The importance of mental health is often not discussed; however, it is something that many are deeply affected by. Students are often unaware of coping mechanisms and they give in to the stress factors in their lives. This adversely affects their performance in examinations and in other aspects of school, when they could have done better should they have been able to manage their emotions and stress well.
Mental health is not openly talked about by students as many feels insecure to voice out the fact that they are depressed or stressed out. Students who feel comfortable enough would discuss about ways to manage stress with their tuition teachers during one-to-one tuition session and that is one of the best ways to cope as well. One of the best ways to tackle anxiety and stress is by engaging in exercise!
WHY EXERCISE?
The improvements in mood is largely attributed to the exercise-induced increase in blood circulation to the brain and by the effect of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is associated with several regions of the brain, including the limbic system (which influences an individual’s motivation and mood); the amygdala, and the hippocampus, which is associated with memory formation and control of mood.
Another explanation is that we have endogenous opioids (pain-relievers) being secreted in our system which alleviates our mood and alleviates the burden and exhaustion that comes with dealing with stress. This goes to show that exercise is a good way to deal with mental pressures due to work or school.
WHY IS MENTAL HEALTH IMPORTANT?
Mental health is such a broad term that encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. This has a heavy influence on how we think, emote and carry out our actions. Mental health is absolutely important as it affects our own physical well-being, as well as the mental and physical well-being of those around us.
Being continuously agitated and annoyed about various problems in life would not only damage our you, but your negative outlook on life would rip away the peace and happiness of your loved one and those who live with you.
WHAT KIND OF EXERCISES CAN YOU ENGAGE IN?
There is a huge variety of exercises that you can do, this includes, swimming, yoga, going to the gym, going for a run, Pilates and so much more. There is no one best exercise routine because everyone’s preferences are different and everyone’s body responds differently.
Yoga is an excellent form of physical activity that students can engage themselves in. This is predominantly because deep inhalation and exhalation is extremely important in the practice of Yoga. Slow breathing calms the mind down to a great extent and stretching your body while doing the asanas (yoga poses) will give your body flexibility which will be rejuvenating.
Strength training and cardio exercises are also effective as you would feel as though you are “sweating out” your stress. After a work-out session, it will be helpful for you to practice some quiet breathing and think about all the things in your life that you can be grateful for as well!
Students need to take active steps to tackle their stress issues and it will be helpful to a large extent if they are able to talk to their parents or other parental figures, or even tuition teachers. Letting things snowball overtime will lead to detrimental effects and it can take a huge toll on one’s physical health and social well-being.