Mental functioning is one of the less spoken about topics; yet mental functioning is very important for one to be fully optimal. One of the reasons for this silence is that people are less informed about it and classify it as a sickness or “madness” where a better description would be a mental chemical imbalance.
Physical disabilities are more acceptable to society in comparison to mental disability. Mental disability is something one cannot control, most of the time it is a genetic condition caused by chemical imbalance in the brain. We insure all other body parts in case of an accident and forget about the mind or brain trauma.
Pandemics such as Covid 19 are reported to be some of the traumatic experiences that will bring about mental conditions to people due to the financial stress, anxiety and self-isolation that goes with it. It has also been reported that the pandemic will increase the survey figures from the World Health Organisation and that 30% of South Africans will suffer a mental challenge in the course of their lifetimes.
It is difficult for someone who goes through a period of mental chemical imbalance to talk about it due to the stigma attached to it, the lower levels of energy to engage and the feelings of self-doubt.
The positive is to remember that it can be medically treated as well as by personal effort. We can deal with toxic thoughts and create a positive mindset as it also addresses the chemical imbalance and given the opportunity, one can function well again.
In the longer term we all need to accept and be conscious about the fact that we are different to one another and that’s what makes our working environments unique. Separate the person and the behaviour and accept the next person unconditionally, leave biasness behind and focus on what you bring to the table as a unique individual.
With the focus on Mental Illness and Awareness this month the My Pocket Coach team would like to encourage open discussions about Mental Health and we are open to any questions that can be directed at [email protected]
Cover image by Kylli from Unsplash
