Most people today forget about prioritising one of the most important things that affects everything in their day-to-day lives – their mental health.
This year, for World Mental Health Day, The Greek Herald decided reached out to Greek Australians of different ages to ask them how they take care of their mental health and why it’s so important.
Being self-aware
Dr Betty Damianidou is a psychologist from Thessaloniki and Santorini in Greece, who has spent the last eight years living and practicing in Australia. She owns BD Psychologist in Newcastle, and additionally provides online patient sessions to people around the country, as well as in Greece via My Mirror.
With more than 18 years of experience in her field, Dr Betty shared what helps her with her own mental health.
“As a psychologist, you still have to do your therapy yourself, and one of the benefits is that you learn all these techniques that help you become more self-aware which is very important,” Dr Betty told The Greek Herald.
“One of the things I like to do is practice mindfulness, because it allows me to try to stay in the moment, not jump too far ahead, not catastrophise, and I’m also able to catch myself when I’m doing that.
“I also try to exercise regularly and get good sleep every night, which is just a part of getting on top of that work/life balance. I really like walking, which really helps my mind and acts as a stress reliever, and I also like doing a little bit of yoga, a bit of swimming, and Latin dancing.”
The Greek psychologist shared that “mental health is something that affects everything.”
“If the mind is not well, the body is not well, and then we don’t feel as motivated or as focused to do things,” Dr Betty said.
“Having good mental health is really important for our self-development and for succeeding in life, and if anyone is ever struggling, it is important to talk and get support from others, including family and friends.”
‘Good mental health shapes your future’
Peter Tsitsinaris is a first-year plumbing apprentice from Adelaide, South Australia. He shared that as a young person finishing school and stepping into the real world to pursue a career, it’s important to have good mental health.
“Your mental health is what helps you shape your future,” Peter told The Greek Herald.
“If you go to work with a good mindset, then you’re up for a better career path, as you’re more ambitious and more motivated. If you don’t have good mental health, then you won’t want to get up to go to work, and you’ll lose that ambition and drive and then it doesn’t set you up for a good future.”
The 22-year-old added that he thinks more awareness is needed surrounding mental health.
“Mental health is covered when we’re in school, but coming out of it, you don’t really hear about it all too much, whether that’s in the workplace or just in everyday life,” Peter said.
“I do think it needs to be spoken about more for people in their 20s, because that’s a serious age where people are getting more responsibilities and turning into adults, and stress becomes a little bit more of a factor in their day-to-day life and they’re learning how to cope with it.”
Peter said surrounding himself with loved ones, listening to music and playing soccer all contribute to his positive mental health.
“My family, my girlfriend and my friends all play a big part in it. I love spending time with them, and they make me feel like I’m never alone,” he said.
“Mental health is such a serious thing, so just knowing that there’s always someone looking out for me, and I am here for them is really comforting.”
He added that hopes to see more people feel comfortable opening up about mental health.
“It’s important that people aren’t afraid to speak up,” he said. “A conversation can change a life and all it takes is one question to check on someone.”
Supporting each other
Angela K is a Greek Australian mum-of-three and full-time teacher in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory. She shared the importance of having good mental health to provide the best support and guidance for her students and family.
“As a parent and teacher, it can be quite challenging at times to deal with my mental health, especially when life gets very busy,” Angela said.
“Over the years though, I’ve tried to become better at looking after myself, which is essential to then look after my children and partner.”
Angela said although finding time for her hobbies can be challenging, it’s vital to ensure she has good mental health.
“One of the things that helps me with my mental health is DJ-ing, and I don’t care whether other people find that weird, or they judge me for doing it because at the end of the day, it’s something that makes me happy, and I love seeing people dance to my music” she said.
The Canberra mum added that the key to her good mental health is staying connected to friends and family.
“It’s important to prioritise family time, but also to have time for my friends too. I’m quite a social person, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learnt how to implement setting boundaries and doing what I can to take care of myself first,” Angela said.
“Having people that you can talk to and trust and share experiences with, especially as a parent, is also helpful because it reassures me that I’m not the only one that struggle at times.
“In life, we all go through our ups and downs, and everyone at any age is going through something, whether it’s big or small, but it’s important to just support each other and remind them that it’s okay to speak up.”
