We are fed with the Japanese proverb from childhood that ‘if you fall seven times, get up eight’. It basically underlines the need to keep working hard even after consecutive failures. But if we visualize this proverb from a different angle we can underline the laidback attitude we have towards our routine falls. It is much more grave than it sounds in the first place as it is reported that in the United States, an old man dies from the fall after every 19 minutes. Therefore, it is worthwhile to examine the psychological reasons behind people falling down so frequently.
Mental Stress:
Undoubtedly we live in a stressful world with so many variables dictating our behavior. Be it the mass consumption, body shaming or the excessive burdens of meeting expectations and maintaining stereotypes; pressures are undoubtedly abundant. And there exists ample reasons as to how mental stress affects the human body in so many ways.
Some of the major mental health consequences of stress are headaches and rapid breathing, and both of them contribute to focus issues for a person suffering from mental stress. Most people fall due to the fact that they walk, oblivious to what’s in their way and do not focus properly. Often they are distracted by stress and live in their heads unaware of what is going on around them.
Excessive Multitasking
In the mad house we call ‘the world’, everyone is running around with so many ‘to do tasks’ in their heads that they try to multi task. Multitasking is considered to be a very valuable attribute in humans in the 21st century, and employers often put this requirement in bold when advertising employment opportunities. We are expected to do more and do it quicker than ever before. But in this pursuit, we have lost the pleasure of just walking and being mndful of our environment, instead, we walk and talk or walk and hear music, or walk and use our phones which in themselves add to stress levels.
Using phones or gadgets while walking not only makes us more likely to fall but it also exposes us to other fatal accidents, because using gadgets while walking makes us oblivious of the dangers on the road.
Carelessness
It is not only the carelessness of a pedestrian that makes him or her fall down, but sometimes it is the direct result of someone else’s carelessness. For example, so many people fall because of slippery surfaces installed on the pathways. Not only that, some people with mental health issues can lose their baance or coordination making them moe susceptible to falling on the streets and roads which can result in serious injury.
Sometimes in stores, the management forget to warn shoppers when the floor is wet and that results in people injuring their backs, and it makes their injury worse when they do not know what to do when they slip and fall in a store. Some one who is unable to work after a fall will be more likely to suffer from anxiety and/or depression as a result.
We must learn to appreciate that there exists so many routine things that we take for granted but can be lethal if shrugged off with complacency. When we are more aware of what leads to these occasional falls, we can work towards rectifying situations. Not only because they lead to people falling but because they can be the cause of much misery and increased mental health issues.
Mandy X
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
