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1. We will never judge you

If you grew up in a home where you felt judged or criticized, it can be easy to assume that your psychologist may judge you too. Some of us have been raised in homes where we were made to worry about what others will think or been warned not to share personal information with ‘outsiders’.

The truth is that nothing shocks us. As psychologists we hear about and deal with various issues. We aim to help you understand yourself and the circumstances that have shaped you, while working towards achieving the outcomes that are important to you

2. Our lives are not perfect

Psychologists are human too and are not immune to human struggles, such as grief, trauma, relationship difficulties, etc. I’ve often been told that my life looks so perfect. The reality is that many psychologists chose their professions because they were wounded too, and the choice of career is often one that brings personal meaning.

3. We also go to therapy

My favourite form of self-care is my own therapy. Regardless of how much we may know as professionals, we also value having our safe space. It helps us both professionally and personally.

Because we can hear about many distressing events in therapy, which we have to keep confidential, our own therapy is an important space for us. I personally believe that we are more effective therapists when we are sometimes the patient too.

4. We value your feedback

While we might be experts in our field, you are the expert in your life. In order for therapy to be valuable, we value your feedback. We would love to know when something is not working. You do not have to do as your psychologist says because they are the expert! Therapy is a respectful, collaborative process. Not everything works for everyone. We will never judge you if you are struggling to implement something or if you went off-track. Your feedback helps the therapeutic process, so you can get more value from it. Effective psychologists are culture-sensitive and mindful of how culture impacts on our personalities and relationships.

5. Your friend cannot be your psychologist and your psychologist cannot be your friend

There’s a quote that often does the rounds on social media which says ‘I don’t need therapy; I have a best friend.”. While your best friend can offer you support, its not the same as therapy. Firstly, your best friend cannot be objective. They might give your advice based on their own experience. They are more likely to give you advice than facilitate an understanding of yourself. They also have some degree of emotional involvement in your life. They do not understand evidence-based methods of addressing certain issues. Even if a friend has had a similar issue or even been to therapy for it, all experiences are different. E.g. not everyone grieves in the same way. There are many factors that influence how we cope with even the same situation. Also, having gone through something may help someone empathize, but it does not make them an expert on that topic, as they only understand it from their experience.

On the other hand, as much as your psychologist will have unconditional positive regard for you, we are not allowed to have dual relationships. So we cannot also be your friend, go to coffee with you or attend your wedding. We will also not accept requests on our private social media pages – though you are always welcome to follow our public pages.

Deep belly breathing – sometimes called diaphragmatic breathing – helps to ease stress and anxiety and has other physical health benefits too. Below is a guide on how to do this at home and the benefits you can look to gain from consistently bringing this practice into your life.

How to do deep belly breathing

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, then you’ll know that this technique is often used to allow practitioners a chance to create a state of calm, coming into the presence.

But how do you do this at home, on your own? Here are some easy steps:

1. Make sure you’re lying down comfortably (this could be on a mat or on your bed) or sitting in a supportive, comfortable chair. Do this in a space that feels safe, so that you can relax and focus on your breathing.
2. Close your eyes, to help you focus on your breath.
3. Place your left hand over your heart centre and your right hand on your belly. Doing this helps you to keep connected with your flow of breath.
4. Slowly begin to inhale for a count of four. Hold for a count of two and exhale for a count of six. This might feel difficult the first few times. If you’re new to this, exhale to a count of four a few times and then increase the exhale length to five and then six counts – up to seven or eight for those who are more experienced. The softening and relaxation comes with the slow exhale.
5. Breath in through your nose and exhale through either your nose or your mouth, with a soft gentle breath.
6. Repeat this 10 to 20 times, each day.

 Belly Breath Benefits

Anyone can do this, at any time – and it’s free! Belly breathing helps to:

– Lower your heart rate and blood pressure

– Decrease any muscle tension

– Increase blood-oxygenation levels

– Improve concentration and focus

– Strengthen the immune system

– Reduces stress hormones

– Activates the body’s relaxation response

Struggling to sleep? These apps will help you nod off in no time.

Sleep health has become topical over the past few years. Why? Because the quality of your sleep impacts everything – your mood, weight gain, anxiety and stress, motivation to exercise and performance as well as cognitive functioning. It’s no wonder we’re all trying to find ways to sleep better! And these apps can help you.

1. Fitness tracker apps with sleep monitoring
   The first step to getting better sleep is to understand what your sleeping patterns and habits look like. Most fitness trackers, like Garmin watches, are able to track your sleeping habits too and provide you with the data you need to start addressing your sleep situ. If you struggle to wear a watch at night, there are new devices being released, such as the Oura Ring, which also tracks sleep and activity. Apps are free with the purchase of a tracking device.
2. Headspace

This app is known widely for its guided meditations, but it also offers great sleep support in the form of breathing exercises for better sleep, meditations for sleep, music for better sleep and other sleep health information. Headspace has a seven or 14-day free trial, depending on your option, followed by a $69.99 (about R1300)  annual subscription.

1. Calm

This app provides a list of services for better mental health, focus and improved sleep, but they are best known for their bedtime stories read by celebrities. Some favourite soothing voices include stories read by the likes of Stephen Fry, Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey. Calm also has Calm Kids with stories and sounds aimed at helping your children sleep better. R599 for the annual subscription.

1. Stella Sleep – great for kids!
   This app is scientifically created to help your children sleep better. You can customise your child’s bedtime routine by constructing your own playlists and saving favourite stories and sounds. Rates are from $7.99 (R150) per month. Visit Stella for more information on childhood sleeping disorders, bedtime guidelines and more helpful information.
2. Spotify
   While this has predominantly been a music streaming service, it now hosts thousands of podcasts, including “Sleep Cove” as well as other great playlists to help you wind down. So if you’re already an active music listener on spotify, simply search “sleep” and you’ll find great sounds to get you snoozing, for free.

I am not sure about you but all around me people are expressing feelings of being exhausted, low on energy, tired and feeling depleted. It Is therefore important to make a conscious effort to be proactive about managing our energy levels and wellbeing to prevent us from burning out. We cannot rely on organisations alone to prevent us from burning out, we also have a role to play, a very important one. 

Know that you are alone if you are feeling exhausted, depleted, or experiencing negative thoughts – 

• The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2022 Trends Report states that “burnout and stress are at all-time highs across professions.”
• The Global Burnout Study (January 2022) found that employee burnout increased by more than 5% in the previous 12 months. 40% of those surveyed from 30 countries were experiencing burnout. This had increased from 29.6% in 2020. Women in middle-management roles had the highest level of burnout among all job levels.
• Mental health is one of the top 10 conditions contributing to the burden of disease in SA
• 16.5% of the adult population in SA have a mental health disorder including anxiety, depression or substance abuse problems

What is burnout?

Often I hear the phrase “I am feeling so burnt out” but do we actually know what it means? 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), burnout is a syndrome resulting from workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It’s characterised by feelings of energy depletion leading to exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, and negative or cynical feelings about one’s job, leading to reduced professional efficacy. (WHO, 2019). 

Burnout can arise from internal or external factors or a combination of both. For example burnout can be caused by work overload, feeling isolated, lack of control, feelings of lack of fairness, conflict between your values and your organisations values, lack of recognition or a lack of coping techniques (resilience, proactive personality), poor time management, lack of ability to cope with pressure and adapt to change.

Burnout affects both our physical and our mental health. It results in a high level of exhaustion and can often lead to an increased propensity for illness, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes and even heart disease. In more severe cases it can lead to death. Some more common consequences of burnout are headaches, depression, anxiety, negative attitudes, increased stress, reduced performance, exhaustion, cardiovascular problems, stomach issues and insomnia. 

Some Burnout warning signs – 

If you are at risk of burnout you need to do something about it urgently. Even if you are not at risk you can still be proactive and put healthy habits in place to prevent burnout. Complete this quick survey to see if you are at risk.

Here are my top tips to manage burnout 

1. Try to exercise / move your body for 30 minutes a day (Marshall fitness is a fun free YouTube dance workout, go for a walk, do 10 squats every time you go to the toilet, do calf raises when you brush your teeth, park further away from the shops)
2. Go for a full physical health check (burnout symptoms manifest in our bodies)
3. Make use of your leave days
4. Get into nature
5. Try this circle of concern exercise
6. Reflect and improve on your work patterns – do you take your lunch break? Do you switch off from work when you get home? When you are on leave are you REALLY on leave and don’t respond to work calls/ emails?
7. Try relaxation techniques – 4 square breathing (breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breath out for 4, hold for 4, repeat)
8. Download an app to support you to practice mindfulness (Headspace, DownDog, “I am”)
9. Talk to those closest to you about how you are feeling so that they can be there for you. Be clear about asking for what you need.
10. Reach out to SADAG (for free counselling), or join their weekly support groups https://www.sadag.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=114

Know that you are not alone. Commit to doing one of the above this next month to start your journey to building healthier habits and a life reflective of energy, wellbeing and vitality. 

When it comes to our overall health and well-being, nutrition is a secondary source of energy. Nourishing foods helps to keep us energised to live our lives whilst focusing on the things that are important to us. True holistic health and fulfilment come from the activities that we choose to fill our days with such as spending time with family, developing relationships, learning, moving our bodies, being creative, and working towards our career goals. 

Primary foods, or non-food sources of nourishment, are what really fuel us. They go beyond the plate, nurturing us on a deeper level. The four main primary foods are:

• Career
• Relationships
• Physical activity
• Spirituality

Writer Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” The average person will spend 90 000 hours at work over a lifetime. Let that sink in – that’s one third of your life! It’s safe to say your experience of your job can have a huge impact on your quality of life and general happiness. So how can you nurture this important area of your life?

How can I find work I love? 

Whether you are fresh out of school or considering a career transition, these tips can help you get you started:

List Your Strengths

Start by making a list of your key strengths and interests and think creatively about how they could translate to an inspiring career. What are the things that come naturally to you? What dinner table conversation topics interest you? What do you research just for fun? 

Research and Explore

Explore, investigate and research your career options by browsing job sites. Start the processing of gathering information and consider how your potential career options align with your values and long-term goals. 

Connect and Network 

Reach out to people in your ideal field who can give you information, support, and guidance. Don’t be afraid to talk to working professionals, send LinkedIn messages and even try job shadowing. Attend events and webinars to create authentic connections and make yourself visible – you never know who you could meet.

Reach Out

Make a list of the companies that you would absolutely love to work for and get in touch with prospective employers to learn about potential career opportunities. Be professional and enthusiastic and remember that even if a company isn’t hiring, it’s never a bad idea to introduce yourself and send along your CV – you have nothing to lose!

Be Patient

Finding a new career that you love may take time and a lot of effort and energy. You might try a few positions before finding your ideal fit. 

How can I truly enjoy the work I do?

If you’re already in a good job, but want to get more out of your career, consider these tips:

Know Yourself

Get to know yourself in depth. Observe your behavioural patterns and start to take notice of your key strengths and development areas. Self-awareness is the key to success in all areas of life. 

Put Your Hand Up

Request to work on projects that interest you. Talk openly with your line manager about what you want to be involved in. People don’t know what you don’t tell them, so talk about what you’re passionate about!

Seek Feedback

Make sure that you surround yourself with colleagues who support you and value your work. Actively seek out constructive feedback from people you respect and even ask someone you admire to be your mentor.

Create an Inspiring Workspace

Since you spend so much of your time at work, you want to make sure that it’s a happy and inspiring place to be. Bring your personality into your workspace – place fresh flowers on your desk, put up motivating quotes and pictures on your desk. 

Keep Learning

Never stop seeking out knowledge and developing your skills. Identify the skills you want to develop and ensure you have a well-thought through development plan so that you can proactively work on your weak areas. 

There’s no better feeling than starting the new year with a fresh set of healthy intentions! But don’t make your New Year resolutions just another promise to yoursellf that gets abandoned by March. Each and every year, millions of people start out with all the best intentions, and a few months later, they’re back to their old unhealthy habits. We’ve all been there and it’s very easy to get swept away with the stress of life that our healthy intentions tend to slip away, but this doesn’t have to happen. It’s possible to keep your healthy habits all year round, and we’ve got some tips to help you do this.

Get your mindset right

Before you do anything, you need to accept that healthy eating isn’t just a New Year resolution; it’s a lifestyle change. Stay away from viewing your healthy habits as a diet and rather think about your habits as your new way of life.

Choose changes that work with your lifestyle

Having healthy eating habits is important, but it’s important to choose a realistic habit that works with your lifestyle. If you often enjoy eating dinner out with friends, for example, it’s probably not a good idea to commit intermittent fasting at night. If you enjoy rice or a slice of toast in the mornings, rather try limiting your carb intake than cutting them out altogether. Ask yourself, “Can I see myself living like this forever?” If the answer is no, then choose something more maintable.

Identify your ‘why’

If you don’t understand the reasons behind your health and fitness goals, then you’re less likely to stick with them over the long-term. Think deeply about why you want to make these changes until you find something that’s really important to you that will help you stay disciplined no matter what. Just wanting to lose weight, for example, isn’t a strong why that will last. Ask yourself why you want to lose weight – to feel more confident in the workplace? To live a longer life so that you can spend more time with your children and grandchildren? 

Understand that motivation ebbs and flows

There’s nothing like the feeling of motivation to achieve your health and fitness goals at the start of a new year! While it’s important to use this motivation to get you going, accept that motivation ebbs and flows and know that it’s impossible to maintain the initial motivation. You will not be motivated every single day, and that’s okay! Just because you’re not motivated, however, doesn’t mean your healthy lifestyle goes out the window. It’s on these days that you need to learn to be disciplined. While motivation gets you started, discipline is what ultimately makes your healthy choices a lifestyle.

Eat healthy foods you love

Healthy eating doesn’t mean eating a salad at every meal or making sure you’re getting in every kind of vegetable possible. You don’t have to eat salads and like all vegetables to be healthy! It’s important to find healthy foods that excite you and that you enjoy. There are countless options out there that can be delicious, and it’s your resonsibility to go out and find them. If you don’t like tomatoes or avocados, for example, don’t force yourself to eat them, because if you eat foods you don’t like, you’re less likely to maintain your eating habits. If you eat foods you love, on the other hand, you’re more likely to continue to eat them. 

Know that consistency doesn’t mean perfection

To live a healthy lifestyle, you have to be consistent. But consistency doesn’t mean making perfect choices one hundred percent of the time. Consistency means making great choices most of the time! You won’t go the rest of your life without eating chocolate or a pizza, will you? Of course not! Accept that you won’t be perfect all the time, but know that you can be perfect ninety percent of the time. That’s what’s going to make your healthy lifestyle stick. Accepting imperfection and knowing that consistency and perfection are not the same thing is key to a maintanable healthy life!

Following healthy eating habits and staying disciplined year-round can help you make healthier choices, leading to improved health, better energy levels, disease prevention, achieving your weight goals and a more positive outlook on life. If this is what you want, there are ways to make your habits stick and you don’t have to fall off the bandwagon a few weeks into the year!

October is World Mental Health Month and we are shining a light on mental-health awareness as well as sharing advice from experts on what you can do to improve your mental health, starting with finding the right therapist for your needs. 

In a previous #MedshieldMovement article, we spoke to counselling therapist, Jacqui Morgan in Johannesburg, who explained that “Looking for a psychologist can feel daunting and scary and it is important to find a therapist that you feel comfortable with. To do so, you may need to visit more than one therapist to get a sense of who you connect with best.” Read more here: “How to Know When It’s Time to Seek Therapy”. 

Not all therapists are the same – nor may they be appropriately trained or experienced in the field you may need. Clinical Psychologist Janie Loubser, who is based in George, but who also offers therapy sessions over Zoom, explains what the difference is between a counselling therapist (like Jacqui) and a clinical psychologist (like herself). 

“A clinical psychologist is able to diagnose and treat mental health disorders,” explains Janie. “Other therapists are not necessarily able to diagnose and treat specific mental health disorders like depression. Having said that, there are counselling psychologists who are excellently trained and experienced in mental health disorders. It’s always a good idea to ask a potential therapist if they are qualified to treat your specific problem and how they will do it,” she explains.

Questions To Help You Decide If Your Therapist Is Right For You

Much like dating apps, you may need to swipe left or right a few times to find the right match. These questions will help you ascertain whether a therapist may be the right match for you. 

1. Ask what the therapist’s approach to working with clients is like. Are they very active (offering guidelines/techniques/goals) or more passive and non-directive (an approach that will help you find solutions to your own problems from within)? Does their approach fit your needs?

2. Do you respect the therapist? It’s important that you respect your therapist’s opinion and that you trust them. Therapy is often complicated and challenging and having a therapist you respect will allow for a good working relationship.

3. Is the therapist an expert in the field you need them to be?
Like most doctors, psychologists have areas of expertise. Some may be relationship counselling experts or experts in trauma counselling or perhaps working with depressive and suicidal patients, while others may be more attuned to diagnosing disorders like ADHD. Like Janie recommends above – always ask the therapist if they have experience in dealing with cases like your own.

Janie Loubser describes herself as a “future-focused therapist committed to helping you find direction so that you can feel secure and excited about your future”. Visit Janieloubser.co.za for more information. 

Looking for a therapist? Visit our Medshield provider network or speak to your GP for a recommendation. Not looking for a therapist, but want to improve your mental health with self-care practice at home? Read more here: “Expert Advice On Mental Health Self-Care At Home” – advice from Dr Tamsin Malengret and counselling therapist, Jacqui Morgan. 

October is World Mental Health Month and we are shining a light on mental-health awareness as well as sharing advice from experts on what you can do to improve your mental health. We speak to a clinical psychologist about the state of our mental-health post pandemic.

We speak to Janie Loubser, George-based clinical psychologist about the state of mental-health in South Africa today – post-Covid. 

Let’s Talk Trauma

“Trauma-informed work has become very important,” says Janie. “Covid and lockdown were traumatic and have opened up people’s previous unprocessed trauma,” she explains. When asked about what she’s seeing more of in her practice, Janie says “The intensity or severity of mental-health challenges has increased. I’m finding that people are experiencing more pain and suffering; that there is a spilling over of emotions.”  

“People are stuck. The world is changing so rapidly and we need to go through personal transformation as well. But we don’t know how,” says Janie. “We are in the messy in between – saying goodbye to life the way it was, yet not having clarity about the future. People are vulnerable. I see many people who have regrets and feel like failures. These questions run deep; it’s not a simple depression to resolve. I believe that people need safe communities with well-qualified leadership where there is support for the regrets and failures as well as guidance on the way forward,” she explains.

Is Mental-Health Worse Than Before?

With the rise in mental-health discussions in mainstream media as well as social media, it begs the question: are more and more people suffering from mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression or is it just more openly spoken about?

“I don’t believe that it’s just because it’s more spoken about,” says Janie. “I think our nervous systems were completely unprepared for how the pandemic was dealt with and we’re still struggling to adjust,” she says. 

“The mind-body connection should not be questioned anymore, but yet it is. We see it, especially in people’s challenges with work – one should not be expected to work without taking care of your body and your mind. That’s why so many people are quitting,” she says of the ‘Great Resignation’ trend. 

Suicidal Thoughts

“Do not underestimate even a small thought such as ‘I wouldn’t mind not living anymore’. With the economic crisis and emotional overwhelm, one never knows when someone gets pushed over the edge to kill themselves,” says Janie. Visit SADAG.org (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) for more information on suicide prevention as well as their ‘safety plan’ toolkit. 

“Any thoughts related to not wanting to live anymore are serious and need to be expressed to someone who is qualified to deal with the complex nature of suicide,” says Janie. 

Read more here: “Seven Everyday Signs Of Depression”. 

Janie Loubser describes herself as a “future-focused therapist committed to helping you find direction so that you can feel secure and excited about your future”. She has curated a series of workshops that are all about breaking free from that familiar feeling of being stuck in life, career, relationships, and inspiration. Visit Janieloubser.co.za for more information. 

Looking for a therapist? Visit our Medshield provider network or speak to your GP for a recommendation. Not looking for a therapist, but want to improve your mental health with self-care practice at home? Read more here: “Expert Advice On Mental Health Self-Care At Home” – advice from Dr Tamsin Malengret and counselling therapist, Jacqui Morgan. 

“I was diagnosed with Panic Attack Disorder a few years ago after my anxiety grew out of control and started impacting my everyday life. The good news is that it’s manageable and that there is help,” says Medshield Movement ambassador, Amy Hopkins 

“After a series of stressful episodes in my life and a heightened increase in my anxiety levels, I started having panic attacks. Episodes where I would feel like I’m having a heart attack or that I’m choking or can’t breathe, including a sense of paralysis.  There were moments when I had to sit down on the street and wouldn’t be able to enter a building. It became so debilitating. I always thought that I could manage my stress with fitness – and it did help – but at some point, it was not enough,” admits Amy Hopkins. 

“I knew that I was no longer coping and went to see my doctor, who wanted to prescribe medication to help get my levels back to “normal” so that I could function again. I was scared and resisted. I did, however, begin seeing a therapist. The funny thing about therapy is that you think to yourself: what on earth will I even say?  Ince you start talking, it all pools out of you like a bursting dam wall. I had a panic attack in that first session in front of my therapist. It was a tough day.”

“We eventually agreed to try a course of medication, continue therapy and I added yoga to my exercise routine. It was hard in the beginning, being so vulnerable, but I was left with no other option,” she says. 

Johannesburg-based counselling psychologist Jacqui Morgan says: “Although stress and anxiety may share many of the same physical and emotional symptoms, such as mood fluctuations, tension, uneasiness, digestive upsets, fatigue, disturbed sleep, headaches, they have different origins,” explains Jacqui Morgan. “Anxiety is often characterised by a feeling of apprehension, fear or dread that persists after a stressful situation has passed,” she explains.   

“Fast forward seven years and I hardly have panic attacks anymore. I can recognise when my body and brain start to go into an anxious state and I can talk myself out of it most of the time by doing to following: 

• Slowing down my breathing
• Focusing my thoughts
• Self-motivation that things will be okay
• Distractions like a puzzle or sudoku”

“It’s taken years, but I know that I have to do mental-health maintenance regularly to stay in good mental-health shape! This includes: prioritising sleep, regular exercise as well as yoga practise, journaling, avoiding excessive drinking, eating well, not having caffeine or stimulants after a certain time of day practising hobbies that elicit a sense of calm, like painting, reading, gardening and walking.”

Read more: Expert Advice On Mental Health Self-Care At Home.