Mental Health

Subterms

    More stories

    • 175 Shares

      in health and weelbeing

      DJ And Fitness Trainer Miss Bee On Crafting A New Life After Surviving Cancer

      by

      Botle Kayamba, popularly known as Miss Bee, is proof that the Covid-19 lockdown bore fruit for some. Growing up, Miss Bee was surrounded by music – mom always led the praise and worship team at church and her brother was a DJ – she enrolled for an online DJing course in 2021. Yep, only three years ago. Upon graduating, she continued sharpening her mixing skills at home, then slowly started putting her hand up for playing at gigs and radio stations. This past December, Miss Bee headlined her first international gig, the Lovers of House Festival in Groningen, northern Netherlands. Spotting a lesson here? Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.

      Going For Gold

      “During lockdown when fitness training wasn’t as big a priority for most, I started thinking of ways to expand my career. And I couldn’t shake off my love for music and decided to jump into DJing.”

      And given her current struggle with local promoters always wanting to negotiate her fee down and her past health struggles, she certainly doesn’t take her milestones for granted – and these include winning the Queen of the Beat competition that was hosted by the City of Johannesburg and the Department of Arts and Culture and a resident Dj on 5Fm’s The Roger Goode Show.

      READ MORE: How Dyslexia Led Me To A Thriving Career In Art

      Fighting The Odds

      Miss Bee was diagnosed with type 3 Ameloblastoma in her early twenties, a rare cancer that had affected her right lower jaw.

      “Mine was a severe case – my right ear was always painful, I lost eyesight on the left, my hearing on the left ear also suffered and my jaw was abnormally swollen,” she shares, adding that she practically lived in hospitals between 2004 and 2006. Over time, her face became so deformed that she had to undergo three surgeries. The last and major op was a mandibulectomy, a surgical procedure where a small or huge chunk of one’s lower jaw bone is removed. “In my case, my left lower jaw was removed and replaced with a plate which helped give my face its shape again,” she explains. 

      During one of Botle’s hospital stays, her bed happened to be next to a window that overlooked a quiet road with a set of traffic lights nearby. “I’d keep busy by watching the traffic lights change from green to orange and red, while quietly interrogating God about when the pain and hospital stays would end,” she reflects. Her mental health had taken quite a knock too. “My tertiary studies had been interrupted, I felt stuck and wondered if I’d ever catch up to my peers,” she recalls.

      READ MORE: Author Janine Jellars Shares Her Simple Wellness Routine

      And Then There Was Light

      Coincidentally, around the time when these negative thoughts plagued Miss Bee’s thoughts, her mother and a group of church ladies came to pray for her. Before doing so, they read a Bible scripture from Isaiah 60: 22 which reads: ‘When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.’ 

      Since 2006 Miss Bee’s recovery journey has been peppered with many magical moments. Chief among them was the birth of her son Thabiso in 2009. “I really feel like God more than made up for all the years I was in hospital. In a lot of ways, I feel like Isaiah 60: 22 brought me back to life by restoring my hope,” she concludes, adding she is proof that whatever’s meant for you will always make its way to you – no matter how long it takes. 

      While recovering, Botle had to learn how to do a lot of basic things such as chewing, after a long period of eating through a straw. Graduating with a sports management qualification became one of her saving grace, she says. “Working out became my therapy. Whether running or dancing, I felt so alive. When I started working at Virgin Active as a trainer, the positive feedback I’d get after my classes also lifted my spirit. I’d almost lost my life, yet here I was inspiring others to take care of themselves.” Looking back at the things she’s achieved since her recovery, Botle is convinced that she wasn’t as ready as she is now.

      READ MORE: Radio Personality Gugu Mfuphi On The Lessons Learnt During Her Kilimanjaro Summit — And More

      Biggest Career Highlight

      “As a fitness trainer, it had always been my wish to be on the Women’s Health Fit Night Out stage. I came so close to this wish in 2017 when I made the top five in the WH Fit Star competition –  a great feat even though I didn’t win. My wish finally came true in 2023 when I played to a crowd of more than 2,000 women at Fit Night Out.”

      Best Lesson To Date

      “There’s more to life than sulking and self-pity. Having fought so hard for this second chance, I can safely say that challenges are purely there to shape us.”

      Four Things I Can’t Live Without

      God, family, my son and my phone. 

      Favourite Get-Up-And-Dance Track

      “Premier Gaou by Magic System. It takes me back to my happy childhood days and reminds me of how far I have come.”

      Lesser Known Fact About Me

      “I have a twin sister.” More

    • 150 Shares

      in lifestyle and culture

      This UK-based expert shares her top tips to overcome stress in 2024

      by

      Lifeby Sarah Joseph50 mins ago Maryam Meddin, founder of The Soke, a mental health and wellness clinic in London shares her tips on how to overcome stress in 2024.What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine look like?My alarm usually rings at 5am, after which I take a shower, fuel my system with coffee and ready to be out of the house by 6am. Unless there’s something that’s pressing on my mind, that hour would have been all about catching up with the news from around the world and I’ll have tried not to think about work.Talk us through your background.I was born in Iran but have spent most of my life in the UK, so I feel that I have the privilege of being enriched by two prominent cultures. There’s also been diversity in my professional life – I studied law, however later built a career in branding. When that was going well, I decided to explore my mental health through psychotherapy, which then led me to train as a psychotherapist, and finally towards the launch of The Soke.What inspired you to launch The Soke?There was a lot of loss in the first 25 years of my life, including the loss of my father and brother so, from a purely personal perspective, The Soke is really dedicated to them. I was around 40 when I decided to try therapy and it was a defining experience for me. Ultimately it was through this process of both being a user and a provider of mental health services that I was able to identify shortcomings on both sides and wanted to create a service that tried to address them.Tell us about the concept and what services does the clinic offer?We’re a private mental health centre with the full spectrum of services offered by psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists and coaches. It was designed to enable individuals with everyday issues (anxiety, depression, ADHD and more) to get the services they needed from a place that would treat them as clients, not patients. People don’t necessarily always know how to find the most appropriate solution for their emotional or psychological problems, so I wanted The Soke to provide all the options under the same roof and to have a strong service element that would help clients navigate the pathway that would serve them best. We satisfy their curiosity and support them so that they can make their own informed choices. You cannot overestimate the value of providing these sorts of tangential services around mental health, especially to parents who feel incredibly vulnerable when trying to make decisions around the care of their children. I believe that by making people feel empowered around their psychological health they’ll start engaging with their thoughts and emotions in a way that’s conducive to improving their wellness and therefore their quality of life. It’s no different to working with a personal trainer for your physical health: you fix the problem areas; you build strength and develop resilience in order to feel better overall.The clinic offers best-in-class psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors and leadership development specialists – tell us more.Our practitioners cover a range of specialties, from depression to ADHD to compulsive behaviours and everything in between. They’re all chosen based on their expertise and experience, as well as their appetite to collaborate with their peers to ensure that clients get the benefit of their pooled knowledge through a daily Multi-disciplinary Team Meeting. Paying practitioners to spend time quite simply talking to each other and sharing their insights is a model that doesn’t really exist in the private outpatient world, and this sort of collaborative ethos is why we’ve been lucky enough to draw some of the leading names in our field. Increasingly our clients are based outside the UK, and they come to us because our Multidisciplinary clinical model combined with the service element doesn’t really exist where they’re based.What are some of the major concerns that clients talk about?We’re inundated by calls requesting assessments: from ADHD to Educational Psychology and Autism – our primary responsibility is to make sure that concerns are reasonable, rather than say yes to everyone who wants to be tested. After that, it’s the ‘usual suspects’ of depression and anxiety – although we’re seeing much more of it in children than we used to. On the corporate side, workplace culture is playing an ever-growing role in the sustainability of organisations and so we work with a lot with leaders who are striving to strike the balance between being a leader that performs (from a business perspective) and one that transforms (from a cultural perspective). It demands a thoughtful type of leadership that allows consistency and change to co-exist and increasingly modern leaders are recognising the need to have a ‘safe space’ to ruminate and develop their thoughts.“I think that everyone should try to find that one space in their head, where going to it can bring them down from 100 to zero in a matter of minutes.”With stress levels constantly on the rise – what can help lower them?Naturally, I’m an advocate for talking – ideally to someone who doesn’t have a stake in your life and can help you to explore your anxieties without judgement or repercussion. Separate from that, I think that everyone should try to find that one space in their head, where going to it can bring them down from 100 to zero in a matter of minutes.How can employers create a working culture that boosts business resilience and growth?People in leadership positions need to lead by example: show strength in compassion and demonstrate a concerted effort to be a force for the good of the company’s people as well as its other stakeholders. The star players in any sector will want to work for those who can inspire them to succeed and grow as individuals as well as professionals – attracting and retaining talent is always an excellent starting point for longevity.What advice would you give to anyone who wishes to start therapy?A productive therapeutic process relies on the relationship of trust that exists between the client and practitioner – and that doesn’t come overnight, so after you’ve found someone with the right credentials, allow a couple of sessions to see if they feel right for you and whether you can envisage fully trusting this person at some point. That’s when the real work starts between you. Therapy isn’t designed to be fun – if you’re enjoying it because it’s easy then one of you isn’t doing your job right.We all want to start the year on a positive note – what would you recommend?Find that one thing to do or that one place in your head that gives you peace and visit it frequently.This is ‘The Alignment issue’ – what activities ensure you feel aligned daily?My alignment generally comes at the end of the day. I try to spend some time alone with my own thoughts to process and be ready for whatever’s coming next. The Soke’s core value is Generosity – to exercise it as frequently as opportunity allows, whether it’s with time, knowledge, kindness, humour or something tangible. I chose generosity not just because it’s such a positive attribute, but because it’s measurable. I can reflect on my day and examine whether I’ve lived by the value I espouse for my company. If the answer is yes, then I’m sufficiently aligned to fall asleep with a good conscience.January’s – The Alignment Issue with FitnGlam  – Download Now– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and InstagramImages: Supplied & Feature Image: Pexels @Anete Lusina  More

    • 163 Shares

      in lifestyle and culture

      Kintsugi Founder on pushing her vision forward to create a unique wellness space

      by

      Lifeby Camille Macawili38 mins ago Kintsugi, which translates to “joining with gold”, is a Japanese pottery repair technique of mending broken ceramic pieces with gold.Drawing from this inspiration of embracing imperfection is a new wellness concept located on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi that aims to uplift and empower its community.Here, Kintsugi Founder and wellness guru Patrizia Bortolin shares with Emirates Woman about finding the confidence to push her creative vision forward to create a unique space dedicated to wellness in Abu Dhabi.What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?I love starting slowly and gratefully. As a coffee specialist, I indulge in tasting my favourite brew right off the bat. Following this, I engage in a session of either yoga Nidra or Vipassana meditation – two practises that hold immense significance in my life.What is the idea behind Kintsugi?I’m guiding this beautiful project and community within a management board. I’m also particularly glad to curate the concept behind the brand and its future evolutions. Kintsugi Space, nestled within a pristine seven-floor pale pink building on Reem Island, is a haven for wellbeing. This carefully curated community brings together female wellbeing artists, healers, therapists, inventors, scientists, and coaches to address both emotional and physiological aspects. It’s a continuously evolving world of interactive experiences, cutting-edge technologies, exclusive signature treatments, transformative rituals and natural therapies within a sanctuary of peace, movement and stillness.How did you know it was the right time to launch Kintsugi and which steps led you to realise this path?The core idea of Kintsugi echoed within me since the first call to consult for the project. I embraced the challenge with an open heart, aiming to bring genuine inspiration and support for women navigating life’s challenges. Recognising the need for a more meaningful, sustainable and inspired approach to wellness, I laid the foundation of Kintsugi through an initial deepening and expansion of the original vision, strategic planning, then operational enhancements, creative execution, and ongoing training, creating a masterpiece of care and synergies between all those incredible women.Patrizia Bortolin, wellness guru and Kintsugi founderThere are three different branches within the brand. Can you expand on the different concepts?Kintsugi is a movement with aligned activities. The brand will develop, and new projects are expected in the coming year, catering to both our Abu Dhabi Space members and global wellness enthusiasts.Kintsugi offers a unique approach to self-care – what wellness activities and practises are available for members?At Kintsugi Space, we offer a diverse blend of ancient healing modalities, modern technologies, scientific expertise, creative wellness and holistic therapies. Our aim is to guide members toward happier and healthier lifestyles, defying categorisation as we blend healing, technology, culture, artistry and community. We believe in creating healthy routines, purifying the body, stimulating the mind, thinking less, enjoying and observing more. Our team of professionals, including wellbeing specialists, naturopathic doctors, nutritionists, and intuitive healers, provides personalised consultations and recommendations for a tailor-made service.Can you define the inspiration behind the flagship space?Kintsugi Space was inaugurated on 6th November 2023 and stands as Abu Dhabi’s first women-only member’s club specialising in holistic wellness. It’s an exquisite sanctuary in the heart of Al Reem Island to rest and reset with the help of pioneering wellness practitioners. Rooted in a vision of blending scientific innovations with vibrational energy work, ancient healing and holistic treatments, it offers whole wellbeing experiences supported by psychology and enhanced by unparalleled quantum technology.The space focuses on guiding customers to a higher frequency – why is this important to our overall wellness?Elevating frequency is crucial for overall wellness as it enhances the quality of everything around us, when the frequency is high, every global aspect of life feels better. It’s a measurable shift that encourages conscious living and mindful energy management.How is the wellness culture growing in the Middle East?We are delighted to inspire women in the region to explore holistic wellness. It’s time to navigate the diverse wellness offerings with a smooth, personalised approach, creating genuine values. While the last few years have seen a rise in the priority given to healing wellness, there’s still a need to bridge the gap in understanding on how to craft meaningful and effective offerings. At Kintsugi we promote conscious, joyful nutrition for a happier mind and gut, combined with the importance of having a calm mind and more awareness of how to improve energy. Natural beauty is encouraged to preserve energy and harmony. We can see a real interest from women in the Middle East in this matter.How do you measure success in the wellness industry?Success in the wellness industry, for me, is defined by significant improvements in both the team and guests’ daily lives. When a place is perceived as an oasis for self-discovery and the joy of being alive for everyone involved, that’s when true success is achieved.What are your therapeutic must-haves for modern-day mindfulness?Essential to my modern-day wellbeing are moments of stillness and silence, outside and inside. I particularly like smelling essential oils, each with its unique uplifting power – orange for joy, and lavender for relaxation for example. I’m a fan of natural remedies, tasty vegetarian food, meditation, quality massage, and face yoga. I deeply relax with a head and face massage, Vichy shower when available and I promote laughter yoga.This is The Alignment Issue – what activities help you align after a hectic day?After a bustling day, I find alignment through meditation, particularly Vipassana, and yoga Nidra. I was taught by an Indian nun that spending quality time cooking a meal for others prepared with fresh ingredients while focusing on good intentions, serves as a deep spiritual practise. I’m blessed by sharing a lot of time with a few authentic healers and great human beings and this is a huge support. Happiness is an inside job.January’s – The Alignment Issue with FitnGlam  – Download Now– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and InstagramImages: Supplied More

    • 138 Shares

      in lifestyle and culture

      Mindfulness must-haves: 10 journals and planners to acheive your 2024 goals

      by

      Life

      by Camille Macawili
      34 mins ago

      As the year is about to close, it’s the perfect time to do self-reflection and goal setting during this period.
      Before we go back to the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, why not get cosy and savour the slow days by jotting down what you want to accomplish for 2024.
      Whatever you need, Emirates Woman have selected the best wellness journals and planners from the Internet that help you keep track of your progress and achieve a healthy shift in mindset.
      Scroll through the gallery bellow for 10 of the best wellness journals:

      – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
      Feature Image: Instagram @leoniehanne More

    • 88 Shares

      in health and weelbeing

      15 Wellness Journals To Kickstart Your Year

      by

      If being more present, more of a go-getter or hitting certain goals is your new year MO, you’re going to need one of these wellness journals to get there.

      Journalling is a powerful tool for wellness. It boosts your mindfulness by helping you reflect and stay on course. Journalling can help you achieve your goals, help you gain self-confidence and can even improve your writing and communication skills. Per Rochester University, it can improve your stress, manage anxiety and even help you cope with depression.

      Plus, research links journalling with boosted immune function, since journalers see fewer doctors for stress-related incidences. It also helps cultivate gratitude, which in turn leads to greater contentment and happiness with life.

      These wellness journals tick all the boxes and each is designed specifically to help you reach your goals, achieve greater wellness and cultivate inner peace. These are the 2024 wellness journals we’re loving.

      Wellness Diary by Typo

      This journal, which comes in a variety of hardcovers, is perfect for building and maintaining healthy habits. You don’t just use it to jot down your daily to-dos, either. Each day comes with a water tracker, and a brief reflection activity to fill out. Use it to track your mental health and see your gratitude grow.

      Wellness Journal By Arcturus Publishing  

      Use this embossed baby to record your physical and mental health accomplishments. You can record your daily fitness and health goals, set daily priorities and check in with yourself.

      My Wellness Journal By Melissa Christie

      This focused journal helps you tap into your hormones so you can harness their power. Learn more about your cycle, track its symptoms, note your meals, water intake and movement patterns. There are tons of prompts for reflections and making sense of things—an all-in-one health journal.

      The Manifestation Journal By Gill Thackray

      Manifestation is having its moment and you can harness its energy by learning to lean into what sets you on fire and how to manifest what you want. Learn about your fears and how to rise above them with this book, by mindfulness teacher and psychologist Gill Thackray.

      READ MORE: 15 Best Journalling Apps To Start The New Year With More Mindfulness

      The Anti-Burnout Journal By Bex Spiller

      You don’t need to start this journal on the 1st of January. It spans 12 weeks, and with it, you can learn about what causes prolonged stress and take charge of it. It spans 12 weeks with weekly lessons and challenges to help beat burnout, delivered through the pages of the journal alongside an online dashboard with lifetime access to video lessons in yoga, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition and breath work.

      The Wellbeing Journal By MIND

      This journal, created in partnership with MIND, the mental health charity, spans pages and pages of helpful, productive prompts that allow you to express yourself. Find colouring pages, drawing prompts and contemplative quotes within the pages and journal yourself to mental health.

      One Question A Day By Aimee Chase

      This five-year journal serves as a time capsule for your brain. Answer just one question every day and after a while, look back on this book and be taken by what your life looked like, what you thought, how you felt, how your world was shaped. Plus, when you’re faced with a blank page, it can be that much harder to pencil your thoughts. This book takes that intimidation away.

      READ MORE: 5 Morning Routines That Actually Work, According To Science

      Do It For Yourself By Kara Cutruzzula

      Made by creativity and productivity expert Kara Cutruzzula, this book is a go-getter’s manual. Find 75 thought-provoking prompts and work through the stages of getting going, building momentum and overcoming setbacks. It also encourages mindfulness through every word written.

      Life Balance: A Journal of Self-Discovery By Robie Rogge and Dian G Smith

      Finding balance is the MO of this reflective journal. In it, you can pose yourself questions like, ‘What threw me off today?’ ‘Am I off-balance?’, among others. A helpful place to touch base and slow down, mindfully.

      One Line A Day By Chronicle Books

      Take the work out of being mindful by writing just one line a day. This is for busy people who still would like to reflect, as well as for anyone else. It’s also great for looking back and reflecting on what was going on in years past. Capture your memories any way you’d like, using photos, drawings or paint. Each page is thoughtfully made for your creations.

      So Calm Fitness & Wellness Journal

      With this book, you can track your wellness but also set intentions, take note of what feels good and reflect on your goals, habits, meals and more. A helpful companion.

      I Am Grateful By Typo

      Creating more gratitude in your life can boost your contentment and happiness, per studies. This year-long journal helps you do just that with simple prompts that allow you to write, draw and express your feelings every day. It’s undated so could work at any given time.

      The Morning Journal By My Self Love Supply

      This hit Insta account, with over 3 million fans on Instagram, now has a journal for harnessing your mornings and taking the power of the day for yourself. Find gentle prompts to understand your needs, with reflective as well as planning pages.

      READ MORE: Are Wellness Shots With Turmeric, Ginger, Or ACV Actually Good For You? A Dietician Weighs In

      Becoming: A Guided Journal For Discovering Your Voice By Michelle Obama

      You’ve read the book, now use her smarts to direct your path with this voice-finding journal. Find inspiring quotes and prompts to help you discover your story. It’s a journal for doing the deep inner work and finding yourself through these reflections. A powerful tool.

      I Am Here Now By The Mindfulness Project

      By working through these pages, you can harness mindfulness and bring a new awareness to your senses, thoughts and emotions. The pages help you practise meditation with an audio track guided by internationally renowned mindfulness teacher Tara Brach.

      Women’s Health participates in various affiliate marketing programmes, which means we may get commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. More

    • 150 Shares

      in health and weelbeing

      If The Festive Season Stresses You Out, Try These Psychologist-Backed Coping Strategies

      by

      It’s the end of the year and that means summer holidays, late nights, family gatherings — you know the drill. And it can all feel pretty overwhelming, right? Know first, that you’re not alone. Per Harvard Medical School, 62% of survey respondents felt somewhat stressed or experienced elevated stress levels over the festive season.

      Noa Belling, somatic psychologist and best-selling author of The Mindful Body has simple, smart strategies to help you make it through festive season stress, emotionally and physically unscathed.

      Scenario: The Office Party

      You feel: Overwhelmed. 

      It’s loud. It’s crowded. You’re tired and overwhelmed. Belling suggests you go for a brief mindful walk. “The movement can be calming and will help you reconnect with yourself. This works because when you drop attention down into your body and away from your thoughts of being overwhelmed, you ground and centre yourself,” she explains.

      As you walk, take a few deep breaths and let go of thoughts of the party and people. Massage any tense areas in your body and do a few stretches to loosen up. “Dropping attention into our bodies in a supportive, nurturing kind of way can promote feel-good hormones to help you feel more comfortable. It can also free your brain to think more clearly,” says Noa.

      READ MORE: It’s Official: Stress Makes Us Crave Junk Food

      Scenario: A Family Gathering

      You feel: Defensive.

      Family gatherings can be stressful, especially when there’s unresolved tension, but remember compassion: to yourself and your family. “Pause to use self-supportive touch, such as placing a hand or even just a couple of fingers on your chest or over your heart. This can be a tangible reminder of compassion that you can direct as you choose. Assisted by the release of oxytocin through touch, which ignites feelings of nurturing and care, you can be reminded to take care of yourself. You might even feel inclined to extend kindness and care to others too because oxytocin also inspires this,” explains Belling.

      Scenario: You Over-Indulged

      You feel: Guilty.

      There’s food everywhere!? It’s hard not to overindulge. And if you did, you need to let the feelings of guilt and shame go. “Feelings of shame, self-criticism, inadequacy and guilt can have the same effect on us as trauma. They can cause us to freeze up inside. This can make us really anxious or we can succumb to feeling down, helpless and hopeless. The effect on our brains is to cut us off from our ability to see a bigger picture and to access higher-level thinking like rationality, creativity and insight,” says Belling.

      Basically, you start to feel stuck when you dwell on the negative. Best way to get past this? Exercise. “Moving our bodies gets oxygen and blood flowing to wake up and energise body and mind,” says Belling. “Make time for a walk, run, swim, cycle, yoga class or whatever you prefer. This can build your sense of personal strength with a boost of feel-good motivation. Reaching out to someone who cares for support and to talk some sense into you can also help.”

      READ MORE: 10 Best Essential Oils To Help Relieve Anxiety and Stress

      Scenario: There’s Activity Overload

      You feel: Exhausted.

      With festive season stress, you might feel run down and out of touch with yourself from all the socialising and attending to others’ needs. To combat this, take some time out for yourself. “Focus on doing something you love and something your body needs, whether that’s activity or rest,” says Belling. “Make a priority of going to the gym, a yoga class, reading in your favourite quiet place, meditating, gardening, being creative in your own way or whatever feeds you.” More

    • 125 Shares

      in health and weelbeing

      Enjoy Your Downtime (Without Feeling Guilty) In 3 Easy Steps

      by

      If you’re one of those people who leave the office only to grind away when you arrive home, postponing even the simple act of eating — we’re talking to you! We all have permission to relax and do absolutely nothing from time to time, a concept the Italians refer to as il dolce far niente.

      READ MORE: Here’s Why Burnout Among Women Is A Bigger Issue Than You’d Think

      On a serious note though, believing that taking time out will only leave you more anxious and is therefore a waste of time was linked to less happiness and more depression, anxiety and stress, per a study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Our constant focus on achieving more and more, without ever pausing to smell the roses is actually counterproductive, says Johannesburg clinical psychologist Sandra Papoutsis. “It actually keeps us on a never-ending treadmill of expectations that prevents us from experiencing the present moment,” says Papoutsis.

      READ MORE: Author Rešoketšwe Manenzhe On Pursuing Simplicity For Better Mental Clarity

      Unwinding seems like too much? Remember that not everything needs to have a goal, a bit of a difficult mindset to adopt if you’re a recovering workaholic. You can start by unplugging from email and social media in favour of spending time with those you love, especially when nothing’s (urgent) on the agenda. Or schedule solo time to catch up on reading, TV or organising your closet.

      3 Steps To Help You Enjoy Your Downtime According To An Expert

      Clinical psychologist Sandra Papoutsis recommends following these simple steps

      1. Switch Off

      “Give yourself permission to turn off! It’s pointless taking time out if you allow your thoughts to leave you feeling guilty. Remember that you’re in charge of your thoughts and only you can turn them off.”

      How To: Repeat self-affirming mantras, focus on what you can do now (not the future), take deep breaths, inhale a calming essential oil such as chamomile, clary sage or lavender.

      READ MORE: The Thing About Self-Care Is…

      2. Embrace Your Senses

      “Mindfully bring yourself into the moment; what can you hear, see, smell, taste and feel? This practice will distract you from those intrusive thoughts that drain your energy.”

      How To: Get into the habit of engaging with various scents (freshly brewed coffee, fragrances, flowers etc), savour the flavours of food and drinks, go in for those long affirming hugs or treat yourself to a massage.

      3. Recharge Mindfully

      “Choose activities that fulfil you and feed your senses; indulging the senses facilitates recharge. In essence, dedicate more time to being in the moment!”

      How To: Sit in nature, take a scented bath, listen to music, or analyse the lyrics to your favourite song. More

    • 125 Shares

      in health and weelbeing

      How Dyslexia Led Me To A Thriving Career In Art

      by

      Lerato Motau’s art career is testament to the fact that life is never to be measured by what we lack or can’t do. This also happens to be a lesson that she has instilled in her two daughters – one of whom is dyslexic just like her. Things started unfolding when Lerato Motau; an artist who employs paint and embroidery in her work; was in Grade 8. Aged 16, she had just failed Grade 8 for the third time when her mother was called in by the school to inform her that: “Something is wrong with your daughter.” 

      READ MORE: Radio Personality Gugu Mfuphi On The Lessons Learnt During Her Kilimanjaro Summit — And More

      The school insisted that she consult an educational psychologist. The year was 1990 and such services were few and far in between.

      “My mother took me to Baragwanath Hospital (now Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital) where luckily, they’d soon be having an educational psychologist from the UK consulting for them. “Following a range of tests, the educational psychologist diagnosed me with dyslexia and explained that a remedial school wouldn’t work for my condition,” she recalls.

      Dyslexic as a teen, Lerato’s self-esteem took quite a knock while her anxiety peaked. Confused, she kept asking herself: “How will I navigate the world? What would my peers think of me? How am I going to explain myself?”

      But as the saying goes, nothing beats accepting a situation for what it is. 

      Enter Art

      Lerato’s mom enrolled her at the Johannesburg Art Foundation in Saxonworld, Johannesburg. Here, Lerato realised that while she couldn’t express herself using the written word, she did far better in oral exams and when creating things with her hands. “Art school taught me to speak up and boosted my confidence because I clearly had a talent and could finally do something right. The lecturers were really attentive to students’ needs which made me feel comfortable in class.

      “Making art made me feel talented. I majored in painting. I graduated with a Fine Arts and Teaching Diploma Enrolled in 1994 and later enrolled for a Craft Enterprise qualification at the Craft Council where we were taught how to run our art like a business. In 2005, I did another short course in basic embroidery. In the same year, I attended a handmade felt making workshop which included crocheting and knitting,” she explains.

      In fact, it was during this very workshop where she remembered just how much she loved needlework in primary school and years later, it was beneficial. “In that moment, I remembered that nothing ever happens by chance,” she muses. 

      READ MORE: These 3 Mental Exercises Can Help You Find Your Purpose In Life At Any Age

      Stitching Stories Together

      Lerato started making art in 1996 after being introduced to an art collector by a friend and mentor. With all the skills she had learned, Lerato experimented with textile art, choosing to fuse painting with embroidery. “Every stitch goes through a journey and every artwork tells a unique story,” she says. Lerato has since had two solo exhibitions since the start of her career in 2010 and 2022 respectively. She’s also been commissioned by many corporates to create her unique pieces for display at their offices – among them SAB, Nandos London, ABSA, FNB, Pikitup, BRT Maraisburg bus station, Exxara (previously Eyesizwe), FNB, The Leonardo in Sandton, DBSA (Botswana) and the North West University satellite campus located in the Vaal.

      She also teaches kids basic embroidery and art with the aim that they will grow up knowing that academia is not the only path to success. Her work has also been showcased at international exhibitions – her most recent being at the Affordable Art Fair in the UK, where her gallery Art in the Yard went on her behalf. 

      Overcoming Dyslexia

      “When my first daughter was born, I couldn’t spell nor write her name. When I was younger, my mom would write basic information for me in a diary. Dyslexia affects the most basic things, things that many take for granted,” explains Lerato, adding that she can’t read English, Setswana and Afrikaans but she’s sharp with numbers.

      Lerato still keeps a diary where she writes the basic info that she needs daily – and that makes life easier. For instance, when she has to fill out a form, she’ll write down all the info in her diary and then copy everything across. For work, she makes notes with every piece that she creates and has a friend who writes all her proposals. “When I knew that I’d overcome dyslexia was when she taught her daughters how to read using the sounding out method. When my eldest daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of four, I had long spotted the signs and was determined to help her overcome it early,” she enthuses.

      Her eldest daughter is currently in her second year at university. And unlike in her own case where dyslexia affected her self-esteem, Lerato always urges her daughter to explain dyslexia to those who don’t understand and share her story to inspire others. “I always encourage parents to take teachers’ feedback seriously –  thinking that your child is being victimised may be a waste of the child’s life/time. There are so many resources and professionals who are well equipped to help children co-exist well with dyslexia.”

      READ MORE: Here’s Why Burnout Among Women Is A Bigger Issue Than You’d Think

      Lessons Learnt

      Where dyslexia is concerned, there are still a lot of myths that need to be demystified. “There are many successful and famous people, such as Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Branson and Tom Cruise amongst others, who have overcome dyslexia. When I tell my story to people who don’t know me, they immediately assume that I’m disabled then turn around and ask how dyslexia works because I seem complete,” she says, adding that she’s learnt to not judge people based on their looks.

      Second to that, Lerato always remembers how far she’s come and has committed to laughing and smiling regularly.

      “I once saw a meme that said, ‘when we laugh, our bodies don’t recognise that there’s nothing funny happening’.” Lastly, she credits her healthy state of mind to therapy. “If it weren’t for therapy, I’d still be angry at the teachers and everyone else who used to make fun of me.” 

      Below is some of the art Lerato created from scratch for the Affordable Art Fair in the UK, which opened on 18 October 2023.

      To buy her art or to organise a private viewing, contact Lerato on Facebook (Lerato Motau) and Instagram (LeratoMotauStudios).  More