Ever felt sad, misunderstood, anxious, depressed or spiralling in feelings of hopelessness? While it’s non-binary, looking and feeling different for everyone, mental health is as vital as physical health. Anxiety alone is the world’s largest mental health problem: an estimated 275 million people suffer from anxiety globally, with 62 per cent of sufferers being female. Depression is a reality for over 264 million people globally, according to the World Health Organisation. By the WHO’s count, we lose close to 800, 000 to suicide annually, and it’s the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29 year olds.
While not everybody has a mental illness, everyone does have mental health.
Pauline Howard, coach and founder of Bloom Coaching and Development says, “Much as we all take care of our physical selves, have regular check-ups and are aware when there are changes in our bodies, so we need to monitor our psychological wellbeing and nurture it. If we seek help when we have the flu, why not do the same when life is being hard on us and we feel like our morale is
hitting a low? Mental health is about how we feel psychologically at a given time in life. If we’re honest with ourselves, it can’t always be good—having negative emotions is a normal part of life. By not taking care of our mental health and stigmatising it, we run the risk of letting them turn, in time, into something potentially more serious and ingrained.”
Your emotions, worries, challenges, and fears are valid. You have the right to feel what you feel. We celebrate World Mental Health Day on October 10, but as anyone living with a mental illness will tell you, each moment serves to highlight the spectrum of exhausting lows and hopeful highs. At Vogue Singapore, we believe that part of mental health means having those big, hairy conversations about what psychological health and wellness means, while also a creating safe, judgement-free space to unpack and articulate murky feelings. Read on as we share our stories.
4 lesser-known signs of depression you may be missing
Beyond feeling blue, symptoms of depression needn’t be obvious to truly impact your quality of life. These experts share the subtler clues to watch out for and how to get the help you need.
Hormonal Depression: Is it depression or just your hormones?
Women are more likely to experience mental health symptoms such as low mood, anxiety, irritability and depression due to hormonal changes associated with female-specific biological changes and life events,” shares one expert.
What to do when social anxiety hits, according to experts
Licensed experts weigh in on social anxiety and share their tips on how to manage the symptoms when you’re on the go
Is there a sustainable way to keep abreast of world events without doomscrolling your way into an anxious episode? Here’s what should you do to prevent spiralling from bad news
Are you feeling anxious? Here’s how to identify stress
Focus on the things you can control and let go of the things you can’t with this expert’s scientifically proven strategy for safeguarding your mental health.
Using the term high-functioning depression might actually be misleading—here’s why
High-functioning” depression is used in reference to individuals who don’t seem to be suffering from depression due to their general ability to function—but is it a medically appropriate term? We ask an expert to weigh in
Wired, tired, and anxious: Overcoming the physical manifestations of stress
Can’t quite put your finger on what’s eating you? These Vogue-verified experts unpack the physical manifestations of stress, and share their anxiety-busting tips to set mind and body at rest.
8 reminders in resilience to boost your mental health when all you want to do is quit
The process of overcoming obstacles can be a bit like doing the cha-cha with progress often looking like taking two steps forward and one step backward. Here’s how to keep going when you’re burnt out.
Can anxiety actually be good for us?
As a society, we’ve never been more anxious—but certain types of anxiety can be used in a productive way, as a guide to better decision making or a warning against potential threats.
Good Vibes Only? Why toxic positivity is corrosive for your mental health
Anyone in mental distress who’s been told to ‘cheer up’ or ‘get over it’ knows the sting and isolation of toxic positivity. Here’s why you’re allowed to have your feelings
How are you, really? Simple ways to check in with friends’ mental health
The importance of a simple How are you, really? cannot be overstated in these overwhelming times where a text or phone call could prove lifesaving. Culturally as Asians, we skirt around checking in with loved ones for fear of coming across as too nosy or overindulgent about feelings. We worry about our solutions not being helpful enough, or may have little emotional bandwidth of our own to be there for them. But as anyone on the receiving end of a ‘thinking of you’ text will tell you: the best relationships are not built on perfectly curated words.
5 ways to create better digital habits for your mental health
Mixed Feelings authors Sarah Raphael and Naomi Shimada share five ways to better your relationship with social media.
These wellness apps will keep your mental health in check
With 3 out of 5 created in Singapore, these apps may not be as well-known as Calm or Headspace—but are just as effective.
Best Instagram accounts to follow for mental health support
These mental health Instagram accounts are part of the changing tide to destigmatise mental health conversations. Here’s why they’re worth a follow.
Can you really use your breath to reduce anxiety?
Every day we take between 22,000 and 29,000 breaths, but most of us breathe too quickly and limit our inhalations and exhalations to our chests, rather than our bellies—especially when we’re stressed. So, how should we be breathing?
Food and mood: Can diet help depression and anxiety?
Vogue looks at the latest research into the links between diet and depression and anxiety, and the food to eat to boost your mood.
Intuitive eating is the anti-diet movement that will change your relationship with food
A new approach to diet and nutrition, eating intuitively is a radical act of self-care which can help you reject toxic diet culture ideals and put your mental health first.
How a psychologist-turned-aid worker cares for her mental health
Armed conflict. Natural disasters. Unspeakable loss. What would compel someone to throw themselves into the thick of human devastation—and at what cost to their own mental wellbeing? Dr Marlene Lee, clinical psychologist and volunteer field worker for Médecins Sans Frontières, shares her journey with Vogue Singapore.
Vogue asks 19 celebrities their self-care secrets
Raising children takes up a lot of time, energy and headspace, so how do you strike the right chord between self-care and childcare? Here, celebrity mothers—from Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrosio to Jessica Alba and Chanel Iman—share how their relationship with beauty has evolved since having little ones
Thriving through psoriasis: How Rocyie Wong copes with the autoimmune skin disease
The mental and emotional burden of living with psoriasis: “Sometimes even meeting new people can be an extremely daunting experience due to the visibility of this condition and the need to explain to people that it is in fact, not contagious.”
From broken to blossoming: Healing from depression
A self-described ‘bad feelings addict’, writer Karman Tse recounts her decade-long battle with depression, and the lessons she’s learnt while putting herself back together again.
Rebecca Eu, Hanli Hoefer, Sahur Saleim, Narelle Kheng and Aarika Lee on unrealistic beauty expectations, society standards and how the way we communicate needs to change for good.
7 women on how to stay positive while struggling with fertility
Impaired fertility (struggling to conceive or pregnancy losses) affects approximately 80 million people globally, while around one in eight pregnancies end in miscarriage—and yet so many are afraid to talk about it.
What does postnatal depression feel like?
Four mothers share their deeply personal stories of postpartum depression. Postnatal anxiety and depression affect more than one in 10 women after they’ve had a baby. To help spread awareness and alleviate the stigma surrounding mental illness, Vogue Singapore speaks to women from across the world who have had varying experiences of PND.
2020 may have compromised your mental health, but it could lead to growth—here’s how
This year may seem like an emotional rollercoaster we can’t get off, but as mental health expert Dr Olivia Remes writes, setbacks are the high price we pay for the confidence and maturity we gain.
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You are not alone. For mental health support in Singapore, visit the Singapore Association for Mental Health. If you or a loved one are at-risk of suicide, please call the Samaritans of Singapore for 24/7 support: 1800-221 4444.
For mental health support in Malaysia, visit the Malaysian Mental Health Association. For suicide support in Malaysia, please contact the Befrienders: 03-76272929. Tomorrow needs you.
