Talk Mental Wellness to Me
More often than we would like to admit, we give less attention to our mental health compared to our physical health. We were raised to believe that being healthy simply means being physically fit. While that is one important aspect of wellness, how we feel inside is just as important as how we feel outside.
As part of our company’s efforts to promote the importance of wellness, we have launched several programs this past year to help with the pressures and anxieties that employees might be facing during the pandemic. Miss Rama Lo Amedo, our resident psychologist, openly shares with us her insights on mental health and overall wellness.
Why did you go into your chosen profession? What do you hope to achieve with your line of work?
The practice of counseling and psychotherapy is a fascinating field of Psychology. […] Being a Psychologist requires me to be an authentic person in a therapeutic relationship. I should also have the quality to remain empathic and understanding to maintain effective therapeutic relationships with my clients and a lot more qualities.
I committed to being in this profession not only because I believe I have the qualities, but more importantly because I am an advocate of mental health. I wish to help my clients make their lives better by making them deal with their mental health issues in adaptive ways. My goal is to heal exhausted bodies, anxious minds, and broken hearts.
As a professional in the field of psychology, how do you handle the stress of your employees or students and separate yourself from all of it? Does your work require you to detach yourself from personal feelings?
Believing that stress is inevitable and trying to live with it helped me in my profession. Separating myself from all stressors requires proper mindset and skills in looking for purposeful coping. I handle stress by not making stress affect me. I handle stress by constantly reminding myself that I can’t control these stressful scenarios but I can do something about how I react to them. I do not let stress pull me down.
It is really impossible to detach from personal feelings accompanying my work because my work allows personal feelings to be tackled. However, as a Psychologist, I really need to be careful about mixing my personal feelings at work or with my clients. If I allow their burdens to be my burden, I cannot be of use to other clients who also need me. That is why compartmentalizing everything is the key. I make sure I am deeply involved in my clients’ experiences but I do not allow their load to be my load also.
What does the word “stress” mean to you?
Stress is our body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When we feel that our resources cannot meet the demands of a situation, our body expresses physical and mental reactions. Minor stressors are inevitable and their presence makes work more challenging. Major stressors, on the other hand, when not properly handled is alarming because it can have long term negative effects on our well-being.
What is the importance of mental and physical wellness in everyday life and at work?
Having a sound mental and physical well-being will contribute to work satisfaction and productivity which, in turn, will lead to a more fruitful life. In a day, we know we spend most of our time at work. When one is not happy or satisfied with their work, it will have a ripple effect on the person’s various roles performed at home or in their everyday lives. […] In other words, life will be affected if a person’s work experiences are not always positive and satisfying. Therefore, work-life balance should always be the goal of every company or organization.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is hesitant to open up about their wellness to other people?
Acknowledging that you need help is the first step to healing. Asking for professional help is not something that will make you look weak, it only means you are brave enough to willingly recognize that there is something happening to you that needs professional attention.
It is definitely okay to not be okay but it is not okay to stay not okay. If you love yourself and care for your well-being, opening up your problems to people will help you improve yourself. Being in a dark place is a horrible thing but staying in the dark place is more horrifying. Be brave to chase the light so that you can go out of the dark place. You just need to take that first step.