When was the last time that you went to a doctor? A month ago? Six months ago? A year or more ago? What about the last time that you had a mental health check-up?
For many women in the UAE, there is quite a big difference between the last time we went to a medical doctor for a physical issue and the last time we checked in our mental health. While we know there is an undeniable and indivisible link between the body and the mind, the care for our minds, our mental health, often lags far behind our care for the physical. Why is this?
Dr Chasity from Thrive Wellbeing Centre answers “Well, for many of us, it is a case of the chronic accumulation of ever-growing responsibilities. We tell ourselves, “it’s ok… I can muddle on… it’s not that bad… it could be worse,” but much like the little frog in the pot of tepid water, we don’t notice the increasing temperature change of the water in the form of demands. And to be honest and compassionate to ourselves, how can we notice? Between the expectations of family life (being a good daughter, wife, sister, mother, auntie…), career or school demands, societal obligations, and/or the multitude of gender-based pressures, our minds are often busy and noisy and distracted by the mental load of modern life.”
From an early age, women are often conditioned to prioritise others’ needs over their own. Whether it's being there for family members, excelling at work, or trying to meet unrelenting beauty standards, the constant pressure to be "enough" can lead to burnout, anxiety, self-doubt, and the never-ending treadmill of unrelenting pressure. While many of us cognitively realise that the demands and expectations are too much for any human to achieve, the insidious nature of this issue often overrides our sense of reason. Additionally, schools, workplaces, social groups, and even families can be laden with implicit and explicit biases and experiences that require women to do more to prove themselves as capable, loyal, and devoted.
And, of course, there is also a much heavier side to the realities faced by women. Despite numerous advances for women, we still commonly experience depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. In many parts of the world, 34% of women do not feel safe walking alone at night, and 27% of women who are/were in partnerships aged 15-49 years old are estimated to have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse by an intimate partner (Global Women’s Health Index, 2022; Sardinha et al., 2024; Sardinha, et al, 2022). Additionally, societal biases in healthcare often dismiss women's pain as “exaggerated” or “hysterical,” impacting both their physical and mental well-being (Gilles-Hillel, 2023).
Many women push through stress without recognising their emotional depletion, making it harder to seek support. The result? They are surviving but not thriving—a fine line that can significantly affect long-term mental health.
So, what can we do? Well, the first step is to have a realistic understanding of our own individual mental health functioning. And so, one place to start could be with a credible and reputable mental health screening questionnaire such as here.
The benefit of a screening questionnaire is that it is not a tool for diagnosis, but it can give you a general snapshot to facilitate mental health exploration. It will not give you all the answers, but much like getting your blood pressure taken, for example, it is a small and achievable step of information-gathering that can help you build or understand a piece of your overall mental health puzzle. Questionnaires like the one referenced in this article can often serve as a basis for where to start with supporting your mental health needs. Below, you will find some actionable strategies that can help build mental health:
Daily Check-Ins – Ask yourself: How am I feeling today? If stress or sadness lingers, address it before it escalates.
Challenge Perfectionism – Accept that “good enough” is enough. Doing your best does NOT mean exhausting yourself. Doing your best involves understanding your demands, limitations, and resources. Avoid burnout by recognizing when striving for perfection becomes self-sabotaging.
Prioritise small daily enjoyments – Make space for things that bring delight or awe to your day —whether it's music, nature, art, or movement. A cup of tea listening to your favourite song (if that is your thing) is a small, but meaningful way to reconnect to yourself.
Sometimes, you need to say no – `We can’t be all things to all people. Sometimes we need to prioritize. Yes, this means sometimes disappointing others, but we can do this with love and respect (and then be there for them in return when our cup is fuller and there’s is not).
Seek Support – Therapy is not a last resort, nor is it for people who cannot cope. Therapy is about growth, self-discovery, and self-worth. Even if you feel “functional,” having a mental health check-in can provide clarity and prevent future struggles.
Taken together, checking in on your mental health is not a one-and-done action. Rather, it is a dynamic and evolving process to help you stay connected to arguably one of the most important parts of the body - the mind.
// Dr Chasity from Thrive Wellbeing Centre
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