Mental Health Matters

Our minds have the potential for great strength but also weakness. While care for our physical wellbeing receives much attention, care for our mental health does not share the same spotlight. The irony in this lies with the fact that our mental, physical and social health are all interdependent and impact one another. So for us to truly lead a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle we must nurture and care for our mental wellbeing as well as our physical.

Nevertheless, issues surrounding mental health are often shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding and spoken in hushed voices. Ringing clear above the murmurs is the voice of 23-year-old Ayeshwini Lama, who is bringing the conversation to us by actively advocating for mental health and sexual and reproductive rights for her peers and the youth of Bhutan,

 “Mental health is equally as important as our physical health. However, we do not focus enough on how mental illnesses can affect our lives. While the pandemic has greatly impacted people’s mental health, it is a common misconception that mental health problems are the ‘new thing’ or something that is trending. Mental health issues are now coming to light, but it does not mean that they didn’t always exist. For this very reason, it is vital that we openly discuss the importance of mental health and why we must advocate for it” a determined Ayeshwini shared.

Embodying the change that she wishes to inspire in others, Ayeshwini is actively involved in the community through her work as an advocate, a peer educator with Y-PEER Bhutan, a content creator and editor at ‘Humans of Thimphu’. Her passion for social change is showcased through the application of her professional talent as an engineer to explore climate action and in her personal talents as an a published author with future plans to write books that focus on important social issues. Among the work that she is deeply connected to, Ayeshwini has a personal connection to the importance of mental health, having suffered through pressures that influenced her mental wellbeing and in turn negatively impacted her social and physical health. Her experiences have cemented in her the importance of self-care and mental health and impelled her to embark on a journey to co-founding the “Me for Myself’ (M4M) campaign promoting mental health awareness,

“Growing up travelling and meeting new people and cultures, I had this strong need in me to do more, and be more. So, I started taking the extra step and not just waiting for opportunities but creating them. Before M4M, I was creating content on mental health and trying to advocate in my own small ways. Small gestures like making sure that when people come to me to talk about something that’s bothering them, I listen. I think that the COVID era has really brought out the need to improve the conversation around mental health; underscoring the importance of people’s emotional and mental health for community vitality. This is how M4M came to be and honestly, this campaign has seen so many wonderful achievements. I now know more than ever that this is what I have meant to be doing do for a long time.” Ayeshwini said smiling.

“Me for Myself was conceptualised during the peak of the pandemic in mid-2020 branching off from the ‘Live Now’ campaign, which focused on keeping youth engaged during lockdown. M4M is a regional online campaign focused on mental health and wellbeing by raising awareness of mental health and the issues related to it. The campaign focuses on three major programs – the Volunteer Program, Mentorship, and School Ambassador Program. Of the three, the School Ambassador Program is not yet implemented due to the partial closing of schools across the Asia Pacific region” Ayeshwini explained.

The Volunteer Program has already been through two rounds and has called for applications for the third, teaming with about fifty young Bhutanese in each round.  Volunteers are sorted into teams and given weekly tasks such as researching on topics related to mental health and making creative advocacy content such as posters, videos or podcasts. The team at M4M also provides the volunteers with a free comprehensive e-course to all near the end of their 3-month engagement with the campaign. The overall response to the movement has been overwhelming, reflecting the enthusiasm of the youth to get involved and make their voices heard.  The campaign hopes to meaningfully engage the youth of Bhutan and the Asia Pacific Region to improve the awareness of mental health, to give the topic the attention it deserves and to provide resources to learn from. In spite of the global pandemic M4M continues to thrive and is working to show those who are struggling right now that they are seen and heard and most importantly not alone,

“Mental health is a topic difficult to address in our community. We are not used to talking about our feelings and problems. That is why it is so important to start the conversation- and we can do so by providing a safe space for people who want to learn more and for those who want to be part of the movement by changing our view on mental health. Each one of us has the capacity to be leaders and proactive citizens, and we must take the initiative to become agents of positive change by starting with our own communities” Ayeshwini beamed.

Article contributed by Jetsuen Wangmo for the UN/JICA We Care We Share Initiative