.
Never be afraid to speak your mind because your opinion is important, and it helps you feel involved and add value to the team.
Be understanding
There can be instances when you or a colleague develop misunderstandings, however it is important to give room to each other to explain or understand both perspectives before jumping to conclusions.
Embrace creativity
The best way to remain at bay is to keep yourself creatively involved in tasks that inspire you and are of interest. When you have a passion for what you do, the results are bound to be extraordinary. Your work will speak for itself when you find ways to creatively enhance it and it will also enable you to stay motivated and add value to your projects. Once you see the response your work is getting, you are likely to keep pushing yourself to do better and improve yourself.
Avoid negative people
As much as all of the pointers above may help you to develop clarity and manage your mental health, you must remember that you are not bound to respond to any negative energy or people that constantly demotivate or bring you down. Avoid being rude but create firm boundaries so that the person who is stressing you out knows that there is a certain line, they must not cross and start respecting your needs as much as they expect you to respect theirs. The best way to keep a safe distance from such individuals is to stop responding to their erratic behaviour.
Wrong VS Right
These are some ways that you can assure your mental health remains a priority at workplaces, home, or around social gatherings. You are not obliged to be answerable to anyone that is constantly violating your boundaries or giving you a hard time. There is always a way to convey constructive criticism and that is all that should be welcome. If an individual takes a toll on your mental health or is constantly pestering you, beware of them. Take a step back and channel your energy into positive and creative solutions. Do not let mean comments, disregard or taunts stop you from achieving your goal. Those who do not want to see you succeed are insecure and afraid of the potential you have, do not let them win. Perform as a team and surround yourself with those who support each other and aim to grow together.
To conclude everything, it is vital to remember, if you don’t like something, take away it’s only power; YOUR ATTENTION.
Until next time!
