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Spring is here and that also means we’re in the last quarter of the year! While most of us think about doing a physical spring clean of our cupboards or clothing wardrobe, it’s super beneficial to take a look at what can help us declutter mentally too. Read these tips to help you reduce stress, increase productivity and create a good headspace while we head into the last push of the year.

1. Declutter Your Physical Environment

Stick with that spring-cleaning theme: research shows that cleaning up the space around you can lead to a better headspace too. Why? According to a study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, individuals who described their homes as cluttered or unfinished experienced higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who described their homes as restful and restorative.
Start by taking 15 minutes a day to tackle one area of your home or office space at a time. This simple task could create a big impact in your day-to-day life.

 2. Practise Meditation

Research from Harvard Medical School shows that regular meditation can help reduce stress, improve attention and enhance memory. If you’ve never practised before, we know it can feel intimidating, but don’t worry – we’ve got your back! Read this article on
Take a few minutes to become aware of your thoughts without judgement, and gently guide yourself back to the present when your mind begins to wander. Practise deep slow breathing and focus on your breath. Try this exercise before you fall asleep at night, while in the bath or simply while sitting in a comfortable position safely outside.

Read more on Mindfulness and Meditation here: https://medshieldmind.co.za/mindfullness-meditation/

3. Get a To-Do List Going

Feel like you have too much going on? Feeling overwhelmed? Write a to-do list of everything on your mind. Then break the list up into order of prioritisation as well as categorising tasks in clusters of big VS small projects. This will help you focus on what needs to be done more urgently and also what’s easy to tick off. Cross-check this list with your monthly goals and make sure there is alignment.

4. Go For A Walk

Incorporate a minimum of 20 minutes of movement in your daily life  to reduce cortisol (stress-causing hormone) and boost endorphins. A 20-minute walk is a great way to clear brain fog and alleviate stress.

5. Get Your Sleep Routine In Good Order

We know this can be challenging, especially for new parents, but good-quality sleep is essential for mental clarity and emotional regulation. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to function at their best. Lack of sleep can impair cognitive performance, memory and decision-making abilities. Create a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even at the weekends. This consistency helps regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up refreshed.

6. Do Some Puzzles

Whether it’s a daily Wordle, crossword or memory game, your brain benefits from exercise just like your body does. Even learning a new skill can help reduce stress by giving your brain a constructive focus and improving cognitive function. Mental exercises can serve as a form of mental decluttering by redirecting your attention from stressors to something that challenges and engages your brain. This can help improve concentration and mental clarity over time.

As we move through the final quarter of the year, taking the time to declutter your mind and manage stress is essential for mental well-being and productivity. Practising the above points will help you feel more in control and ready to tackle the rest of the year with clarity and focus.

Want more tips on how to practise mindfulness in your daily life? Read this: https://medshieldmind.co.za/how-to-practise-mindfulness-for-mental-health/

June is Men’s Health Awareness Month – a call to create awareness about men’s specific health issues, from physical and emotional to mental health awareness. The focus of this article is on men’s mental-health – what to look out for when someone is struggling and information on when and how to seek help.

Men’s Health Month was created to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases among men and boys. It is also an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and go for check-ups, which men are typically more negligent about than women.

Let’s start with the hard facts.

According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, in 2022, men in America died by suicide 3.85 times more than women. In South Africa, the rate is even higher, with figures reporting that of the 13774 suicides in SA, 10861 were men. SA is currently ranked 10th on the list of countries with the most suicides with men being 5 times more likely to die from suicide. In many cases, the stigma around men’s mental health prevents men from seeking help – this according to the South Africa Society of Psychiatrics.

However, even when men do speak up about struggling with mental health, the Anxiety & Depression Association of America reports that they are less likely than women to receive proper mental health treatment or a diagnosis and this can be due to stigma around perceived “weakness”. Understanding the unique challenges that men face is the first step in addressing this silent crisis.

 Common Mental Health Issues in Men

1. Depression:
   Men with depression may feel irritable, angry or lose interest in work, family or hobbies. They might also have difficulty sleeping and experience changes in appetite.
2. Anxiety Disorders:
   Men with anxiety may experience constant worry, tension or fear, which can interfere with daily activities and relationships.
3. Substance Abuse:
   Men are more likely than women to turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with their mental health issues, which can lead to addiction and further exacerbate their problems.

 Signs Someone Might Be Struggling

• Withdrawal from social interactions
• Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
• A lack of interest in activities they once enjoyed
• Increased irritability, anger or frustration over minor issues
• Frequent headaches, digestive issues or unexplained aches and pains can sometimes be linked to mental health struggles
• Increased reliance on alcohol or drugs as a way to cope with stress or emotional pain

When to Seek Help
Knowing when to seek help is crucial. If you or someone you know is experiencing persistent symptoms of mental health issues that interfere with daily life, it’s time to reach out for professional support. If feelings of sadness or anxiety last for more than two weeks, it’s important to consult a mental health professional. Difficulty performing daily tasks at work, home or in social settings is a clear sign that help is needed. Any thoughts of self-harm or suicide should be addressed immediately.

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms or have any mental health concerns, contact your GP who can refer you to a psychologist. Read: “Five Things Your Psychologist Wants You To Know” here.
The South African Depression & Anxiety Groupe (SADAG.org) has a suicide hotline and a call centre line for all mental health matters. There is help available – no one should struggle alone.

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.