The key to a happy life is a healthy mind and body. This sentence’s importance gets especially emphasized in the modern age, where healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The nutritional quality of food is steadily decreasing, while the toxicity increases. Furthermore, heavy workloads and societal pressures drive many to high-stress levels, leading to poor mental health. Fortunately, social workers can be quite helpful in dealing with maintaining the physical and psychological health of people. After all, their main job is to promote a better living for which a healthy mind and body is crucial.
Moreover, well-trained social workers are highly motivated towards their cause, making them capable enough to transform people’s lives. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of social workers’ true potential to better live. We live in times of poverty, diseases, and other problems that cause drastic changes in people’s lives. Social workers are, in a way, the superheroes of the real world. If you’re interested in learning just how big of a difference they make in promoting a healthy mind and body, keep reading below.
Safeguarding human rights
If you’re looking to put your compassion to fair use, you can learn more by pursuing a Master’s in Social Work. With this degree, you can further hone your skills and work in a clinical, administrative, or healthcare setting. One of the most important areas for concern of social workers is that of protecting human rights. It got declared by the high commissioner for human rights at the United Nations office that “the right to health is a fundamental part of our human rights.” Health is not just limited to disease and physical well-being. Still, it has been defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” by the World Health Organization in 1946.
Human rights directly affect the mental health of billions of people worldwide collectively. Social workers can illuminate human rights violations across the globe and pinpoint them to the world. By using this expertise, social workers can effectively stop administrative violations and injustice. For example, in 1933, Frances Perkins crafted the fair labor standard act, which ensured that child labor is banned. There are hundreds of other ways social workers have safeguarded human rights, thus improving countless people’s mental health. Moreover, a community with protected human rights leads to a better environment in all fields, whether it’s the workplace or home. This positive environment can have a lasting positive impact on the well-being of the brain.- Tackling nutritional problems
While surroundings can significantly impact your physical and mental health, we should not forget that your diet is equally affecting your overall health. There is a misconception amongst many people that diet only affects the body’s physical state; however, that’s not true as it impacts physical and mental areas. Numerous recent studies have shown a direct link between mental health and nutrition. The risk of depression in teens who eat a low-quality diet increases by about 80% compared to teens who eat a high-quality diet. On the physical side of health, 68.8% over the age of 20 are obese, according to the National Institute of Health.
Moreover, numerous people do not have access to a good diet; even in developed countries such as the USA, 1 in 7 people face hunger. As social workers’ duty consists of dealing with all human well-being areas, they work hard to provide better diets. They understand all the needs of the body and know what nutrition we need for a good living. Creating awareness amongst communities with insufficient knowledge of a good diet is practiced by social workers, which leads to the better overall health of the people. Educating people
Educating and mentoring people in need plays a significant role in mental and physical health. For example, many people struggle with addiction to intoxicants, poverty, crime, and different abuse types. Juvenile delinquents, in particular, need social workers to advocate for their rights and better treatment. Fortunately, social workers are mentoring youth at risk to reduce the number of arrests at a young age. While crime can damage a person’s health severely, so can addiction to intoxicants. Drugs are chemicals that cause drastic changes in the body and the brain; their effect continues to last even after discontinuation. The results of addiction can have a significant negative impact on anyone’s life. However, social workers can use their relationship-based skills to help these individuals overcome addiction and lead better lives. They can counsel and support at-risk individuals to help them stay clean for good.
Conclusion
Studying social work allows you to hone your skills, develop critical thinking, and respond well to trauma and crisis within your community. As a social worker, you face immense challenges, but the result makes all the hard work worthwhile. The kinds of issues that social workers need to tackle are incredibly varied, but social workers help promote healthy minds and bodies in their communities. Social workers reduce stress and mental health in societies and are integral to our social set-up.
