Embracing the Power of Pause: A Call for Mental Health Awareness
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s theme—“Take a Moment”—is an invitation to slow down. To reflect. To check in on ourselves, our loved ones, and the silent struggles that shape our daily lives. In a world that constantly demands productivity, this theme encourages us to shift from doing to being. It challenges us to ask: Am I really okay?
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Mental health awareness is still a relatively new concept in many parts of the world, especially in regions like Nigeria. For years, it was ignored or dismissed until things reached a breaking point. It was seen as something that happened to “other people,” not to the woman who manages her home, raises her children, excels in her career, or endures toxic relationships with quiet strength.
However, as conversations around mental health grow more open, it becomes clear that women are not immune to emotional distress—they often bear the brunt of it. Historically, mental health has been overlooked in spaces where women are expected to endure without complaint. In cultures that value strength and self-sacrifice, discussing emotional fatigue can be seen as indulgent. Women are often told to pray, push through, or remember that others have it worse. This mindset makes mental health awareness seem like a luxury, accessible only after a breakdown.
For many women, the language of mental health is unfamiliar. They are taught how to function, not how to feel. They are taught to fix others, not to sit with their own emotional unraveling. But neglect is not resilience. What we don’t name, we cannot heal.
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Women often carry the weight of invisible battles. They may stay in toxic relationships—romantic, platonic, or familial—without realizing the toll these connections take. Emotional abuse can be disguised as passion, while manipulation may be framed as tradition. Silence is mistaken for maturity, and the emotional labor of fixing, forgiving, and shrinking becomes endless. Because mental health is often overlooked, patterns of harm go unnoticed. Love can lead to losing oneself, and what is called loyalty might actually be codependency.
Mental health is not just about extreme breakdowns. It is also found in the quiet habits that drain us—like hyper-independence that feels like safety, or emotional numbness that we call “getting by.” Awareness means learning to ask: Am I safe? Am I seen? What do I become when I am around certain people?
This year’s theme is more than a slogan—it is an act of quiet rebellion. Taking a moment means breathing, checking in with yourself, and reflecting on the version of you that shows up each day. It also means thinking of yourself—not as someone to be fixed, but as someone to be loved. Sometimes, being selfish is necessary, especially for women who have been taught to disappear for the sake of others. Choosing yourself is a way to preserve your individuality.
Self-preservation is not cruelty—it is clarity. This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s move beyond posting infographics or quoting therapists. Let’s live the awareness in everyday life. Let’s extend it to the friend who always says “I’m fine,” the woman who holds everyone up but herself, and to our mothers, sisters, and ourselves.
Women are not inherently stronger than pain. We are just more practiced at hiding it. True strength lies in choosing softness, setting boundaries, saying no, leaving, and being seen. It is time to embrace the power of pause and recognize that mental health is a vital part of our well-being.
