ABC of Mental Health

Hello! Happy World Mental Health Day!

/If we’ve made it to your inbox, it means that you’re someone who cares about mental health, and as a team of psychologists, we will endeavour to share recommendations, quotes, thoughts, and prompts that will help you in your journey to better mental health — one newsletter at a time.

You can expect these three things from us every week (one relevant recommendation to increase awareness, two quotes to help you reflect and restore balance, and three thoughts from us to enhance connectedness and well-being aka therapy-shorts. We will bring it to you every Thursday and hope to make your Thursdays a little therapeutic!

One Relevant Recommendation

“Little Miss Sunshine” (2006, Movie)

This movie delicately explores a dysfunctional family’s dynamics and mental health. Each character grapples with their own unique challenges, reflecting the diversity of mental health issues that we encounter in our lives. This funny and heartwarming film teaches us that it’s okay to be imperfect and that true strength lies in our ability to accept ourselves as well as others. It’s a powerful reminder that our quirks and vulnerabilities make us beautifully human.

Two Quotes on Happiness and Contentment

The fictional character Headmaster Dumbledore from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter reminds us that happiness is not dependent on external circumstances, but rather on our ability to create meaning:

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." 

Tony Gaskins, motivational speaker, and life coach, encourages us to be grateful for the here and now, while we strive for personal growth in the future:

“To be content doesn't mean you don't desire more, it means you're thankful for what you have and patient for what's to come.” 

Three TherapyShorts by TST

 (Re)-Defining Mental Health: Mental health is often still conceptualised as only the absence of illness and disorder. However, mental health is so much more – acknowledging your feelings, the ability to sit with them even when they’re difficult or unpleasant, maximizing your potential (whatever it may mean for you), opening yourself up to curiosity, learning, and growth and very importantly honouring your inner child. Only when we make our understanding of mental health more comprehensive, can we begin to traverse the path to better mental health and enhanced wellbeing.

Self-compassion is an absolute necessity: Cultivating self-compassion, treating oneself with the same kindness and understanding as one would offer to a good friend, is fundamental to mental well-being. Acknowledging imperfections and embracing oneself amidst struggles promotes resilience and a more positive outlook on life. There is no one who knows you better than you, and often the inner critic would have us believe that we’re nothing more than a bundle of mistakes. Starting to acknowledge the beauty in imperfections helps in learn to embrace ourselves, whatever our strengths and limitations.

No one “right” path (but several well-researched ones): Often we are so busy debating which is the one “right” approach to things (eg. mental well-being), that we lose focus on the task at hand. Yes, there may be many paths to it (mindfulness, therapy, physical activity, journalling, somatic work etc) – however, the first few steps do involve researching different approaches, selecting one, and sticking to it to see how it works for us. No strategy will work overnight. Finding the combination of gentle commitment to your goals is the element most necessary in working towards change.

Love and light,

Shiromi, Founder, The Social Therapist

PS: Something to make you smile