The Importance of Mental Health for Youth During The Pandemic

Self-care might carry a different definition from one person to another, but on a fundamental level, practicing self-care means taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. All kinds of self-care practices are based on what makes them feel good and cared for individually. Self-care improves our lives differently in different ways, all of which are crucial to our overall health.

Sometimes, self-care means doing simple, little things that keep our physical health taken care of which can make a significant, positive impact on our mental health. It could mean going for a short walk in the morning before heading to work, refilling our water bottles to make sure we are hydrated throughout the day, or taking a longer shower just to sink in and relax under warm running water. It is important to understand that practicing self-care means taking care of your mental health in addition to your physical health. Taking care of your mental well-being may not always appear as black and white as attending to the physical needs of food, hydration, and hygiene.

Making sure our mental health is stable and healthy has become another challenge in facing this COVID-19 pandemic. Not only adults but children and teenagers are impacted due to the limitation of activities that can be done outside of our house. 

WHO surveyed 130 countries on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the accessibility of mental health services negatively; more than 60% reported impaired mental health services ​​ for vulnerable people, including children and teenagers (70%). Moreover, another riveting data found by Udayana University that 4.75% of their survey correspondents aged 13-18 years in Indonesia had thoughts of ending their lives at least once in the past year. 

“When it comes to handling pressure, taking care of our mental health, it’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it”, quoted by Putu Rarasati, a speaker from Social Connect.

Under the wings of YCAB Foundation that focuses on youth empowerment, Do Something Indonesia serves as a nationwide movement with more than 20 thousand youths from all over Indonesia supporting social actions through digital platforms in various issues and campaigns. As a forum for youths in Indonesia, in collaboration with Social Connect, Do Something Indonesia held a fruitful webinar related to mental health and how to maintain them.

 “It is important for youths to understand and maintain their mental health because at this age they are still trying to discover their true self. Therefore, they are easily influenced by the situation around them. Until the term, “Galau” (feeling blue/confused) was trending and viral. The reason why Do Something Indonesia is holding this webinar is so that youths are no longer “Galau” in a negative way, but can manage their mental health well.”, added Neneng Julia, Do Something Indonesia Specialist.

The free webinar aired on Sunday, 26 September 2021, 2:00 – 3:30 PM (WIB ) via Zoom with a total of 44 participants collaborated in discussions and sharing sessions.