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Through My Eyes

Through My Eyes

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2022-08-26

“In big cities, on farms, in remote places, throughout the countryside, people are moving busily. Why? We are all motivated by the desire to make ourselves happy. To do so is right. However, we must keep in mind that too much involvement in the superficial aspects of life will not solve our larger problem of discontentment. Love, compassion, and concern for others are the real sources of happiness. With these in abundance, you will not be disturbed by even the most uncomfortable circumstances. So, if we really want happiness, we must widen the sphere of love. This is basic common sense.” Dalai Lama The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown our world off balance. Our daily lives have been restricted as never before in recent history. Uncertainty, illness, fear, social isolation, loss and grief, financial insecurity and unemployment have resulted in loneliness, anxiety, depression as well as sleep and appetite disturbances. Most people just deal with it and try moving on with their daily lives, but we all see the strain on people’s faces, the angst, the anger, the mean intentions of some people, who just a few months ago were cheerful and generally of a happy disposition. We can blame it on long Covid. We can also assume that all the fear mongering, which we experienced in the last 28 months, has had an immense effects on our mental wellbeing and most of us have simply had enough. We can no longer hide behind a veil of ignorance. We have seen how easily we are robbed of our freedoms and our livelihoods and frankly it is a sobering thought. Control is something that has, in a way, ruled my life. I like to have it. I like to exert it. I like to be in charge of my thoughts, my body, my work. I like being able to predict the results of my actions, to set a target and achieve it. I plan everything down to the tiniest detail – imagining every possible outcome so I’m prepared for anything. Having plans and life goals is human nature. We all dream of that new adventure, the car we one day want to own and the places we still want to visit. Covid and the pandemic restrictions have wiped most of our long and short term goals and dream away. In reality, no one knows how the effects of the lockdowns and the pandemic restrictions will affect us in the long term. As we struggle to maintain our dignity and composure, we also need to remember that, nothing will be getting back to ‘normal’ and the ‘new normal’ is ‘fake’. Nothing that we are experiencing right now is normal and frankly, the general uncertainty is unnerving. And for most of us, Covid is gone, done and dusted. We are back at our desks, visiting our clients, going on holidays. Flying to various destinations and experiencing a new reality. And while Covid might be something we have put to the back of our minds - a mental health pandemic is raging on in our communities. A silent killer is on the loose in the form of depression and anxiety and the strategies to cope and fight back are not available to the majority of our people. Don’t be scared to reach out. You are not alone. 24hr Helpline 0800 456 789. For all the mums and mum’s to be who need local one on one support, there is help at hand, Alex runs a Mum’s Support Group in Ballito, you can email her on alexandra@mumsupport.co.za or WhatsApp on 0837880689. Please don’t suffer in silence.