'Mental Health Aware Individual': The Inspiration Behind Millie Bright's Devotion Towards Children's Mental Health
The importance of Mental Health has been brought into the spotlight recently, particularly in sports. England captain Millie Bright has recently taken up a new role as an ambassador for the children's mental health charity YoungMinds. The organization, which focuses on supporting and improving the mental health and well-being of children and young people, resonates deeply with Bright due to her personal experiences with mental health and the struggles of a loved one.
YoungMinds aims to create a world where no one is left to face mental health challenges without the right help, support, and guidance. Millie Bright, who has spoken out about her own mental health struggles in the past, decided that this role is the most fitting way she can contribute to the cause and give back to her community. As someone who values the significance of looking after one's mental health, she has jumped at the chance to make a difference and work towards creating awareness among children about the importance of prioritizing mental well-being.
Millie Bright has also shared her personal experiences about her mother's struggles with depression and anxiety. She described the hardships her mother faced during her journey, mentioning how it affected the people around her and not just the individual herself. This testament highlights the widespread impact of mental health issues on families and loved ones, further emphasizing the need for timely support, love, and compassion.
Understanding and Overcoming the Fears and Anxieties of Mental Health
Mental health can be overwhelming to understand and tackle, especially for children who have just begun their life's journey. Research studies have illustrated the extreme pressures kids, and teenagers, in particular, go through, and just how these pressures impact their daily lives, their education, and their relationships. According to an article published by the World Health Organization, 'Positive mental health is critical for children and young people' success in life, enabling them to reach their full potential, achieve their goals and obtain a successful career. In England, in 2017, 1 in 8, five to 19-year-olds had a diagnosis of a mental disorder.
It's Millie Bright's desire to make a difference that makes her a successful influencer and a role model for young people across the UK. She emphasizes the importance of looking out for people who are struggling silently and offer support by providing help and guidance when they need it. Her mantra is to remind people that they do not have to face their mental health challenges alone, and that they can reach out to trusted individuals for help and support when they are navigating tough times.
Assessing the Impact and Significance of Role Models in Mental Health
Sharing Strategies to Protect Mental Well-Being
Millie Bright believes that coming forward to share one's own experiences with mental health is crucial to foster a supportive environment where young people can speak up when they are struggling. She advocates the importance of teaching children and adolescents the following coping mechanisms to better their mental health:
Gaining a Supportive Environment
• Establishing friendships with genuine people who are caring, empathetic and honest.
• Engaging in discussion groups where feelings are freely shared and listened to.
Safeguarding Mental Health in Social Media
• Adopting a selective approach to what we expose ourselves to on social media platforms.
• Selectively following profiles that share content that aligns with individual values and portrays the lives of real people, away from the glamourized narrative of celebrities
• Setting boundaries around social media usage to ensure it doesn't consume excessive time and has a negative impact on mental health.
These little practices when practiced consistently in everyday life can have a significant positive influence on the life of the youth today.
When Everything Isn't Just Right: How Asking About Someone's Mental Health Can Help
Millie Bright is eager to highlight the issues around not asking how someone is doing and hence not creating space for people to open up about their feelings and challenges that they are facing in life. In our day-to-day lives, we so often shy away from asking how someone is doing and are afraid of making our favorite person feel uncomfortable by asking such questions.
Using simple everyday phrases, such as 'Hi, how are you?' can provide an easy opening for someone to express how they are feeling.
'I was never the one to speak about my feelings, but I've realized that it is a release to express emotions, and I know now that there is no harm in just speaking about what you feel. It is essential for someone to know that when they are expressing how they feel, they are trusted, and their expressions are taken genuinely, and that in return someone will also be genuinely helping them out.' says Millie Bright.
Tackling Mental Health Is Not Just for Each Individual Alone, It Requires Team Play.
Millie draws a critical parallel between the game of football and dealing with mental well-being. According to her, what matters in tackling mental health is being part of the right team, with people around you who have a belief system of offering love, care, and support for one another, in all situations one is in. We do not need to travel alone; this journey of looking out for our mental health can be handled in partnership. And when there is unity, there is an environment of love, care, trust, and a space for people to open up about their challenges and fears, to express themselves without delay or hesitation, within comfort.
Opening Lines of Communication and Overcoming Isolation
There are millions of children, teenagers, young adults, and adults suffering silently from mental health fears. They have been consistently hiding and fearing societal judgment or stigma, rather than simply opening up to their families, friends, and loved ones for the support that they need.
The support from loved ones is crucial. When dealing with mental health fears, it is beneficial to know that we have people who care deeply about us. Those people can be friends, family members, colleagues, or other helpful support networks, these people when brought into light and asked for help, create a support framework for us when struggling with mental well-being.
As you read this article on Mental Health and the significant progress that is being made in Mental Health Awareness by individuals like Millie Bright, we hope you felt connected, supported, and comforted in your journey through the highs and lows of mental well-being. All of us must recognize the silent struggles and the depth of emotions that individuals experiencing mental health challenges face, and as a supportive community, do our best to create space where we trust each other with our true feelings without fear or stigma attached.
If you, or anyone else you know are in crisis with your mental health and feel like you can no longer cope, please do not hesitate to seek support from various Mental Health organizations or speak with trusted family members and friends. Please remember you are not alone and that you will find people that will empathize with your challenges, and help those who need support through your Mental Health Journey.