Do you ever take time to deal with stress, anxiety and other related psychological issues in your life? Many studies have indicated that stress plays a vital role in pushing you to optimal levels of alertness and cognitive performance. However, constantly being under high levels of stress is terrible for both your body and your mind.

Knowing how to spot that your stress is negatively influencing you is the first step towards improving mental health.

Although there are many symptoms through which you can identify these, we have compiled seven signs that indicate that your psychological wellbeing is at risk.

1. Constant Worrying.
Do you feel like you are on edge all the time? Are you constantly agonising about things that you can’t control? If you are worrying and fretting more than usual, the chances are that your mental health is at risk. Persistent worry that turns into chronic anxiety can interfere with your everyday affairs. When you trap your mind with worry and fear, it can affect your personal relationships, life at work, and overall motivation as well.

2. Feeling guilty or worthless.
Do you often consider yourself a failure? Or think that everything that goes wrong in your life is your fault? A constant feeling of guilt and worthlessness are indicative of depression. You might have had very strict parents who had extremely high expectations, or you might have been surrounded by a group of friends who constantly made you feel bad about yourself. Such interactions can heavily affect your mental health and self-esteem.

3. Having difficulty readjusting to home or work life.
Have you experienced a challenging or traumatic experience that has made it difficult for you to readjust to your home or work life? Incidents such as a separation, the loss of a loved one or natural disasters can have an extremely negative impact on your psychological wellbeing. According to many experts, encountering traumas moves your energy levels away from their realistic baselines to extremes, whether these are high or low.

Hence you have trouble readjusting after a traumatic experience because your body has become used to these abnormal energy levels.

4. Social Withdrawal.
How long has it been since you last went out with your family or friends to a cinema, or a nice dinner, or even just a walk in the park? If you are starting to isolate yourself from others, it is a sign that your psychological wellbeing could be at risk. You might be dealing with shame, depression or anxiety and want to retract from people for a bit to process your feelings. Taking time for self-care is perfectly okay. However, if you are in isolation too long, then try to get back out there and see some of your friends. You might get stuck in a downward spiral if you are by yourself for too long.

5. Substance abuse.
Have you recently started or increased your consumption of alcohol or drugs? This can be one of the most significant signs that your psychological wellbeing is at risk. When drugs or alcohol are used to numb the pain and escape reality, that is when it becomes a problem. You might think that consuming substances might make you feel better and help you cope with your ongoing concerns. But abusing drugs and alcohol can impact your mental health as it can affect your motivation levels, mood, and sense of reality in a negative way.

6. Self-destructive thoughts.
Have you recently started having suicidal or other self-destructive thoughts? This is one of the main signs that your psychological wellbeing is at severe risk. Thinking about suicide is a clear indicator you are most likely having severe mental health issues. Whatever the reason for feeling like this, you must remember that many people out there are willing to help you. You don’t need to force yourself to handle this burden alone. Call a suicide hotline or seek help immediately from a mental health professional if you are struggling with thoughts of suicide.

7. Losing your cool frequently.
Are you also getting angry very easily and losing your cool? Are you screaming at people around you frequently? Are you posting explosive comments on your social media to let people know how angry you are? These are all clear signs that you are not emotionally well and that you need to step back and find some inner peace. Neither your inner circle of family and friends nor social media are the places to blow of your steam. You need to take distance and introspect and perhaps seek professional help to let you understand what is going on in your life and how it is affecting your psychological status. If you don’t, you may end up burning bridges, which won’t be healthy for you in the long run.

Did you relate to any of these above-mentioned signs? If so, please don’t delay seeking help!

Remember, your psychological wellbeing is of paramount importance, and your feelings are valid. Kindly reach out to a mental health professional, a family member, or a friend if you feel that you are possibly struggling with any of the signs listed above!

Namaste!

There are many ways you can seek help to deal with mental health issues. Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis are the more conventional approaches. However, there are other methods like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) that can also be an effective treatment. However, treatment of mental health needs a holistic approach and should include changes in nutrition, lifestyle etc.

Yoga Therapy has also come to be recognised as an effective complementary treatment to support those with mental health issues. Meditation is among one of the more effective tools of Yoga to strengthen the mind and help alleviate many of the symptoms of mental health issues.

Choose a method that is most suitable to you and that which is easily accessible. No matter which line of healing you choose to pursue, it is important that you don’t delay seeking treatment. Also please note that you are not alone in this journey and there is appropriate help available if you seek it!

Dr. Kausthub Desikachar also assists many clients in their healing journey that includes mental health issues. He offers insightful mentoring through private consultations, which can be taken either face-to-face or online . To book a session with him, kindly visit his private consultations page by clicking here>

If you are curious to know who is Dr Kausthub Desikachar, kindly click here>

Please note: This article is written for educational purposes only and is based on the personal opinion of the author. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Rather, it is meant for reflective self-guidance purposes only. We strongly recommend that you always follow your intuition in deciding what is best for you!

We are thrilled to announce a new course for August 2021 titled Empower your Self! The Power of meditation to embody your true nature!

Dr Kausthub Desikachar is the successor and current lineage holder of the classical Yoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser. His objectives include the sharing of the authentic teachings of Yoga to the modern era, as well as building bridges between different healing modalities to promote physical, emotional social and spiritual health.

He is the founder of Viniyoga Pte. Ltd. and also the co-founder of Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation, India, and the founder and president of Europe based KHYF International.

Dr Kausthub Desikachar is a champion of women’s empowerment and guides many of his female students to embody their inner strength. To view his interviews with Viniyoga Women, visit this page here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/viniyoga-women

He also offers a Mantra blog, where students can listen to different Mantras from the Vedic Tradition. To benefit from this, visit here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/mantra

Dr Kausthub Desikachar also assists many clients in their healing journey that includes mental health issues. He regularly writes articles on Mental Health issues and these can be found here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/mental-health

Being an amazing Yoga Therapist and Spiritual guide, Dr Kausthub Desikachar also offers insightful mentoring through private consultations, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. To book a session with him, kindly visit his private consultations page by clicking here>

Apart from Yoga Teaching, Kausthub is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet. To view, some of his inspirations, visit the website www.kausthubdesikachar.com