What Mental Health Means to Me
Written by Kwezi Mtoba
First of all, a huge shout out to S&F. A very unique brand with such a great back story and concept upon its inception stages. I most definitely relate to it a lot. Personally I believe everyone has a story which makes them stand apart from the next person, our own stories play a significant role in moulding the person we are right in this moment. This is why human interaction is such a fascinating thing to me, I get to learn a lot about people, who they are and draw lessons from their stories and these for sure influence my own life. Looking back at the past few years, ones who know me well, would say I have a come a long way. It feels as though in the last few years events have happened to me and some to all of us that have been tough to deal with at times. However reflecting on these events I can comfortably say I have grown and am at a higher place.
Mental health for me and what has been important to nurture is the synergy between psychological, social and emotional well-being. Times are always changing and with this comes ebbs and flows of ones mental health state. No one ever wakes up feeling the same each and every morning. Personally something that I’ve recently found challenging was when lockdown was implemented globally. A situation completely new to each of us with which circumstances changed and demanded us to adapt our daily routines. I would consider myself to be quite an outgoing person and although I enjoy my own time it was a shock to no longer be able to attend training sessions on the athletics track, go to class in person or just see friends and laugh with one another. It was a struggle to have to navigate through peak periods of anxiety because of constant bad news, and on top of this also trying to process a huge loss in the family. Life felt a bit isolating, to say the least. However I think what has helped me is accepting that one can only control so much, which is why adopting healthy coping mechanisms can prove beneficial to overall well-being.
For one who is quite unconventional with regards to the way I approach life, my approaches can seem to be quite overwhelming to most conservative people. I have learnt to implement approaches which would aid with my optimal well-being. However a big thing for me is having a supportive network of friends, family and even work environment. This is pivotal and I believe as the saying goes that bad company tends to be corrupting to good character. I enjoy meditating, reading, engaging in mindfulness exercises, training and journaling. These all help me to be consistent and stay focused whilst navigating the highs and lows of life. To conclude I think the more you get to know yourself the easier it is to know what works for you. Doing everything to implement these personal measures and boundaries is important to bring about the best possible version of yourself. At the end of the day this is also how we show up for others, by trying to look after ourselves first.
