PsycheBubbles - Anwesha Bhattacharya

  Last year's World Mental Health Day Theme was      "Mental Health at Work" The aim of the theme was to raise awareness about mental health and connect it to the workplace . Since unhealthy workplaces can be a significant source of stress, fostering a safe work environment can be a protective factor for our mental health. Poor work environments that foster stigma or discrimination, improper working conditions and harassment can lead to significant damage to quality of life, mental health and in turn productivity at work. This was what was mentioned on the WHO website during last year's World Mental Health Day , and the theme rings true even today (and maybe will do so tomorrow). Before we move forward, I did want to mention the following: Note: This blog post is not a replacement for therapy or other interventions. The information I share here is based on research papers, articles, book chapters and my experience as a therapist. But what I write here might not answe...

  Story 1- "Cee comes back home from work, exhausted after the long day. She lives alone in her apartment, so she usually walks into an empty apartment. She is 25 and is doing well at her job and can afford the rent in her 1bedroom apartment all on her own, despite it being located in a pricey location. But despite all that, she feels empty- she had plans of joining a rock climbing group, running marathons and also taking regular badminton coaching, but with work, and managing things alone, she feels overwhelmed. Not being able to do all the things she dreamt of makes her feel like a failure....so, she has given up on the idea of a hobby. "What's the point" is all she can think..." Story 2- "Ann is a stay-at-home mom, so the world (or at least many she has spoken to) immediately sees her as having an easy life. "I wish", Ann thinks to herself, as she wakes up at 4.30 am to start her day, when many of the people in her neighbourhood, and probably ...