Paloma JacomeExploring Mental Health and Culture
By Isabella Pereira, Summer Intern at Grounded World.
The subject of mental health is quite complex and influenced by a wide range of factors, including our cultural upbringing. Mental health impacts so many parts of our lives, including our emotions, behaviors, thoughts, and stress management. In turn, culture shapes our views, customs, and values, affecting how we perceive both the outside world and ourselves. When there is disconnection, dissonance or a gap between our view of ourselves and how our culture portrays our role within it, mental health is at risk.
Mental Health Differences in Culture
Every culture is distinct. While expressing our emotions is valued in some cultures, restraint or 'saving face' is preferred in others. Did you know that societies that value individualism tend to have higher rates of depression? In these cultures (like the US), the individual is given more attention than the group and so the ego is essentially fed and 'inflated' by cultural projections and expectations. When these don't marry to individual lived experiences, it can lead to more frequent and self destructive cycles of disassociation and alienation.
Some Key Insights:
- Traditions, religious beliefs, and family history are aspects of culture that can have a huge influence on our mental health.
- Religious beliefs might support or contradict the image you have of self. When you add cultural expectations on top of these beliefs (that may be in conflict) then the pressure to live up to standards or norms and reconcile these with your beliefs can seriously impact wellbeing and trigger behavioral disorders.
- If there is a family history of mental illness, the likelihood of 'transference' will also increase and impact your own mental health.
Everyone’s mental health can improve if they comprehend the relationship between culture and their own mental health. Mental health is more than just what happens inside your head; it also includes how we engage and interact with the world around us. A beautiful and happy mind can be shaped by exploring your own thoughts and your relationship to the cultural expectations embedded into your environment.
5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Mental Health:
- Pursuing your passions is crucial. If you enjoy growing things, gardening is a great way to clear your head and create a lovely garden at the same time.
- Meditation is essential for lowering stress and anxiety and reconnecting with your own sense of self
- Creating a routine is an easy way to improve your mental wellness. Establishing a regular routine can help you maintain your personal rhythm by keeping you organized and less stressed. It’s also crucial to include some exercise in that routine which is beneficial for your body and mind!
- Counseling or therapy can be a helpful technique to support your mental health. Talking to someone who understands you but can see the world through a different lens and reframe your relationship to it, can help you process your emotions.
- Maintaining your relationships with your loved ones is probably the most important. Humans are social creatures, and having close relationships with the people you love can significantly improve your mental health.
Being aware of the connection (or conflict) between mental health and culture, and incorporating practices that enhance the relationship we have with ourselves, can lead to a happier, healthier life.
