As humans, we often underestimate how deeply our mental health shapes our lives. A nurse once told me that the brain is the most valuable organ in our body, and yet, ironically, it’s also the most neglected. Our minds are constantly at work, every minute, and every day, processing emotions, managing stress, solving problems, and helping us navigate our daily life. Despite all this, conversations around mental health remain clouded by stigma for some with silence, and misunderstanding. Just as our bodies can suffer from physical exhaustion, our brains can reach a point of burnout. But while taking time off for a physical illness is widely accepted, admitting we need a break for our mental well-being is often met with judgement. Why is it still so hard to say, “I’m struggling”? Much of this stems from the way many of us were raised and often in households where mental health wasn’t acknowledged, let alone understood.
As a child, I still remember my mum using the phrase “bad with their nerves” when talking about people who were clearly struggling emotionally. That was the language available to her and often what a doctor would you use. My mum’s generation were raised to be strong, resilient, and to “just get on with it.” And this generational mindset has shaped how many of us deal with our emotions today — or don’t.
In 2022, when I returned from living in the USA, I faced a life-altering experience from which I fully grasped how dangerous it can be to ignore the signs (even if you notice them, as I certainly didn’t). After years of accumulated grief and stress following the death of my dad, especially while living far from home in the US, my body forced me to stop. I suffered a global transient amnesia attack and lost nine hours of my life. My husband thought I had a brain tumour. The MRI, CT scan, and lumbar puncture ruled that out. The diagnosis… my brain had reached breaking point. That terrifying day for my husband ended with a nurse calmly telling me, “Your brain just gave you a warning, think yourself lucky.”
That moment changed everything for me, how I look at life, manage stress and think about what truly is important.
We must start treating mental health with the same seriousness and compassion we do our physical health. Just like a pulled muscle or a fever, burnout and emotional overwhelm are real. They deserve rest, care, and understanding — not shame.
We also need to stop comparing ourselves to others. The pressure to “hold it all together” can be intense, especially when it looks like everyone else is managing just fine. But behind closed doors, so many people are struggling, especially young people. We’re seeing anxiety and behavioural issues in children at an alarmingly young age, and yet we still shy away from tackling the root of the problem: how we view and talk about mental health.
We must do better — for ourselves, for our children, and for future generations.
Start the conversation. Check in with yourself and others. Be honest about your feelings. Because your mind matters, and no one else can take care of it for you — but you.
