The Freedom of Choice: How Smart Decisions Enhance Your Mental Health, Sexual Wellness, and Relationships

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With Independence Day around the corner, it is important to recognise that independence just doesn’t mean freedom from external forces - it is deeply personal, too. A powerful, but less discussed, form of freedom is the one that comes from within, in terms of making the right choices and being strong enough to stick by them. Not only does this make you a more confident individual, but it also allows for better mental health, less anxiety, healthier relationships and most of all, overall sexual well-being and a positive outlook towards sex. 

Here are some ways you can exercise this choice as shared by Pragya Arora, Psychologist on coto:

Understand your own emotions: 

In my practice as a mental health expert, I largely emphasise the importance of self-awareness - especially when it comes to making choices. Understanding your emotions, needs, wants and values is key to this self-awareness, and it helps you exercise this choice effectively. 

This also requires mindfulness - you cannot exercise choices if you don’t take out the time to reflect on the implications of your actions and how it will affect you. This also helps you understand if you’re making a choice simply our of societal pressure or because this is something your heart truly desires.  

Knowing whether you are making the correct choices in life:

This can be a tough one, but from a professional perspective, one of the easiest/most fool-proof ways to understand if you are making the right choices in life is to see if these indicate long-term well-being. When talking to clients (through live consultations or offline), I encourage them to consider that their choices and inherent core values are aligned - this will mean a healthier outlook towards life, and a more positive mindset, contributing to overall well-being. What’s also important is understanding your emotional responses to the choices you’ve made - this can help you improve your decision making skills and help you be more confident overall. 

Understanding how the independence of choices positively impacts mental health, sexual well-being, and Relationships: 

Our choices affect almost every aspect of our lives - including our relationships with others and ourselves. Through my work on coto, I have witnessed people transform their mental health and have an overall positive outlook on life simlpy through the choices they’ve learnt to make. As a psychologist, I understand and emphasise the role of therapy in helping one reach this stage, where people surround themselves with supportive people, and prioritise self-care. 

When it comes to sexual well-being, I believe that consent creates a foundation of trust and mutual respect, leading to healthier relationships. What also helps relationships is the understanding that develops between partners - this comes through in small ways, like choosing to listen to your partner, contributing to the household without being asked to, making time for each other and so on.