What do mental wellness and well-being mean?
From the World Health Organization, they defined as “…a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”
I want to highlight these words, productively, fruitfully, and contribution. These words imply that if one cannot work productively and fruitfully, nor make a contribution to their community, their mental state is not healthy.
These words perpetuate a culture where our mental health and worth is defined by how much we can produce and contribute. We live in a world where doing nothing feels wrong. We must surround ourselves with meetings, with work, with technology, and with people. We are always on the clock, always on the run, and we never have time to sit, to relax, and to be in the depths of ourselves. (Such a capitalistic way of living).
How do we hold a space for ourselves to engage in our own secrets, our fears, our hopes, our desires, our well-being?