How to ask for help when you’re feeling down
When was the last time you said these three words? All of us need some support during our lives here. Help is sometimes practical – like moving furniture or carrying grocery-bags. At other times, all you want is a hug, or some emotional support.
Although it’s normal to need and ask for support, many of us can find it hard to do so: especially when it comes to our mental health.
How do your emotions affect your health?
Slow down for a few seconds, tune into your inner experience, and ask yourself: “How am I feeling right now? Sad, angry, happy, hopeful, excited, anxious…?”
On an average day, we are often so busy focusing on tasks that we don’t pay attention to our emotions. And yet really, our emotions can actually affect our health.
Do’s and don’ts of depression support
In 2020, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) received well over three hundred thousand calls asking for help and support – that’s more than three times the capacity of the FNB stadium.
Lifestyle prescription for a healthy heart
In South Africa, chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are now responsible for more deaths than HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined. Approximately 225 South Africans die from heart disease every day, while around 10 people suffer a stroke every hour!
Celebrating the unique qualities of women
Besides the obvious differences in ‘lumps’ and ‘bumps’, with men apparently coming from Mars and women from Venus, there are unique differences between the genders.
On average women live almost 8% longer than men
How women can embrace ageing in a youth-obsessed world
When was the last time you saw an advert selling a pro-ageing face-cream? Even though ageing is the most natural part of life, we live in a world that is aggressively anti-ageing. In fact, “anti-ageing” has become an entire industry dedicated to promote, sell and obsess over how young you look.
It’s natural to want to look healthy, radiant and attractive, but the beauty-industry has created unhealthy obsessions amongst women: young people obsessing over every wrinkle, and older people feeling marginalized and cast out.
Women are successful in their own right
Traditional gender norms suggest that men are naturally strong and assertive, while women are the nurturers and care givers. Despite significant progress in the field of gender equality, traditional gender roles in the workplace, and elsewhere in life, can be difficult to shake.
Women are often told to “man-up” to become more successful. While it’s true that anyone who wants to be successful must be robust, tenacious and tough, women don’t need to buy into the idea that they need to mimic men to achieve their own success.
Seeing the light in the darkness
Start your day by scrolling through your Newsfeed and you’ll probably have at least 10 reasons to roll over and hide under the covers. There’s lots of suffering and struggle in the world, not to mention your personal challenges. Although you can reduce your exposure to news of suffering (actually don’t start your day with your newsfeed), suffering is still inevitable.
Respect your body
It’s safe to say we’ve all been there, you are tired, so you skip making dinner and eat an unhealthy snack instead. You have a night out with friends and skip the gym the next morning. When work piles up, the first thing that suffers is sleep. The problem is, the more often this happens, the more your health is affected.
Cultivating self-respect through gratitude
R.E.S.P.E.C.T! Yes, it’s a well-known song and a word often used when it comes to teaching children how to interact with adults, but there is more to it than just being a catchy tune. Respect is effectively the glue that holds relationships together. It can be defined as “esteem for, or a sense of the worth, or excellence of a person, a personal quality, or ability”.
Youth unemployment blues
In 2020, the unemployment rate in South Africa jumped by 30%. With 7.2 million unemployed people in the Rainbow Nation, it’s possible that your child is one of them.
Given the challenging situation we’re all in, there is no shame in not having a job. But, if you’re the one job-hunting for months without success, you can start to doubt if you’re really good enough.
Is addiction ruining your family?
We usually think of addiction as something extreme; associated with drugs, alcohol or substances, but you can become addicted to many different things.
For many years experts believed that only alcohol and certain drugs could lead to addiction.
