UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN (UNMISS)

Staff Counselling Unit, Medical Services

IMPROVING OUR MENTAL HEALTH

The best way to improve and maintain our mental health is to avoid getting sucked into negative patterns and
spirals in the first place. To do this, it’s important to establish and maintain mental health habits and routines that
act as buffers against the inevitable stressors of life and provide a sustainable source of wellbeing and emotional
strength. Our lives are often busy and full of stress day in and day out. If you’ve ever experienced times of high
anxiety, you know how much it can affect not only your physical health, but also your mental health.

Finding ways to keep yourself calm and relaxed can help keep stress from taking over your life. Good mental
health is important in your everyday life because it directs how you think, feel, and interact with others. It can also
determine how you handle difficult situations. When you don’t take care of your mind, things can get out of
control, causing problems in all aspects of your life.
If you have no outlet for constant physical and/or emotional stress, several conditions may result, including:
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood disorders
• Eating disorders
• Behavioral problems
• Substance abuse, etc.

A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body, but sometimes we can forget just how important it is to
form habits that ensure that you are happy, confident and secure. We all understand that we should eat well and
get plenty of exercise, but what can we do to make sure that we are emotionally strong, resilient and content, as
well as physically healthy?
Below are some tips to help you improve and maintain a good mental health:

➢ Mindfulness
➢ Accept who you are
➢ Get plenty of sleep
➢ Care for others
➢ Rest/take a break
➢ Eat healthy and exercise
➢ Talk about your feelings
➢ Connect with others
➢ Be assertive
➢ Ask for help/feedback
Staff Counsellor Desk, Bor Field Office.