“Mental health is just as important as physical health,” Michelle Lawrence reminds Bored Panda during our interview, adding that “self-care is not selfish; it's essential” and “seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.” Lawrence is the founder of Chrysalis Therapy and is dedicated to helping people overcome the daily struggles life throws at them. She wants more people to normalize seeking professional help. As she puts it, "take care of the root, and the tree will flourish."

"People go to the gym or take up walking/running/hiking etc. to become physically fit, yet wait until the 'emotional wheels' come off before seeking professional help," she said. "Working with a therapist that is insightful can be transformative. You don't have to emotionally struggle through life - learn to be proactive about your emotional and mental acuity."

Lawrence says some of the most common issues she sees her patients battling with are trauma, emotional dysregulation, relationship challenges, balancing life's demands and expectations, low self-esteem, and the impact that it has on their identity. “These struggles often stem from societal pressures, unrealistic expectations, and inadequate support systems,” said the psychologist.

We asked Lawrence what the hardest part of her job is. "Witnessing clients' pain and struggles, feeling empathetic distress, and managing secondary trauma," replied the psychologist, adding that "navigating complex cases, making tough decisions, and dealing with limited resources can (also) be challenging."

She told us that even therapists need therapy, as well as "regular self-reflection and support help". She believes that these things are important for professionals so that they can "process personal issues and emotions, maintain emotional regulation and resilience, develop self-awareness and introspection, manage burnout and compassion fatigue, and of course, enhance their clinical skills and effectivenes.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community." But it turns out that many people are struggling with their mental health.

Mental Health America (MHA) has revealed that nearly 60 million American adults experienced a mental health illness between 2021 and 2022. For more than 12.8 million people, things were so bad they felt they didn’t want to face life. The high cost of professional assistance is not helping the situation. In 2022, more than half of adults who wanted to receive mental health care said they didn’t because they thought it would cost too much.

When releasing the data this year, MHA added that “1 in 5 youth had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. Over half of them – nearly 3 million youth - did not receive treatment.” The stats further revealed that there are 340 people for every 1 mental health provider in the U.S.

“However, these figures may be an overestimate of active mental health professionals, as it may include providers who are no longer practicing or accepting new patients,” reads the MHA site.

Meanwhile, a global study published in The Lancet Psychiatry warned that “by age 75 years, about one in two individuals will develop at least one of the mental disorders considered.” Researchers added that they found that anxiety and mood disorders were higher in female respondents. While externalizing disorders, like alcohol addiction, were more common for males.

"Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. This can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy," notes the National Institute of Mental Health's site. "Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact."

Some ways to look after your mental health include exercising, eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep, setting goals, engaging in relaxing activities, connecting with family and friends, practising gratitude and trying to remain positive.

The Institute suggests seeking professional help "if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted 2 weeks or more". Some of the red flags to look out for include difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes, or struggling to get out of bed because you don't want to face the day.

Other symptoms include difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in things you usually find enjoyable, the inability to complete tasks and activities you'd normally find manageable, and feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness.

Mental health was once a taboo topic. But thankfully, things have changed. And that’s why we can enjoy a whole bunch of relatable mental health memes, like the ones shared on the “How Mental” Instagram page. A fair amount of researchhas been done on whether mental health memes are beneficial or damaging.

As this 2022 research paper notes, "social media pages dedicated to mental health memes appear to facilitate the expression of difficult emotions in a novel and creative way, providing social and emotional bonds with others, which may be perceived as socially supportive."

The paper, titled "Mental health memes: beneficial or aversive in relation to psychiatric symptoms?" goes on to reveal that engaging with mental health memes may actually present potential benefits for those experiencing psychiatric difficulty.

"In a social context, individuals report using memes to alleviate their symptoms and laugh at their problems while forming social connections with those in the same situation," noted the researchers. They aren't called relatable mental health memes for nothing.

Our expert agrees. "Humor can be beneficial because it reduces stigma, increases relatability, provides coping mechanisms and stress relief, fosters connection and community, and helps reframe perspectives and challenges negative thoughts," said Lawrence.

But warned that “humor should avoid trivializing or mocking mental health issues, should respect individual experiences and boundaries, and should be used in conjunction with, not instead of, professional help.”

If all of us could do one thing a day that would benefit our mental health and wellbeing, what would it be? According to Lawrence, we should breathe. But with purpose. “Practice mindful breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes a day,” she suggested. “Focus on breath, body sensations, or emotions, practice presence and non-judgment, to enhance self-awareness, emotional regulation, and reduce stress and anxiety.”

How are you taking care of your mental wellbeing? Do you have tips or tricks to share with others? We'd love to hear all about it in the comments.