What a couple of years we have had in Hong Kong, social unrest, pandemic, economic crisis and it doesn’t look like there is a slight glimmer of hope of positive change coming in the next few months and we are already into the month of March.

Doom and gloom, stress, tension, pressure, hardships, battles are all words commonly used in our city, which really points to one direction or destination. Mental health, something we often in Hong Kong sideline, and ignored sometimes as it is almost a taboo to bring up.

Why have we as a city for decades have a culture of disregarding our mental health? Why the embarrassment to engage in discussions or exchanges about seeking help?

How far are we willing to push ourselves to the extreme that we have no way of return?

The signs have always been there that we are a city that needs help, a city where the quality of life has decreased and pressures of society have increased, and all of these have taken their toll on the city.

News of daily suicides, physical abuse, verbal abuse and other forms of coping mechanisms which are unhealthy like excessive smoking, drug abuse binge drinking, etc., are now leading us on a path of destruction.

As a city, we begin first by putting our young kids into a pressure cooker education system, like a product in an assembly line; after graduating, they are instantly thrown into the workforce, a process which can be toxic if you don’t have emotional and mental strength. Family support is lacking in our city where the motto is “a survival of the fittest” " there’s no place for weakness”. Those only add to the vicious cycle.

Recently the way Hong Kong has been going socially, economically, and politically has caused more distress and hopelessness.

Yet mental health is still not a focus for society. We cannot afford to keep neglecting this as we are only going to face more challenges in the months and years ahead.

What can we do? A lot!

First and most importantly, talk about your feelings. Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.

1. Keep active - many Hong Konger’s are now exploring the great outdoors of our many hiking trails

2. Eat well - there’s been a lot of dietary changes in our city, more green and lean, vegan, omni meats and etc, or even eat out once in a while, treat yourself or go out with friends for nice dinners or lunches.

3. Drink sensibly - having a beer for relaxation can be fun, but always keep your limits, heavy drinking can only create more pain in the long term.

4. Keep in touch - in these crazy times of the pandemic you can see how webcam functions and such platforms were in huge demand, it’s about connecting, communicating, exchanging, conversations and etc with each other it’s what makes us human.

5. Ask for help - we really need to do more of this as Hong Kongers. There is no shame in seeking help, we all need it, and there’s always someone willing to help. Just ask, don’t hesitate!

6. Take a break - Hong Kongers just don’t take breaks. We are always on the go, and it is a city that never stops. But in reality, we are in need of recharging our batteries from time to time, the more we recharge the better, but in order to do that, we need to stop and take a break.

7. Do something you’re good at - we have passions, talents, hobbies, or skills that we enjoy pursuing that maybe we stopped because of life’s course. But it’s maybe time to get back into it, rekindle some old joys or discover new energy and love.

The above may be very basic or common sense for people. However, our problem is that we just don’t even use common sense anymore because we have become too robotic, now is the time to be human and take care of and protect our mental health with our heart.

(Jeffrey Andrews, social worker)

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