Since the pandemic began, mental health and substance use disorders have affected 13% of the world's

population. We have been focused solely on our physical health in order to avoid the virus, but we have
neglected the importance our mental health.

During the pandemic, most of us experienced anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a
threat to our health and well-being. Those sleepless nights and overthinking that we might not be able
to overcome this obstacle result in the development of an illness that we were unaware of. Anxiety,
depression, and stress affect everyone, including teens. Because mental illnesses were so powerful,
many people committed suicide because they couldn't deal with them any longer.

Everyone, I encourage you to check on your family and friends to see if they were okay or not while it
was still possible. Show and express how much you genuinely love and care for them. When they are
being sensitive, don't judge and laugh at them. Encourage them to seek the services of a psychologist to
assist them in their recovery. And we should take care of our mental health just as much as we do our
physical health.

For those who are still fighting with depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses, please don't take
your own lives. Make it a point to remember that you are not helpless. Believe in yourself and your
ability to overcome it with the help of your trusted friends and family. Seek the assistance of a
psychologist as much as possible. Don't be disheartened; there are many people who support and love
you. Don't be afraid to let others in. I am extremely proud of you for continuing to fight and make an
effort to overcome this challenge in your lives.

I'd like to encourage everyone to look after their mental health. We must safeguard our mental health
by avoiding toxic people. It is perfectly acceptable to cut people out of our lives and to set limits with
toxic people. It is not, and will never be, selfish because you are doing it for yourself and the sake of
your mental health.

As I conclude my remarks, I'd like to leave an inspiring quote from Matt Haig for those who are dealing
with various mental health illnesses: “Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are
something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, YOU ARE NOT
THE RAIN.”