Mental health for Women: Proactive self-care approach

Our mental health as women is constantly challenged and under pressure, more so because of how society continues to view, respond and expect from us.

We continue to be treated as objects, second class citizens and unequal beings. As a result of this, being a woman feels like a constant struggle against a society that violates, devalues, undermines and silences us. This places a lot of strain on our mental health and makes us more prone to trauma, stress, anxiety and depression. It therefore crucial for us to prioritize our mental wellbeing, in the face of our continued daily struggle against a society that devalues us:

1. Express yourself

Learn to express your feelings in ways that are healthy and comfortable for you. Expression of feelings doesn’t always have to be verbal, you can write or paint depending on what works for you. Also strive to have a nonjudgmental confidant.

2. Have a selfish day

This is where everything is by you, for you and about you. Spend time thinking positive things about you, do positive things for you and nurture positive emotions through doing things that make you laugh, feel relaxed, hopeful and encouraged.

3. Set your own standards

Whose standards are you following? I am asking in terms of beauty and how to be as a person. Following society’s standards for a woman is often exhausting, as these standards are mostly unrealistic and unfair, with a harsh judgment should we be deemed not to be following these. So woman you are safe in your self-defined standards!

4. Become a deliberate reader/viewer

Read books, articles and view videos that nurture your soul, that encourage you and build on the standards you have set for yourself.

5. Validate your humanity

Give yourself permission to feel and express emotions. Embrace your mistakes, weaknesses and failures as they are a confirmation of your humanness.

#thestrugglecontinues

#womenmentalhealth

#authenticgenuineself

#womensmonth

Comments

Part 2 of Stress Management: Beyond Self-Awareness

When you are aware of how stress affects your thoughts, emotions and behaviors then you are better positioned to manage it. Stress management is also a journey where you learn to manage your life through self-training. In the process be patient with yourself. Below are a few points to consider as you learn to manage your stress: 1. Thought management: We are all wired to think, therefore thinking is a very normal and an important process in our brains. However a challenge happens when we overthink, over-interpret, generalize and personalize situations. This tendency can negatively affect our emotions and behaviors and it can increase our stress levels. Therefore learning to discern and manage our thoughts is important in stress management. Overthinking can be resolved by distracting yourself through engaging in healthy behaviors i.e. writing down your thoughts for a few minutes and closing the diary and engaging in something else, with plans to go back to the diary and writing at ...

Notes on Self Management: Few Ideas for Women’s Network

Why is self management important? Self management is important because it has an impact on our personal growth and reputation as it also influences how we are perceived. It is also a broad concept that is reflected in how we manage the different aspects of our lives for example Time, Finances, Relationships, Wellness, Careers, Spiritually etc. What sustains self management? 1. Constant and ongoing review of how you are doing in the different areas of your life. I sometimes use a self-rating scale: For example let’s look at your financial management currently; on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor, 3 average and 5 being excellent. Where would you rate your financial management? 2. Understand the behaviors that are contributing to your current self-rating. If for example you rated yourself as 2 (close to poor) Ask why? It could be there is no budget in place or even if there is a budget, maybe it is not adhered to. 3. Set goals to improve your ratings in the different ...

The face of Stigma in Mental health

Stigma in mental health reflects our beliefs, attitudes and thoughts about mental illness. These manifest through our behaviour towards people with mental health challenges and the language we use to describe their experiences. THOUGHTS AND LANGUAGE Negative assumptions People who stigmatise others often hold negative assumptions about those they stigmatise. Such assumptions are often baseless and are driven by a lack of understanding of the person and their situation. The person is often blamed for their condition through using statements like “depression is for weak people” or “depression indicates lack of faith” and “African people don’t get depressed”. All these assumptions leave people feeling inferior and put an extra burden on them. A belief of Immunity People who have not experienced mental health challenges may believe that they are immune from such. As a result they distance themselves from people with mental health challenges an...

Dr Sibu Qhogwana

Search This Blog