Mental health… people keep talking about it everywhere now, but honestly, I still feel like most people don’t really get what it means. For many, it’s just “oh you’re lazy,” or “you need to be more positive,” but it’s not that simple. It’s so much deeper than that, and half the time it’s hard to even explain it to someone.

While reading this chapter A Journey into Mental Health, I realized something — the things we go through can feel huge to us, but for others, it’s nothing.

Like for me… being a student, there are days when I just feel so tired and lazy that I don’t feel like studying at all. For some people, that’s normal. They might even laugh about it or think, “she just doesn’t want to work.” But no… I want to study. I really do. It’s just that something inside me feels stuck.

Maybe it’s because a few years ago, I couldn’t clear an important exam. That failure is still stuck in my head. Even now, when I try to give my 100%, it’s like that memory pulls me back. And I keep searching for that one small motivation, that one little spark that can push me to restart again.

The author explained this feeling so well in the chapter. He talked about his little daughter who got hurt because she was wearing the wrong shoes. She cried and cried, trying to make her parents understand, but she couldn’t speak — she was just a kid. By the time they realized what was wrong, it was already too late. And that guilt stayed with him.

That story hit me because that’s exactly how mental health works. Sometimes we try to show we’re in pain, but people just don’t understand it. Not because they don’t care — but because they don’t see it the way we feel it.

And you know what? People think if you’re smiling, laughing, going to work, or posting happy pictures, you must be mentally fine. But that’s not true at all. Mental health isn’t just about lying in bed all day feeling low. Sometimes, it’s about working harder than ever, keeping yourself busy, just so you don’t get time to think about your own problems.

Even the place you’re in matters. If you walk into a peaceful temple, you’ll feel calm. But if you walk into a place where something tragic just happened, even the calmest person will feel disturbed. Your mental state can change so quickly, sometimes in seconds.

So no, just because someone isn’t crying in front of you doesn’t mean they’re fine. They might be wearing a mask, hiding everything behind a smile.

And here’s the most important thing I learned — asking for help doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it’s one of the bravest things you can do. If you can say, “I’m not okay, I need help,” you’ve already taken the first step toward getting better.

Mental wellness isn’t about being happy all the time. It’s about knowing yourself, accepting what you’re going through, and not being afraid to reach out when you need it. And honestly, that’s something we all need to remember.

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SAKSHI PRIYA

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