By Salinda Therik ©
My name is Salinda Sadukh Ekha Therik. I was born in Bali, Indonesia in March 1992 and raised by a truly multicultural Indonesian Family, with influences from Bali, Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara. This cultural diversity taught me from a young age, how to respect and love diversity. I love the Beauty, Hospitality and Wellness Industry very much! I started my journey 11 years ago and ever since I've enjoyed the journey and see the progress of who I have become I am today. I do believe life is about continued journey to learn, share our experience and knowledge, and should be impactful. As a woman, I believe in the power of women empowerment. Celebrating other women's success makes your light brighter and creates a culture of empowerment that everyone will benefit from. To be empowered and to empower others, it is very essential to know how to deal with our mental health and wellbeing. This is something serious and everyone should aware and talk about it. Therefore, I choose to share my thought and feelings in regards to Mental Health and Wellbeing.
My Inspirations
Pricilla Shirer – American Author, Motivational Speaker, Actress, and Christian Evangelist
She is a wife and mom first, but put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart, and you will see why thousands meet God in powerful, personal ways at her conferences and through her books and Bible studies. She and her husband, Jerry, lead Going Beyond Ministries through which they provide spiritual support and resources to the body of Christ. They count it as their greatest privilege to serve every denomination and culture across the spectrum of the church. Between writing and studying, you will probably find Priscilla at home cleaning up after and trying to satisfy the appetites of her three rapidly growing boys.
"We can see hope in the midst of hopelessness. We can see peace in the midst of chaos. We have a hope that the world does not have. We can see clearly that all things work together for the good of them that love him and are called according to his purpose” - Pricilla Shirer
Maya Angelou – American Poet
She is a hero with many traits such as courage, perseverance and skilful intelligence. Maya Angelou is courageous because she fell silent, but she still managed to find her voice through writing.
"A wise woman wishes to be no-one's enermy, a wise woman refuses to be anyones victim.” - Maya Angelou
J.K Rowling – British Author
From single mother living on benefits to multi-millionaire author in the space of a few years; if ever you needed proof that you should follow your dreams. She is just that. After multiple rejections from publishers she finally secured a print run of 1,000 copies for her first book, which you just might have heard of- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Fast forward a few years and the Harry Potter series has sold over 400 million copies, spawned a whole film franchise, and almost single-handedly made reading cool again for kids.
Anything's possible if you've got the nerve.” - J K Rowling
Based On My True Story
I was involved in a toxic relationship and it was mentally and physically abusive for a few years with my ex. It was painful and unpleasant experience. I was not able to think and to do things properly during that particular period. Until one day, I decided to open up with my family and close friends. I gave my mind and heart a space to fill with their advice, feedback and thoughts. It took me a year to make up my mind and finally able to say ‘enough is enough’. Though, it was not easy decision and a lot of things I put it as a consideration. My life after the decision to stop my relationship journey was happier gradually and I felt blessed that I took a right decision which I won’t regret. I was able to share my experience with my connections and my other female friends gratefully with a hope that they will not go through what I have been through or it could be as an encouragement for other to be bold enough to face it, speak up, and ask for help. The story that I would never forget taught me that mental health matters and we have to talk about it.
Through my experience, I am able to create and promote mental health awareness wherever I work and with whom I work. I make sure that my team knows they are cared for, valued, and respected. Whenever I conduct training, I will make sure that there will be activities that can boost their self-esteem, appreciation, confidence, productivity, teamwork, and wellbeing in order to create a fun, healthy, safe, and positive work environment. In the middle of my busy time, I will not forget to drink enough water and do some mini stretching or even breathing exercises. If the spa booking situation is not fully booked, we will allocate 15 minutes to do RaMaDaSa together as a team. Trust me, it really works! Last but not least, as a person who really appreciates God’s work and His wonderful creations, I always remind the people around me not to forget to be grateful in every circumstance, spread love and positivity, and pray for ourselves and others. They might face a silent battle that they won’t tell us about, and we have to support them through prayer.
"Overcome your fear by faith and be a living proof.”
Mental Health
According to WHO (World Health Organization), in recent years, there has been increasing acknowledgment of the important role mental health plays in achieving global development goals. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds. People with severe mental health conditions die prematurely-as much as two decades early-due to preventable physical conditions.
Mental Health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It effects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
The Body And The Mind
The individual’s body and mind are both factors of a person’s mental health. If a person’s mind and body are having difficulties, a person’s mental state will suffer as well.
Early Signs:
There is no specific scan or physical test can reliable to indicate whether a person has developed a mental illness. However, people should look out for the following as possible signs of a mental health disorder:
Withdrawing you from friends, family, and colleagues.
Avoiding activities that you would normally enjoy and love.
Having too much sleep or too little
Eating too much food or too little.
Feeling hopeless.
Having consistently low energy and not excited.
Increasing the consumption of alcohol or drugs are become daily habit.
Being confused, distracted, and unable to complete daily tasks, such as getting to work or cooking a meal.
Experiencing delusions.
Thinking of causing physical harm to themselves or others.
How Can You Raise Awareness Of Mental Health In Workplace?
Conduct a briefing with your team and talk about it.
Open up to each other and share about your experience.
Encourage kind language and spread positive words towards each other.
Educate yourself about mental illness.
Coordinate a special mental health awareness event.
Promote social and emotional competency and build resilience.
Help ensure a positive, safe work environment.
Teach and reinforce positive behaviours and decision making.
Encourage helping others.
Say no to bully and promote policy that supports mental health such as bullying prevention.
Place – Mental Health Awareness poster in staff entrance, staff cafeteria, staff locker area, hallway and information board.
Promote positive self-esteem on daily briefing.
Encourage team to eat healthy and provide healthy eating options.
Provide Whisper Zone Corner to relieve anxiety and stress.
Conduct 5 minutes stretching session/ breathing session/mini yoga.
Promote the importance of drinking enough water.
Have team building activities to improve communication skills, productivity, motivation, confidence levels, and mental health.
Look After Your Mental Health
It is important to take care of yourself and get the most from life. Making simple changes to your life such as: Talking about your feelings is not a sign of weakness. It is part of taking charge of your wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy, exercising does not just mean doing sport or going to the gym. Walks in the park, gardening or housework can also keep us active; it is worth working at relationships that make you feel loved or valued. But if you think being around someone is damaging our mental health, it may be best to take a break from them or call it a day completely. It is possible to end a relationship in a way that feels ok for both of you.
Care For Others
Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationship with people close to us. It can even bring you closer together.
Ask For Help
None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things go wrong. If things are getting too much for us and we feel we cannot cope, ask for help.
Accept Who You Are
God created us fearfully and wonderfully made and with a purpose and talent. We are all different. It is much healthier to accept that you are unique than to wish you were more like someone else.
Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps us to cope when life takes a difficult turn. Be proud of who you are. Recognise and accept what you are not good at, but focus on what you can do well.
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