10 Formulas for Protecting Your Mental Health

Beykoz University Faculty of Social Sciences member and Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Mansur Beyazyürek says, "It is very important for people to engage with an art form and find a hobby that connects them to life in order to protect their mental health. People who invest in art and engage in artistic pursuits can get through the pandemic period more easily and healthily."
 
In these days when we are trying to protect ourselves from the Covid-19 virus, we must not neglect our mental health either. According to World Health Organization data, nearly 1 billion people around the world live with a mental disorder. Every year, 3 million people die from alcohol use, and one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. And now, billions of people around the world are struggling with the negative effects of the Covid-19 virus on both physical and mental health.

 The definition of mental health

According to the World Health Organization, mental health refers to a person being in balance and harmony with themselves and their environment. Faculty member and Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Mansur Beyazyürek, speaking on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, says that protecting mental health is just as important as protecting physical health during the pandemic. Beyazyürek, who advises people to engage with any branch of art or to take up a hobby that connects them to life in order to protect their mental health during this period, believes that the path to protecting society's mental health runs through art.
 
"Art and artists must be valued"

Prof. Dr. Mansur Beyazyürek says, "You cannot speak of the mental health of a society that does not value art and its artists. Unfortunately, art and artists are not valued enough. There is a quote I love dearly from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince: 'What torments me is not the hollow cheeks nor the sunken eyes; it is the Mozarts within them who will never come to light…' We are always talking about hunger and poverty, chasing material values like more luxurious cars and more luxurious homes. Yet behind all of this lie the values and beauties that make a person truly human. Unfortunately, these values and beauties disappear before they can ever emerge."


"Art has a healing effect"

Professor Beyazyürek, who states that "those who invest in art and engage in artistic pursuits navigated the pandemic period more easily and healthily," describes the protective and healing effect of art on mental health with these words: "My favorite definition of mental health is the one given by the famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. They asked Freud, 'You always deal with illness. In your opinion, what is a healthy state of mind?' And Freud said, 'A person who can love and work preserves their mental health.' This is very important — to love and to work... During the pandemic, people were confined to their homes for months. Those who engaged with an art form they loved or had a hobby got through this period more comfortably. If you play a musical instrument, being confined at home may have even done you good — you could play your instrument freely. If you are involved in literature, you could write your novel or poetry freely. The same applies if you paint. In fact, we use painting extensively in therapy. Freud says that painting is a form of expression of suppressed emotions. Art is the most effective coping method during periods of lockdown. For example, I myself stayed home for 3.5 months; it felt like 3.5 minutes to me. During and after the pandemic, people can also take up a hobby to protect their mental health. You can see your friends. There are many things you can do that you think will connect you to life."
 
"Let's not lock people over 65 away at home"

Beyazyürek, who states that games played at home with family had a positive effect on children's mental health during the pandemic, believes that children navigated this period comfortably and healthily because they were in closer contact with their parents. Emphasizing that the pandemic increased communication among family members and encouraged people toward cleanliness and order, Beyazyürek noted that he does not consider the restrictions imposed or to be imposed on those over 65 to be correct, saying: "Locking people over the age of 65 in their homes and imposing restrictions on them is wrong. People over 65 have additional conditions such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and dementia. Doctors tell 99 percent of this age group, 'Go out, travel, get fresh air, take light walks.' On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, I want to say it once more: while we are trying to protect people over 65 from the virus, let us not damage both their mental and physical health."


Professor Beyazyürek lists his formula for protecting mental health in 10 steps:
 
1-) Engage with art and follow artistic activities.
2-) Find new hobbies for yourself.
3-) Read the books you haven't gotten around to reading for a long time.
4-) Don't cut off communication with family members and relatives.
5-) Spend time with friends and companions you love.
6-) Make travel plans to the extent that circumstances allow.
7-) Get a pet or grow flowers.
8-) Play games with your children or loved ones.
9-) Reach out to those over 65 and help them.
10-) Take part in activities that you believe will connect you to life.