Kufungisa/Kufungisisa are common Shona terms describing a poor state of mental wellbeing. The terms are also sometimes loosely translated to overthinking. Where the term is used, this often creates challenges when trying to assess the extent of someone mental dis- ease and how they can best be supported. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, is able to cope with the normal stresses of life, works productively and fruitfully, or is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health challenges can show up in different forms and to varying extents leaving some people unsupported or dismissed as being worry-some or panicky over thinkers. So with this common confusion one might ask, “is this simple overthinking or am I beginning to experience mental health challenges?” Anything destructive to your daily functioning or anything that impairs your day to day life can have an impact on your mental health especially if experience over a long period of time. For example, if you're having trouble sleeping at night for days, weeks or months on end because you can't turn some thoughts off, that's impacting your daily functioning. In some instances your appetite may be affected, you may get lost in your thoughts often and you may even start to frequently isolate yourself from other people. For many people it may even be a combination of these.
Overthinking is a habit that can have real impacts on people’s well-being and ultimately on their long term mental health. Oftentimes, overthinking involves focusing on the negative, reliving the past, dwelling on bad experiences or worrying about the future. When one ruminates on certain thoughts, it can snowball into bigger, more extreme constant negative thinking which can lead to anxiety, headaches, body aches and stomach problems. Longterm this can result in mental health issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress or borderline personality disorder. Anything that affects our mental health must be handled with care and compassion avoiding use of dismissive, offensive or hurtful language. This can be very upsetting for someone who has confided in a friend, family member, spouse, colleague or a healthcare professional.
Daily mental health check are essential to prevent a slippery slope into mental dis-ease. Take note of what triggers overthinking in you. It might stem from a past trauma, or something in your life that's currently a source of stress. Once you identify those triggers you can start finding ways to overcome them. Ask yourself if its something within your control and if not then learn to let things go. Practice controlled breathing exercises as they help shift your focus and calm your nerves. Exercising also helps as well as taking on activities like journaling, as this helps with expressing and processing the thoughts that are in your head.
There is a lot that you can do and knowledge is really the first step. As we begin to become aware of the mental health struggles others are dealing with, we can begin to change the way we talk about mental health, and also practice taking good care of our mental health, and checking on each other all the time. Over the course of time we can equip others, de-stigmatise the topic and become champions who promote good health and wellbeing one individual at a time.
Comentarios