“Good morning to you all. I am so happy to be among you during this meeting which gives me a good opportunity to talk about mental health and the physical well being. Being among you today gives me the opportunity to shed light on the factors that can cause mental health and disrupt the physical well being of an individual. In reality mental health and physical wellbeing are two sides of the same coin which means these two are very necessary if one is to live a healthy and happy life.

Physical wellbeing of an individual is very important.  Being physically well does not mean that one doesn’t have a disease. Physical wellbeing includes the lifestyle one chooses to live with the aim of preventing diseases and conditions that would cause adverse health. In order to improve your physical well being you should make sure that you eat well and remember an apple a day keeps the doctor away, always drink in moderation, stay hydrated and be active. A wise man one said all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Those are just a few things that should be done in order to improve your physical wellbeing.

I believe all of you are between the age of 16-23 and it is at this stage where you should take care and live healthy to avoid diseases that can alter your life style forever. Eat healthy, go to the gym and work out one in a while.  Physical health and mental health are greatly intertwined such that when one is not physically fit their health is greatly affected and when one is not mentally healthy their physical wellbeing is affected.  Enhancing your physical wellbeing is part of enhancing your mental health.  Nowadays we are too busy to even find time to exercise or time to catch a nap, you the younger generation are at risk of overweight and body pains which are bad for the physical wellbeing of the body. I believe some of us still find time to make a tweet on Instagram and follow up on posts maybe we should all take a piece of this time and invest it into taking care of our bodies thus enhancing our physical wellbeing and mental health. Maybe even spread the word out there using these platforms that people need to be physically well and mentally healthy.

It is important to hold meetings like this. They help one understand that mental health is an issues that affect people from all walks of life and women and men from all ethnicities.  When we talk about mental health it includes what affects us emotionally, psychological and socially. Mental health is responsible for affecting how we think, feel and manifest these feelings. Mental health is also a determinant of how we handle stress. Mental health issues can dramatically impact ones behavior and moods.  Enhancing ones understanding of mental health requires one to have a deep understanding of cultural diversities that are in the world and appreciating them.

Just to mention, Language barriers, underemployment, poverty and isolation from ones family are some of the causes of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.  To overcome mental health issues and improve one’s overall wellbeing one should set goals that they should achieve in the following manner;

            Connect; one should develop and build their relationships with friends, family and neighbors as they connect and enrich each other.

Take notice; assess your surrounding and learn and appreciate what surrounds you. Start noticing the beauty that exist in the world and appreciate the little things in the world.

Learn; learning is a process and it takes time, therefore one should be patient. As an individual try doing something new out of the ordinary or rediscover an old interest. Take up new responsibilities. Learning is a process that inspires confidence which is very much needed for the mental wellbeing.

Give; Do something for the greater good. Help a stranger or a friend and you will be happy and satisfied and happy with yourself and your happiness will be linked to other people.

As I said earlier mental health can affect anyone from any social class and race. The bitter reality is that almost half of the population of the United States will suffer from mental health problems at one stage of their life. This mental health issue will be caused by different stressors in their life. As a nation we should take it upon ourselves and help these people recover. Detecting mental health at an early stage is important and helps in ensuring that mental health does not become a life sentence and does not disrupt the general well being of an individual.

I thank all of you who were struggling with the use of alcohol or substance abuse and choose to attend AA meeting to get overcome substance abuse, may you keep up the good spirit and assist others out there struggling to start their journey of recovery. Individuals suffering from mental health issues turn to using alcohol and other substance as a way to make them feel accepted and to alter their moods. I completely understand the desire to feel, it is just the means I disagree with.  One should bear in mind that some this means of feeling better puts their health at risk.

Substance abuse means that a person uses over the counter drugs, alcohol or any other drug and has made it a habit. Once a person gets used to using drugs their brain chemistry changes and when the brain chemistry changes their ability to make sound decisions can be affected also. Altering the brain’s chemistry also has grave impacts on one’s health.  These people are using drugs so that they can feel accepted and alter their moods and moods are influenced by the brain meaning these individuals are suffering from a mental health issues such as depression. Substance abuse will only make things worse since it will also affect their general health.

Mental health is a serious issue and perhaps that is why since 1949, Mental Health America and the National Alliance of Mental Illness began observing Mental Health Awareness month of May. I would like to inform you of this year’s theme #4MindforBody. This hash tag focused on educating the role of fitness, eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy sleeping pattern and proper hydration in maintain good mental health.

We are all aware that good mental health is an integral component of good general health and wellbeing which allows an individual to realize their strengths.  When one’s mental health is okay they will be able to positively contribute to the community in a manner that is positive. Mental health is important and I would like to encourage all of you to cope with stressors that can lead to mental health issues which in return will enhance your overall health. Your wellbeing matters.

I would like to highlight factors that contribute to ones mental health. These factors are Biological, life experiences and family history. Under biological factors there is genes and brain chemistry. Life experiences that can impact ones health include trauma and any kind of abuse. Lastly, under family history, if there are members of the family that one is directly related to and has or had mental health one is likely to suffer from mental health issues. It is also important to bear in mind that family history is not a guarantee that the same thing will happen to you. Plenty of evidence presented has suggested that leading a healthy life style which means one is avoiding stress and taking care of themselves makes a huge difference and enhances ones mental health and wellbeing. As I conclude I would like to remind all of you that you that taking care of your general health should be a priority for each and every one of you.

Thank you.”