Bridge The Gap: Why India Needs You To Become An Enabler
We live in strange times, where we are always connected with each other but yet so disconnected. This malady of our times reflects the mental health crisis. It shows that we need new avenues to engage in conversations about life, love, and mental health.
On the bright side, the conversation about mental health in India has started. There’s never been a better time to spread mental health awareness. The lacuna is in the access to mental healthcare. India only has about 9000 psychiatrists and 1000 psychologists with over 14% of Indians suffering from mental health disorders.
It will take a paradigm shift to improve India’s mental healthcare infrastructure and facilities. However, there is something you can do as a concerned and well-intentioned citizen. You can lead the conversation about emotional well-being. It’s the precursor to mental health. The idea is to address psychological injuries before they begin to fester and evolve into mental illness.
Also Read: Mental Health – A Calling To Lead A Better Life
There are a few things you can do to contribute positively to our collective psychological health:
Leave shame at the door: No conversation about something so close to the heart such as emotions can start with shame. In fact, it detracts away from transparent dialogue. Shame can be a contributing factor to low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress.
Start conversations, gently: Unless you’re a labrador puppy, there is no shortcut to people’s hearts. We have to be patient, gentle, and kind to get people to talk about their feelings. It might not be easy in the beginning, but oh what a rewarding process it is.
Educate yourself: There are so many layers to psychology that we’re sure even professionals find themselves at a loss sometimes. Dealing with something complex like human emotions will inevitably require you to do a lot of research. You can start with the fundamentals of psychology such as personality, perception, and emotions. Trust us, it only gets easier from here on out.
Be kind, not nice: It’s the difference between pleasing and actually helping. Niceness is telling someone to have a good day. Kindness is cheering up someone who has had a bad day. Niceness comes from good manners and kindness comes from a good heart. If you emanate kindness, just being nice becomes superfluous and frankly quite unnecessary.
Listen without judgement: This one’s a no-brainer. We could never have people opening up to us if we sit there in judgement of their feelings and actions. Non-judgemental and active listening is at the core of providing emotional support. It’s the act of trying to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and truly understanding things from their perspective that makes a great Enabler.
We know you have it in you to become a mental health ally. Beyond that, we believe in your potential to stem the tide of loneliness with conversations. If you’ve come this far and feel passionate about mental health, the best thing you can do to champion the cause is to join EFA Academy!
Make that leap and take the Mental Fitness Assessment today!
The assessment is designed to give us an in-depth insight into your mind and capacity to become a support system for those in need.
It will help us evaluate you on the following parameters:
- Stamina Competency
- Conscious Emotional Detachment Competency
- Psychoanalysis Of Disposition Competency
If your score is above 50, we NEED you onboard!
Don’t worry if these words sound a bit complicated right now. You’ll know exactly what we are talking about when you head to the Mental Fitness Assessment!
Join our tribe of dreamers and doers!
Emotional First Aid Academy is leading a mental health movement in India.
We are breaking the taboo and making mental health accessible to everyone!
Do you want to join this nation-building cause?