What comes to your mind when thinking of mental health? The Triggers of Mental Health aren’t something that could be healed overnight. There are several triggers to mental health such as social and economic pressures, family expectations, and demands. Not to mention the extremely high standards you set for yourself. Self-care and self-love should be normalized, so let’s take the time for that to happen. What Is mental health?
Family Expectations and Demands
The unrealistic demands and expectations from the family are ridiculous. Having a family with certain expectations from you can be tons of pressure. When their needs aren’t met then they are disappointed. This leads to stress, trauma, and anxiety without notice.
In an attempt to break free and live your life, suddenly you’re disrespectful and rude. When in reality that isn’t possible because you have done everything they tell you to do or at least you try, without questions. The expectation parents have for their children is having respect for their elders.
As well as having outstanding academic achievements, staying loyal to family members, and meeting their needs. The demands they want their children to obey have been pressured by society and their parents, and so forward. That were a few examples of many expectation concepts with the family uphold pressure manifested.
That trauma would still haunt that child even as an adult. As a result, they would be cold, and distant, and want to provide for themselves. Now the parents are confused about why their child is acting this way. Why their child is the way they are? What caused this behavior?
When anyone is put under stress that turns into depression, especially as a kid. That kind of stress plus having depression transfers to social anxiety, and not being able to express yourself the way you want. Totally different from being introverted, those two subjects may seem the same but it’s not.
With social anxiety completely shuts you down due to that specific trigger, unable to communicate what you feel. Being an introvert is very observant, sensing energy, reading, and understanding body language.
Social and Economic Pressures
The majority of us have experienced economic pressure, and with that comes tons of stress. Once again, we struggle to try to fit into the social standards.
While trying to meet our parents at such a young age. Similar to family expectations and demands, our economic expectations with us are unrealistic.
For example, a person is passionate about being a photographer, which is basically just taking pictures. However, the requirement is to have a minimum of 15 years of experience, an associate’s, and a bachelor’s degree.
The person that has a passion to be a photographer doesn’t meet the job requirements. That person just graduated high school and wants to earn money from photography.
Also, attend college but he/she doesn’t have the qualifications to do so. Most young adults who are also parents could barely take a break. Between the economic standards, parents’ expectations, and their own expectations of themselves.
The majority of them really don’t have the time for self-care or self-love. The economy’s high standards for family demands are the main triggers for mental health.
Normalizing Self-Care and Self-Love
Self-love is an important part of self-care. When you’re ready to reset and recharge, you can use these tips as inspiration to love yourself more. The concept of self-love is simple: it just means valuing and caring for your own needs, wants, and desires.
It isn’t about being selfish. It’s about making sure you have time to recharge to have the energy and resources to be there for others. As airlines like to remind us, it’s important to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others do the same. Because if you run out of air, it becomes a lot harder to help anyone, including yourself.
The concept of self-love is very important due to lack of the love from the parents. Is it selfish for a certain person to create a safe space for themself? Is it wrong to put their own needs before others? Why isn’t self-care and self-care normalized?
Well for the past 5 years, I’ve learned to put my own needs before others’ needs. Speaking from experience day by day it does not get any easier. Why? Why is it difficult for certain people to understand the term self-love?
Breaking That Cycle
Caring and valuing your own desires, needs, and wants, is that simple. However, from generation to generation that wasn’t practiced. They didn’t get taught that lesson by their parents. That would be a never-ending cycle until someone breaks it. It’s time for this generation to break that never-ending cycle.
Time for them to fully understand the importance of their energy and take time to recharge. The term put on your own oxygen mask before helping others applies in this situation. If failed to do so then breathing becomes much more difficult to assist the other person. Practicing self-care is a good way to prevent certain triggers, and even create positive memories.
Written by Tiffany Fleming
Sources
Medical News Today: What Is Mental Health?
NAMI: Expectations and Family Pressures
PHYS: Economic pressure and stress caused by poverty directly impact children as well as parents
Psych Central: Ways to Love Yourself More
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Todd Lappin’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset image Courtesy of Lennart Meri Conference’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
