Western culture has had a significant impact on how we collectively and socially frame mental health.
In the United States, It can be hard to take vacation from work time without feeling guilty, selfish, or ungrateful. Anxiety and depression runs rampant quietly, because people are afraid of being labeled as crazy or unstable. It even seems as though doing things solely for the reason of mental health, never seems to be reason enough.
Good mental health seems to be something we all agree that we want. In many ways, our life's work is often the journey of getting to a place where we can achieve peace of mind, enjoy life, and harmonize with the world in a state of clarity, coherence, and cognizance.
When I moved to Hong Kong, I was taken back by the locals casually walking, just to walk. Socializing without rushing to press on with their day. Taking the time to literally "smell the roses". There was no awkwardness in being outside and waving your hands in slow motion. Nothing inappropriate about someone sitting to meditate. No shame in taking a break from deskwork to get some fresh air regularly.
One of the mystical charms of Tai Chi & Qigong (from a western perspective) is how it tempts an exhausted culture starved for mental health. There is a sense of longing, missing-out, or simple desire for the freedom, that is discovered by onlookers who realize something isn't right with the status quo. A sudden epiphany, that we have accidentally and yet systematically, let our focus become our distraction.
I bid you to return back to your center. To prioritize Quality of Life over the rush of Quantity of Resource. To obtain something that cannot be monetized, sold, or traded. Something no one can take away from you...your mental health. Question: What treatments do you prescribe to yourself, for better mental health?
I prescribe to my students to meditate. This is not a typical treament. However I manage myself and them to deal with the stress and also with the need to mediate during rush hours. I also have introduced Qi Gong Shibashi during the breaks, which is still rarely to see into the western culture and space. But it is new and easy to perform if you have the will of power and enthusiasm to share it with others.