Mental Health is Just as Important as Physical Health!

“So, we have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.”

Simone Biles, a world-renowned gymnastics sensation with 7 Olympics medals and four skills named after her, proved that mental health is as essential as physical injury. After Rio 2016, she won 4 gold medals and became a legend in the gymnastics world. She did tricks that people thought were impossible and too dangerous, yet she made them seem easy and fluid. She was one to beat in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, after her first vault, she decided to withdraw for mental health reasons.

She felt a lot of pressure with all the expectations on her to win the gold medal for Team USA, to the point where she had to pull the plug. While her decision sparked some criticism from the media and viewers, this proves that even though you may be one of the best in anything, sometimes it is okay to put yourself and your health first.

"We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day, we’re human, too.”

This is one of Simone’s powerful quotes on mental health. She is an example of “it is okay not be okay”. Sometimes, all we need is just the space and time to recover and prepare ourselves as needed.

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As a teenager, at times, you can feel an incredible amount of pressure — whether with sports, grades, body appearance, and many other problems. Something important to remember is that no problem is ever too small. You may be going through very hard times like losing a loved one, but that doesn’t mean your problem is everything because somewhere out there, someone could be experiencing something similar or worse. At the same time, it is important that you feel like you’re in a safe environment where you can share your feelings (sadness, depression, anger, worries) freely.

As a new school year begins, there will be new challenges for each individual — tougher school classes, the stress of approaching the application period if you are senior, and many more. These challenges can be mentally and physically exhausting. Personally, I, too, have dealt with a lot of stress and anxiety as high school goes on, whether it's about my grades, friends or extracurricular activities, or a certain expectation by parents or myself.

My older sister is currently playing college golf in the US, and it comes with an added pressure that I have to be as well accomplished to follow in her footsteps. As siblings, it is somewhat inevitable that I was constantly compared to her. It made me feel like I was living in her shadow, especially because we have a lot of the same interests. I kept it to myself for a while, not wanting to come across as I was weak or unable to handle the workload. However, soon I realised I’m not the only one dealing with such stress or pressure. I have seen other students overwork themselves and keep a lot of problems inside.

Remember: mental health is important and there are a lot of ways you can make sure you are okay. Seeking help from a school counsellor is a great way to get better. Talking to a friend or parent could also be a good opportunity to vent and let out all the emotions that are bothering you, and sometimes it is okay to give yourself and take a break. We should treat mental health the same way we treat physical health — there is no need to be ashamed about not doing okay mentally! Please seek help if you are not doing okay, and you need to know that you are cared for, and you are never alone.