Dr. Melissa Chan

“Tis the season to be jolly…” I am guessing most of you can sing the next line. Yes, it is that time of the year again where festive music is playing everywhere you go. The lyrics of these songs are a. constant reminder that, Christmas and the holidays are “supposed” to be a jolly time for everyone. For some people that may be true, for others this may not be how they are feeling at all. 

Mental Illness Awareness Week falls on 2-8th October 2022, followed by the World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2022. As we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of the global pandemic, its impact on our mental health continues to take its toll.

Since the pandemic hits us in 2020, we are talking about mental health way more frequently than ever before. In a way, that has brought a lot of people’s attention to their mental wellbeing. However, it shouldn’t have taken a pandemic to serve as a wake up call in raising awareness of our mental health. 

Have these thoughts ever come across your mind? “Why didn’t I do better?” “How could I have missed that point? I’m such a fool…” “I could have seen that coming! If I had been more careful…” etc. Self-criticism is common and it exists as almost part of our daily lives. We criticise ourselves more often