SELFHOOD on: Mental health.
by Adele Lefebvre du Prey
It is no secret that we are currently experiencing a global mental health crisis. Exacerbated by various global lockdowns and uncertainty around Covid-19, the mental health of young people in particular has been under the spotlight more than ever.
We spoke to the SELFHOOD Collective about how they are doing and their relationship with their mental health.
Sandro, 23, Munich, explained that he and his friends have helped each other at different points in life to overcome challenges and remove the stigma around expressing their true feelings and deeper thoughts, which has been incredibly helpful in dealing with events over the past year. “We always talk. Always. When somebody knows that something's up, we talk.” From sharing each other’s stories and experiences they learn, grow and become able to deal with these situations when they inevitably come up again in the future.
All of those we asked touched on the importance of keeping their physical health in check to help balance their mental health - they cannot be separated.
Camilla, 23, London, told us about the joy she gets from running; “I took up running and it has helped my head space in the most beautiful way. I love it.” For her, getting out and moving her body has helped to shift those dark clouds and deal with heavy thoughts and feelings. Everyone will suffer with their mental health throughout their life time and it’s vital to know how to deal with it and look forward to brighter days. Exercise is a great technique to get you one step closer.
Daniel, 22, Washington DC., feels strongly that children and young people are overlooked. Instead he urges governments to listen to what young people are saying and work with them to help find suitable solutions to their fears, anxieties and the very serious obstacles they may be dealing with.
Despite this, Daniel summed up the common feeling of the SELFHOOD Collective; “You're not alone. We're here for you. We love you, We're coping with it. You can cope with it, too, and we'll show you how to live a life and perceive reality in the present as a beautiful, beautiful gift and not just a burden”.
It’s clear the younger generation are showing up for each other and are supporting each other in a way that we haven’t seen before.
During a period where more and more light has been shone on the gravity of mental health in youth, the common slurs about a generation of “snowflakes” feel even more unfair. Instead, young people are asking older generations to understand that they are coming to terms with things that simply cannot be dismissed as niggles and worries anymore.
What’s clear is that the Next Gen are more open and more aware than ever before about the importance of looking after their own mental health and supporting one another. Through sharing experiences, mental health in all its forms makes up a prevalent part of social discourse amongst our generation - and that can only be a good thing.