Reflecting On Our Happy Selves

It is believed that humans existed on this planet from around 5 million to 7 million years ago. Their initial forms of life and lifestyle were as basic as wandering in the jungle and hunting for survival. As we can see, most animals today practise it too. 

But comparing humans from back then to today is completely different for the human race. It is a remarkable history set by the species because sitting in a chair today and imagining the life lived by humans then is as impossible to us as it was for them then, thinking about the life we live and the lifestyle we carry with us today. 

We aren't new to knowing the incredible power that a human mind holds. 

Actually, it is also a major factor that indeed differentiates us from the thousands of other creatures existing on this planet. 

The human mind holds great power and many gadgets developed over the centuries are inspired by the working mechanisms of our brain. We have achieved so much and progressed so much, from creating buildings and appliances to make our lives easier to creating missiles that can destroy this world to exploring not only the planet, but also other parts of the universe and it is believed that we haven't yet used 100 per cent of our brain capacity. 

Today, we live easier and faster lives thanks to immense technological advancement. But on the other hand, this has made us slow, dependent, addicted and also lost our creativity. 

If we compare the kids today with the kids 50 years ago, they can get access to any information within seconds, but back then they had to take the help of others and use their creative minds to access the information. 

This addiction to depending on machines for every minor thing has caused a lot of harm to our mental as well as physical fitness and well-being. Human beings are competitive by nature. There is competition from country to country, company to company, society to society, and eventually individual to individual. 

In the case of being the best among our surroundings, we have the natural tendency to drain our minds and energy. That's why, these days, we can witness the whole world suffering from 

mental health issues and dealing with them on a daily basis. 

Today, mental health has become the No. 1 topic of discussion as a world problem. According to the WHO, in 2019, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world, were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders being the most common. In 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Initial estimates show a 26 per cent and 28 per cent increase, respectively, for anxiety and major depressive disorders in just one year. And the statistics have been rising every day after another.

The era we are living in is a techno-friendly era. This generation is all about innovation and progress. We have adapted to living like machines. We believe in planning and scheduling all day. Every minute of our day is planned and worked out accordingly. 

Even the time we get to rest is planned. We are like human robots who just work. There are so many voices crumbling in our heads that have now turned into noises, and we don't have time to filter out those noises; rather, we have them built up until it backfires on us. We schedule our day for everything except the "me time" that we actually deserve. We actually get so lost in making our lives worth living that we end up forgetting how to actually live them. 

When we come to realise that the ‘worthy life’ that we spend our whole lives making was right around us and we just forgot to live in that moment, we get frustrated and start to blame ourselves, and this self-battle with our mind, heart, and soul leads us to an unhealthy mental state. ‘Self-love’ has been a hot topic among today’s generation. And it is said that self-love is actually a key to solving the majority of health issues and creating a harmonious life. If you search on the web about self-love, these are a few things you will come across: "Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self-love means not settling for less than you deserve." "Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness." But for me, I believe that self-love means "being happy for being you." It is a sense of acceptance of your reality and the reality that the world carries for you. 

For me, self-love is "being at peace within your inner self." When we are born as humans, it is not in our control to be a certain way or be in a certain environment; what is actually in our hands is to make the most of what we get. We all come along with our fate and accepting that reality already makes us the winners.

 Frequently comparing ourselves with others, self-doubt will not just harm our inner selves but also spread a negative aura in our 

surroundings. This generation really needs to step out of their virtual fantasy and start living their reality before it's too late to realise what they have actually lost. 

Living in the moment is the best way to live and make the most of it, and it is the correct thing to do in order to make ourselves happy and healthy both mentally and physically. 

So rather than forming a virtual bubble of expectation that has no guarantee of fulfilment and can burst anytime, let us all simply start accepting what we have and living it with our full hearts.

(Koirala is a bachelor level student)