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The holidays are meant to be filled with joy, but they can also be stressful and challenging as many of us struggle with mental health. Looking after your wellbeing is more important than ever at Christmas time.

But, with uncertainty looming thanks to Covid numbers rising, the extra stress of navigating family dynamics and worries about loneliness for some, you might be in need of some serious survival tips to get through the festive season.

With this in mind, our Panda team have shared their invaluable tips on ways you can support your mental health this festive season.

Six ways to support your mental health this festive season

Christmas carols are playing on the radio, tinsel is winking at us from the shops, and most of us are feeling – well, a little flat. 

The festive season can be challenging at the best of times, given the flurry of last-minute activities and the pressure to have a wonderful time. This is often exacerbated by feelings of loneliness, and a natural reaction to the loss many have experienced at a time when we are urged to value those around us. Throw in the climbing Covid-19 statistics, a new variant, and it’s easy to understand why the prevailing mood is one of depression, anxiety and angst, rather than festivity. 

The good news? There’s plenty you can do to boost your mental and emotional wellness at this time.

  1. Release the pressure

No, you don’t have to feel as if it’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, you don’t have to go to another party if you don’t want to or don’t feel safe to do so. No, you don’t have to deck the halls. We receive a lot of messages from the media around this time of year, telling us how we ‘should’ be feeling, and the outcome is that we may feel guilty, resentful and out of sorts if we don’t fit in with the image of the ‘perfect’ festive break. The solution? Ditch the sense of obligation, and lower your expectations. The reality is that for some people, this time of year isn’t magical at all – it can be really hard. If you fit into this category, give yourself permission to feel unhappy.

  1. Take care of the basics

This is a message you would have heard many times over the past year, but that doesn’t make it any less valid: all the emotional ‘stuff’ is a lot easier to deal with if your physical wellbeing is taken care of. That means eating well (perhaps even giving up some of the indulgences of the season), getting enough sleep and exercising. 

  1. Don’t be afraid of disappointing others

The meaning of Christmas has become blurred behind a flurry of commercial messaging – which means that there is a heavy emphasis on extravagant gifting. That can place enormous pressure on those of us who are battling with the economic fallout from Covid – or who simply don’t want to buy into consumerism. What to do..? Stand your ground. Have a conversation with those who will share your celebrations and maybe set some ground rules: perhaps you can all agree to give presents to the children only, for example, or set a price limit on gifts. Accept that you may be able to please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time…. 

By the same token, try to resist some of the social pressure that comes with this time of year. If you don’t feel like the drama of an intense family or friends ‘get-together’, explain that you’re happy to pop in for an hour or so, but cannot stay longer. See how it goes, don’t over commit.

  1. Reach out to a professional

It’s ironic that although more people than ever are suffering from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, generally speaking, society still stigmatises these conditions – to the extent that many remain reluctant to seek assistance when they might desperately need it. The ‘Join Panda’ App provides a great solution in the form of a free-to-download app that makes it possible to access community support; check out information around mental wellness, and even get expert help, anonymously. The app, which is free of any charges in 2021, also has the functionality to track and monitor progress, using a gamified approach which makes the process far less daunting. Available via Apple store here https://apps.apple.com/za/app/join-panda/id1573239587 or Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joinpanda.panda or search for ‘Join Panda’ in the app stores. 

  1. Gift yourself

It’s natural to think of others at this time of year, but concentrate on what will help you to remain calm and happy. Would it help to review and reset your boundaries? Do you need some time out – a quiet morning, a meditation, or a walk? Figure out what you need, and take the time to do it. A long chat with an old friend or a deep and meaningful one with a counsellor? Consider downloading the Panda app when you feel stressed, alone or just a bit sad- you will be able to talk to others who understand your feelings, or even a counsellor if you need.

  1. Plan ahead

It’s not possible to avoid all the stressors that come with the festive season. There will be work tasks to complete before travelling, travel chaos and activities to attend. There will be lots of indulgences that might leave you feeling physically sluggish and lacking the vitality to tackle problems. There will probably be an odd argument with a family member (or two). Try to plan your days to give yourself enough time to recuperate and revive after all that socialising. This will give you a little space to make plans that will be less stressful, like time out to do your hobbies.

Background on the Panda Mental Health Support App:

The Panda App makes mental health support more accessible

With so few South Africans receiving the help they need, there’s a potential solution to this challenge in the form of the Join Panda app – a free-to-download digital app that is designed to put mental health information, community support and expert help literally in the palm of your hand.

The Panda App is the brainchild of Allan Sweidan, a clinical psychologist who previously co-founded and headed up the Akeso Group of Psychiatric Hospitals, and Alon Lits, former General Manager and Director of Uber in Sub-Saharan Africa. The app makes it easy for anyone to invest time into their mental wellbeing by anonymously connecting to an array of valuable resources to assist them on their journey to improved mental health. 

Users of the app have free access to the ‘Forest’, which allows them to engage with a community of other app users who may be facing similar challenges. The app also offers assessment tools to enable users to measure their mental well-being. A gamified tracking tool lets users document and monitors the progress they are making on their personal mental health journey. 

Anonymity is key to so many health-support programmes, as many people are reluctant to publicly share their personal challenges, and this is core to the Panda app.

For many people across the country, mental health support is considered to be inaccessible or too expensive. While it’s estimated that a third of all people will at one time or another experience at least one mental health issue during their lifetime, many of these individuals don’t have the luxury of time, money, medical aid, or even transport to find a professional with whom to discuss their anxieties or feelings of depression. This makes the digital format for care a welcomed alternative solution. 

For anyone who feels too afraid or stigmatised, or for whom mental health care and support are simply not available or affordable, the free-to-download digital Panda App has been designed to provide them with easy access to mental health information, community support and expert help. Available on app stores by searching “Join Panda” or the app stores or via 

the Apple store here https://apps.apple.com/za/app/join-panda/id1573239587 

Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joinpanda.panda). 

Find us on social:

Twitter @JoinPandaApp – https://twitter.com/JoinPandaApp

Instagram: JoinPanda_App – https://www.instagram.com/joinpanda_app/

Facebook: @JoinPandaApp – https://www.facebook.com/JoinPandaApp/

LinkedIn: JoinPanda  linkedin.com/joinpanda

In March this year I was chosen as the Most Inspirational Blogger in the SA Mommy Blogger Awards. It was my goal to pay tribute to the other category winners. This year has taken a somewhat winding path, and I did not complete that goal. I intend to do that whenever I can by sharing a post each week about the winning bloggers. They are each talented and delightful in their own way, and together these bloggers give us readers a wonderful view into lives and topics we would know nothing about.

Today’s featured blogger is Chevone Petersen of www.chevslife.com. I was excited to learn that Chevone and I have a few things in common: we both love writing, we are part of the autism community and we are passionate about parent empowerment.

Chevone’s winning blog posts were:

The Last Boy on the https://chevslife.com/2017/08/16/last-boy-train/ ;

and

She Got Her Wings https://chevslife.com/2017/01/12/she-got-her-wings/.

Get a coffee and doughnut then click on over to Chevone’s blog and have a look around. Her writing draws you in and makes you feel that you never want the story to end.

Chevone, thank you for Unmasking Your Journey to Optimism.

Happy Friday Everyone

When you give, it shall be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over

That is what immediately comes to my mind when I think of the founder of Doreen’s Door of Hope. Abigail Runganaikulu and her husband Colin Runganaikulu, are the owners of N&R Fittings http://nandrfittings.co.za/ and stalwarts in our community in Johannesburg South.  They have had their share of heartaches and challenges over the years in struggling to conceive another baby after they had their son Ryan. Just as Ryan was ready to begin his married life, Abigail miraculously fell pregnant and in a few short years she had a second son, Caleb and then also became a grandmother when Ryan and his wife had their baby boy. Abigail is our modern day Sarah.

However not too long after Caleb’s birth, Abigail was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the same time both her parents were aging and endured their own traumatic medical challenges. Abigail chronicles her story about this painful time in her insightful book “My Stupid Brain Was Cut Off  With My Right Breast”. It is a really great read about one woman’s ups and downs; her love; her heartaches but most importantly her tremendous sense of self and of her God. Abigail’s ability to share her life openly and honestly makes you feel as if you have known her all your life.

Having recovered from Cancer after an intense treatment and raising a new baby; Abigail also faced another challenge: the loss of her mentor and role model, her mother Doreen Challen. As a tribute to her mother’s own powerful story of a young girl born into harsh circumstances and having to deal with trauma and pain from a very young age, Abigail founded Doreen’s Door of Hope Centre in Lenasia. When I read Doreen’s life story on the website https://www.ddh.center/ , I was moved.

I am from the same part of Johannesburg and I could identify with certain aspects of Doreen’s story. I immediately wanted to be involved in some way because Doreen’s story and Abigail’s story resonated so strongly with me.

For that reason I am honored to be attending Doreen’s Door of Hope’s  first charity fundraising event; A Masquerade Ball on 18 May 2018, as a Tammy Taylor Mrs South Africa semi-finalist. I feel privileged to be in the company of women like Abigail and the rest of her team, namely Catharina Stoltz, Charmaine Naidoo, Savina Naidoo and Charmaine Berndt.

The Masquerade Ball will take place at 6pm at the beautiful Thaba Eco Hotel.

Please see details on the invite below and contact one of the ladies today to get your tickets or to get involved with Doreen’s Door of Hope.

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