Africa-Press – Eswatini. As children, we want to be grown ups and have things, be allowed to partake in grown certain activities, and have money, because that is what life looked like at that age.
As adults, we want to go back to being children, having the people world take care of us, simply because, and be able to eat, play and sleep without having to get up and handle our responsibilities towards our desired success.
Mind-set, perspective, discipline and attitude are just some of the things that affect our live and how we live it. We are taught about the difference between good behaviour, and bad behaviour.
We are taught to have manners, be honest and respectful. It ends all up with decision making. How we decide look at, handle or think about the impactful actions of our lives.
Our elders who tend to be our advisors, influences youth a lot from how they behave, just as much as the words they share.
It is through what we experience and what the people around us experience that often influences and determines our behaviour, personalities, habits and beliefs.
I intend to take you to that nostalgic thought to introduce and remind you of self-care, loving yourself, and the importance of taking care of yourself; physically, mentally and emotionally, as all things work hand in hand to shape the outcome your life.
I thought it would be a good time to dialogue around the theme of personal health and the importance of understanding it. Of course, we cannot control every aspect of our lives, but we can but we can decide how we handle and approach these various aspects.
Health, What’s that?
Physical health refers to the overall well-being and functioning of the body through exercise, nutrition, and proper care.
It plays a vital role in one’s overall health and success in life. When a person is physically healthy, it positively impacts other areas of their life, such as relationships, career, and personal growth.
First of all, relationships are significantly affected by our physical health. People appear to have more energy, a happier mood, and less stress when they are physically well.
This encourages increased participation in social interactions, strengthening connections and establishing an appealing environment for establishing and sustaining relationships. Engaging in socially engaging physical activities, like sports or group exercise classes, is another common way to maintain physical health. These activities create friendships, teamwork, and social experiences.
Secondly, a successful career can depend heavily on a person’s physical health. Sustaining good physical health improves general ability to think, productivity, and focus.
Frequent exercise enhances memory, focus, and mental clarity all of which are necessary for delivering top performance at work. Furthermore, having good physical health affects one’s looks, self-worth, and confidence, all of which have a beneficial effect on professional connections, job interviews, and promotions.
And this goes for any industry that you work in. Being able to stay fit regularly aids in an increased efficiency for most professions and careers.
Lastly, physical health contributes to personal growth. Engaging in physical activities challenges and pushes individuals beyond their comfort zones, fostering personal development and resilience.
Regular exercise releases endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ hormones, which improve mental well-being and promote a positive outlook on life. This positive mind-set and increased self-confidence enable individuals to set and achieve personal goals, explore new opportunities, and overcome obstacles, leading to personal growth and self-fulfilment.
So, it seems as if physical health is crucial for overall health and success in life. It positively impacts relationships by improving energy levels and reducing stress, enhances career success through increased productivity and self-confidence, and encourages personal growth by challenging individuals and promoting a positive mind-set.
Prioritising physical health is essential for achieving success and happiness in various aspects of life.
Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how an individual thinks, feels, and acts, and also influences our ability to handle stress, make decisions, and relate to others.
Firstly, mental health positively impacts relationships, just like physical health. When individuals have good mental health, they are more likely to have healthy and fulfilling relationships with others.
They are better able to communicate effectively, empathise with others, and maintain emotional balance, which strengthens their connections with family, friends, and our romantic partners. Additionally, individuals with good mental health are generally more self-aware, which allows them to understand their own emotions and needs, leading to better conflict resolution and increased intimacy in relationships.
Secondly, mental health positively influences career success, just like physical health. When individuals have good mental health, they are more likely to be productive, motivated, and engaged in their work.
They have better concentration, problem-solving abilities, and decision-making skills, enabling them to perform at their best. Additionally, good mental health promotes resilience, allowing individuals to bounce back from work stresses, handling stress effectively, which is crucial in the professional environment.
Positive mental health also produces creativity, innovation, and adaptability, all of which are highly valued in most professional settings.
And again, mental health positively impacts personal growth, just like physical health. When individuals prioritise their mental well-being, they become more self-aware, gaining a deeper understanding of their emotions, thoughts, and values.
This self-awareness enables them to identify areas for personal growth and take steps towards self-improvement.
Good mental health also enhances self-confidence and self-esteem, enabling individuals to set and achieve realistic goals, pursue new opportunities, and take on challenges. Moreover, it fosters a positive mind-set, which helps individuals develop resilience and cope with adversity, allowing for personal growth and development even in the face of difficulties.
Emotional health refers to the state of our emotional well-being, encompassing our ability to understand and manage our emotions effectively. It involves being aware of our feelings, expressing them in a healthy manner, and adapting to the challenges and changes that life presents.
Emotional health is crucial for maintaining overall well-being as it impacts various aspects of our lives, including our relationships, career, and personal growth.
In terms of relationships, emotional health plays a significant role in creating and maintaining healthy connections with others. When we are emotionally healthy, we are more likely to have a positive outlook, empathy, and effective communication skills.
emotional
This allows us to build strong and fulfilling relationships, as we are better equipped to understand and support the emotional needs of ourselves and those around us. By nurturing emotional health, we can cultivate deeper connections, resolve conflicts peacefully, and experience greater intimacy in our relationships.
Emotional health also has a direct impact on our career success. When we are emotionally healthy, we are better able to manage stress, handle setbacks, and maintain motivation.
This enables us to perform well in our professional lives and adapt to the demands of the workplace. Emotional well-being contributes to increased productivity, effective teamwork, and the ability to handle challenges constructively.
Additionally, individuals with high emotional intelligence are often sought after in the job market, as they possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate complex social dynamics.
Furthermore, emotional health is essential for personal growth and self-development.
When we prioritise our emotional well-being, we become more self-aware and gain insight into our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This self-awareness allows us to identify areas of improvement, set meaningful goals, and take proactive steps towards personal growth.
Emotional health also enables us to manage our emotions in a healthy manner, leading to improved resilience, coping strategies, and overall psychological well-being. By nurturing our emotional health, we can develop a greater sense of self-esteem, self-acceptance, and a more fulfilling life.
So basically, health is the foundation for overall well-being in this life, impacting our relationships, career, and personal growth. By understanding and managing our health regularly, we can develop healthy relationships, excel professionally, and experience personal fulfilment.
Therefore, prioritising and maintaining health is crucial for leading a balanced and satisfying life.
Keeping Up our Mental Health
Because we have addressed and understood the various forms of health and how they impact our well-being, I thought it would be a good thing to speak to some local professionals and public figures, to discuss the importance of mental health and being able to speak openly about it within our communities.
Considering that he just released a short film about dealing with mental health and the affects it has on the people around those who suffer from mental issues, I had a chat the people’s champion, with Ndosh WebeNgunee.
His film actually got me thinking about this week’s edition.
That, and Kohle’s single, ‘Mental Station’. I love to see creatives address topics of mental health because society tends to think that creatives are immune to mental health problems or are even affected by them, because creatives are often seen as the happy, jolly, energetic people who are ALWAYS GOOD. Creatives are humans too.
Creatives are at work, building their careers, chasing bills, dealing with personal challenges, and trying to be the best they can be, just like in any career or profession, across the entire world. We all need an outlet to just be.
Ndosh gave me some insight into his feelings around mental health. Speaking on the importance of mental health in the entertainment and lifestyle sector, Ndosh acknowledged that it goes way beyond just the creative space.
When we discussed how important it is for creatives to manage their health, Ndosh explained ‘well, it is not only creatives that have this kind of responsibility but all humankind.
responsibility
Maybe we can use creatives as the VOICE that amplifies mental health, we can task them with the responsibility of being focal people, help us curate content that will educate us on different disorders and different coping mechanisms while at it.”
He also suggested some ways that local institutions and organisations would be able to help our people with learning and dealing with health issues.
“Introduce mental health programs on traditional media. That’s your radio, television and newspapers as well. We’re basically on the microwave generation zone now so we could also apply some of the forums that are quite relevant now, such as YouTube, Tik tok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.”
I related to that because just like his short video, he used social media platforms to tell his story, and local media houses picked that up and reported on it.
He also spoke on how our government and local business could support people who are affected by mental health.
“Our government has one big role to play and it comes in as resources. Look, one can easily say money but in all honesty I think resources are much more feasible. If we can have structures that are set up just for resource mobilisation, all else will fall in place like a domino effect” he expressed during our chat. And I have to agree with him.
It also requires those of us who suffer or have suffered from similar issues to actively research and find these structures that can assist us with our health. He added that “all of local entites could be actively involved actually. It’s quite difficult to narrow it down to one specific organisation because we are all affected by mental health. I’d encourage every organisation or corporate even government offices to at least set up wellness offices, that way we are one step closer to combating mental health issues.”
We also got into the discussion of his personal experiences, which he stated he really couldn’t get into too much, due to his agreements within his profession. But he did explain how his experiences shaped his persona and creativity.
“Well I noticed how there’s actually a big gap. There are so many issues discussed, like gig guides, the latest trend, latest eatery, latest song, how we’re attending the next festival. It seemed as if we have everything figured out and ready to serve nothing but quality entertainment, however the biggest question is ‘are we OK really, honestly are we really OK, are we using these entertainment spots for pure entertainment or we’re using them as an escape?’
So now the short films that we’ve produced aim at giving a different type of entertainment, fun but educative at the same time.
It is important to leave a mark in people’s lives and this is no different, this is my gospel” Ndosh shared.
I have to commend him for following and enthusiastically covering these topics as a local creative. Having a voice to speak up about these things creates awareness, which is beneficial to our own society in the long run.
Even Ndosh enjoys exercising to keep himself healthy. I too have always found refuge in sport, to a point where I even so the benefits of it through my physical feeling, mental health and emotional reactions to stress and challenges.
Exercise has the power to refresh the body, even when one is exhausted. Hard work, which results in benefits all round. Ndosh explained “I exercise as much as possible, I actually realised that, gym is the only place that can break me so it can make me, read that again. Also, exercising teaches you how to fail to become a better version of yourself.
Hard as it is to find this calibre of people, well spend enough time with people that fan your flame, always!”
In the end of our talk, Ndosh shared some words of wisdom for local communities, mainly within the youth of today who struggle with managing their mental health.
“One way to have conversations is to be consistent, let’s have the small conversations, the simple one’s, the funny one’s, the lame one’s, these small conversations open up a rapport for the harder one’s. When they come eventually they actually find the communication line open. Wheuw eish.
There’s no formula to this however I can vouch for working hard. Hard work beats talent any day. Be clean, people like associating themselves with a clean brand. Show up, matter how small the project may be, show up, be consistent in showing up ready to achieve.”
Health is Wealth
So there you have it. Overal health is benefitial to one’s success. It definatly isn’t easy to achieve all the time.
But constant effort, consideration of others and their feeling and mind-set play a huge role in our overall well being. I hope we can all learn from this weeks topic, with the hopes that we be kinder to each other, work with confidence, and continue to love ourselves and those around us to build a better society. By Siyabonga Nsibandze
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
