How do our daily relationships affect our mental health?
Throughout your life, you make a number of social interactions and form so many relationships that you forget how important they actually are for your wellbeing. Having strong relationships not just make us feel happy and appreciated, but they also physically, mentally and emotionally affect us. You might relate the value of your relationships to the phrase “it’s not about the quantity, but the quality”, because surrounding yourself with people whom you wouldn’t be comfortable with will only wreck your mental health.
For this article, I asked a freshman and a senior the same question in order to identify any differences between these two. The question was, “What do you think is the key to a healthy relationship?”
9th grader Sophia Rayo states that relationships in her life are truly important because they help guide her through life by lending her a helping hand. When she was very young she had some friends whom she always felt attacked by because they constantly judged her, so she was involved in a toxic friend group. Due to this experience, Sophia believes that the key to a healthy relationship is being able to express yourself without feeling judged and without you judging your friend. When she found true friends, Sophia’s mental health improved and she was finally able to feel content.
This is 9th grade’s Picnic day, playing soccer with Mr. Fidel
(Picture taken by me)
On the other hand, 12th grader Isabella Robelo expresses her stance towards mental health and relationships in general. “Relationships have helped me grow as a person,” Isabella says. The key to the perfect relationship is communication, according to Isabella. Talking with her lifelong friends and family has always helped Isabella cope with stress and to maintain a stable mental health.
I agree with Isabella Robelo because if you build a whole relationship based on secrets, then you won’t really know the other person. In my life, relationships are the most important thing, because without my parents, siblings and best friends I would, in short, be depressed.
As we close this mental health week, what do you think is the key to a healthy relationship?
Senior Isabella Robelo on her latest weekend getaway to Selva Negra.
(Picture taken by Isabella herself)