Chronicle Editor
Juliet Makondora-Mateta
The Mental Health Awareness Week’s theme for this year, “Kindness” is apt considering the global Covid-19 pandemic we are faced with.
The week started on Monday and ends on Monday.
Kindness strengthens relationships, builds community and promotes solidarity. During this time, everyone seems to have a mixed bag of emotions; fear and worry about our personal health and that of others, sadness and anger as to why this has to happen to us, guilt about things that we should be doing but are not able to because of the lockdown for example, providing for our families and providing services to our consumers.
The fact that some people are recovering from the virus has resurrected some hope in most people. Uncertainty; not knowing if life will ever be the same again, when the virus will go away and if it will go away for good or not. All this requires a little bit of kindness. Kindness reduces stress and increases emotional resilience.
You don’t know what the next person is going through, the least you can do is to be kind to them. Kindness does not necessarily mean being kind to others only, you have to be kind to yourself as well, and you cannot pour from an empty cup hence taking good care of yourself is crucial.
Taking care of yourself includes eating well, having enough sleep, exercising, resting, meditating, doing things that make you happy, stress management, communication, asking for help when you need it, having a strong support system, having some alone time and so on. One should have positive thoughts during this time and avoid thinking negatively as these thoughts affect feelings and behaviours.
When you have taken care of yourself, you can then be able to take care of others and be someone else’s support system. Being kind is simply saying nice things to others, offering to help those in need, smiling, encouraging others, caring about others, sharing even the little that you have, giving a listening ear to others, using good manners and being genuinely happy for others.
It does not hurt to compliment the next person; just go ahead and tell them that they look nice. Mental health is everyone’s business. Mental health problems can affect anyone at any time. Helping others is good for your individual mental health and wellbeing, it improves mental wellness.
Let’s not forget those that have mental health conditions and are on treatment, during these trying times, their mental health conditions can worsen as they will be anxious and can go into distress.
We need to be extra kind to them and encourage them to take their medication, even when it seems like they do not appreciate us or our efforts. This goes beyond mental health practitioners. It is the role of the society to show kindness in their actions and words. Our children learn from our behaviours and the environment, so be a good example and spread kindness so that they can do the same.
Children are most likely to show kindness when given the responsibility to do so (such as taking care of a pet), encourage them by telling them you are counting on them. Even unkind people need kindness the most, who knows maybe one day they will be kind.
Remember, there is no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
Having said that, another crucial thing during this pandemic is creating and maintaining strong relationships. We do not live in a vacuum and we need each other the most during these trying times.
Some people have family members that are in different parts of the world and some whom are even frontline workers therefore checking in with them often can help them cope and reduce loneliness.
This can be done through voice calls, emails, video calls, text messages, video chat and social media. While communicating through the different platforms, remember to be kind and avoid spreading false information and saying negative things to your loved ones.
Everyone knows a person that they can reach out to; that old lady next door, that little girl who is an orphan and stays with her grandmother, that little boy who needs some clothes, that children’s home in your area, that mental health department at your nearest health care facility.
They all need your help and it does not have to be monetary only.
Contribute in kind if you can and in cash if you have the capacity. You can make a great impact in someone’s life. They say people may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.
It is sad to hear that there is a spike in gender-based violence and child abuse cases during this lockdown. Instead of taking out your frustrations on your partner or your children, learn to manage your emotions and be hopeful, this too shall pass.
Parents, please do not think that it is only you that are affected by this lockdown, even the children want to go to school. They want to go out and play with their friends and they wonder every single day if this is the new normal. I encourage every parent to be patient with their children and not worsen the situation by taking out their frustrations on them. Charity begins at home, the kindness must start in your own home.
The Bible encourages us to be kind to one another, even enemies. The Bible verses allow God to speak to hearts on the importance of kindness, which in turn leads to goodness in the world. Let us all play our role during this Mental Health Awareness Week and be kind to ourselves and others. Kindness matters; it is like a muscle that needs to be strengthened through repeated use.
Kindness is contagious, the more you exercise acts of kindness the more the people that surround you become kinder. Remember that kindness improves the immune system, increases energy, and brings about a more optimistic and happier outlook on life. I challenge you to be kind to yourself, practise self-care and be kind to those that surround you.
Juliet Makondora-Mateta is a community psychologist.
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