LEADERSHIP

One of my favourite animals is an elephant. It doesn’t matter how often I see them, I still find them to be majestic creatures that silently command respect. Not because of their size, although I have to say that they are massively intimidating. Their character, in my opinion, often seems at times far superior than that of us human beings. The matriarch plays a critical role in influencing the livelihood of the herd. She exudes tremendous wisdom and inner strength to guide and influence the herd to better pasture, especially for water during the dry, hot season. The matriarch has lived long enough and has had immense experience to understand that her social impact may either make or break the strength of the herd. She needs to have spatial awareness of her herd to be sensitive enough for the emotional connectedness with regards to behavioral character of each animal. For the herd to thrive and be in place of absolute wholesome mental strength, the matriarch must be strong and humble to understand each individual

elephant and how they behave. The past couple of months have tested our parentalleadership abilities in our household for my husband and I. Covid has impacted many families and has caused confusion – as others might say, disorientation. Many parents, guardians, adults, and children alike have suffered mental health breakdown. Leadership is a fundamental feature of family governance and social governance. We should look at the health of the family from mental, physical, and emotional perspective and the impact the deficiencies may have for an individual and a society. This determines how the family or society progresses and there ought to be no disconnection because there will be regression in how we live and relate to one another. We are to maintain a safe and responsible environment for our children and ourselves to flourish. This starts with us as parents. Our minds need to be refreshed and our cups to be filled. I believe that if the “One” who created heaven and earth took time off from His creation to rest, how much more us? We are far from perfect and as leaders we ought to recognise that for us to give our best we need to take care of ourselves. Taking care of myself comes in the form of crossfit, a healthy diet and being outside with nature. It allows me to focus and “regroup” with myself, so that I am able to focus on the days’ tasks and plan ahead for only what is in my control. I’m then able to give of myself to my husband and out three children and those around me. The closer we are to the governing guidelines of

God, the more we will be refreshed and nourished to be able to care for our children in a sound and mentally healthy manner. If you look in the Bible, King Saul was no different to us. He worked tirelessly to lead his people and lead his army into battle. The stress and demands of the job led him to suffer tremendous depression. Such is the case when we as people experience total burnout and work-life related stress which may lead to depression. According to Karasek’s job stress model, a combination of high demands and low control at work will lead to psychological stress, which can eventually lead to chronic disease, including psychopathology. Several elements in the story of King Saul are illustrative of the effects of job related stress. Those who are called to lead are to understand that in this life, on this side of heaven you will always face challenges. There are some things you can control and there are some things you cannot control. The question is, what do you chose to focus on? How do you successfully lead people to reach their potential and do their best when life in and of itself is demanding?

Start the day off with what is important. Fill your cup, feed your inner

Spirit man so that you have enough strength to face the demands of the day. When you neglect yourself, you risk burn-out and being disengaged with those around you. Paul’s letter to the Philippians contains a good example: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ”I leave you

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Mental Health is a struggle more and more people are confronting and

These can occur in conjunction with anxiety and range from mild to severe. Part of removing the stigma is creating a safe space to discuss people’s experiences with mental health, to make sure that everyone knows that it’s okay to have these experiences and that they’re not alone and to ultimately seek help. We asked some of our readers what their experience with mental health has been. Here are some of the responses we got. Hopefully as you read this you’ll see some of the thoughts you’ve had and develop a greater sensitivity and understanding to those around you.

My experience has been limited in dealing with mental health. I have a sister who was diagnosed with depression and dealt with it for about 3 years, until she was cleared to stop taking the anti-depressants. Praise God. Throughout that time I can say none of us in the family really understood what she was going through. Only now that mental health is widely spoken of am I learning to take better care of myself as well.

To double check with myself that I’m not crazy. Sometimes you can feel like you’re losing it a bit and it’s good to check that you’re not.

When I first encountered depression, I had no idea what it was, and no idea that it even existed. I was going through a very tough spell at work, balancing that against professional exams which I needed to pass, and life just seemed to be grey all the time, with very little to look forward to. I self-diagnosed and even that was by accident, as not realising that depression existed meant it was near impossible for me to realise that a diagnosis was necessary. I didn’t seek out professional assistance, but I did draw closer to God and pulled on my religion to get through. With the passage of time and a change of job, I managed to pull myself out of that quagmire, but definitely came away thinking that there are so many people out there who would benefit from better care and assistance with diagnosis and help.

I think I noticed a change when I changed schools. That’s basically where my mental health took a turn for the worst. I used to be confident, took part in almost all school activities, I was an outspoken child and one day it all ended. I self-diagnosed myself with anxiety, but it was after I had done research and had a conversation with a friend who made me realiSe that I had anxiety. There has been numerous times where I would rather starve than go alone to a restaurant and buy a burger, or I’d settle for things I don’t want because I was too scared to just say “hey, I don’t like this.” It’s just such a dark place to be in, and although you want the help, you’re scared of just facing it head on, so I basically got used to it to a point where it’s just became normal.

My personal experience is that mental health is exactly like physical health. There is no “finish line” or “break time”. You have to put effort and care into it every day. That’s how you maintain health.

I am a young lady living with bipolar disorder. In 2012 I had my first mania episode. At the time I was 21 at university studying marketing, while I was going through depression. It was a tough time, I was uncomfortable, it was just unexplainable. It was so difficult to wake up and go to classes; I had no appetite or any interest in doing anything. Early this year, in May I got admitted into hospital because I was suffering from back pain on a daily, no painkiller or injection could rescue me until I went to my GP countless times. He referred me to see a psychologist, she then immediately admitted me into a psychiatric hospital because of the signs I presented to her. At first I was told that I had

presented as someone with PTSD, but as the days went along my psychiatrist diagnosed me with Bipolar. It didn’t come as a shock to me, because I always knew something was different about me. When I had feelings of depression and loneliness I always wondered why I felt this way. I had feelings of uselessness and unworthiness. Sometimes I didn’t see the need of me living. I stayed in hospital for 17 days, in those 17 days I wasn’t allowed to see my son, I even missed his second birthday. Agreeing to get admitted has been a great decision because I can now manage my disorder. While I was there I got the best advice. I was told that bipolar disorder is a common disorder, so if you or a loved one are living with a mental illness, take comfort that you’re not alone. Bipolar disorder can affect people from all walks of life and it is manageable. I now have a positive outlook on life, feelings of positivity and feel refreshed. There’s more to life to those who are living with bipolar or any mental health issues with proper treatment and support.

My experience with mental health started as a child. My earliest memory was being molested at 4 years old and several more times in my childhood. I just remember feeling so unworthy and insecure and wishing I could die. The assault stopped, but the feelings of unworthiness stayed with me into my teen years and even as a young adult – always feeling insecure and alone. In that time, and now, thoughts of killing myself come in slow and sometimes heavy bursts as a solution to escape the emotional pain I sometimes feel. I started therapy last year, which was super helpful in processing a lot of my feelings and getting to a place where I choose to live, because I see myself as an overcomer and someone with great strength that I do as a victim carrying a heavy burden. I have a good life and I can do so much to influence the rest of it, for me it’s all about taking back my power in small an big ways and deciding within myself that I AM WORTHY, regardless of how others treat me.