With October 10 being World Mental Health Day, it is a good reminder to think about mental health. This year it feels especially appropriate as the last 18 months since Covid broke out have been unusually tough for everyone, putting strain on our mental health.
The last year and a half has been a depressing time, filled with anxiety. As well as being forced to isolate and worrying about both our own health and that of loved ones, we have been facing much uncertainty. These are all major contributing factors to both anxiety and depression. A study on mental health and Covid-19 in China reportedly estimated the prevalence of anxiety to be around 31.9%, and depression around 33.7%. Even if you've managed to live your life free of anxiety or depression up until now, it is both likely and entirely understandable that you might be taking some strain.
There is not much one can do about the uncertainty or other external factors, but one way in which we can take back some control of our lives and look after our mental health is by setting personal boundaries.
Learning how to set boundaries is a very useful skill for both your work and personal life. If you are studying online, is also especially useful. So what do we mean by setting boundaries? Boundary setting is not so much about creating a physical space and cordoning it off so much as doing so in the figurative sense of marking off time for yourself and setting your own priorities. At the most basic, it is about learning to sometimes say no to people when you are asked to do something.
It isn't about being selfish and ignoring your friends, family and coworkers. There's a saying that you cannot pour from an empty cup and boundary setting is more about saving enough energy for yourself. Always saying yes to things puts you at risk of burning out, which will leave you unable to be of much help to yourself or others. In the end, by setting boundaries in your life you will be better able help out others when they do need help. Setting boundaries will help you avoid or cope with both depression and anxiety, which we will also look at.
Here are some benefits of setting boundaries in your life:
The flexible nature of studying online means that you must mark off time for your studies and set boundaries around that time. Sure, if an emergency comes up, that may take priority, but few things are an actual emergency. When attending physical classes, people will know not to bother you during that time and will respect the fact that classes are a priority. When you are able to study in your own time, it is quite likely that people will try take up your time if you do not set clear boundaries. Here are some simple tips for setting boundaries:
For severe cases of anxiety or depression, you should definitely consult a health professional. As well as setting personal boundaries, these are some other changes you can make to your lifestyle to help you cope with, or prevent, milder cases of anxiety or depression:
Depression is a clinical condition characterised by feelings of despondency and overwhelming sadness. Everyone feels sadness at points in our lives but when people suffer from depression the feelings do not go away. It affects women more than men and usually first occurs between the mid teens and the mid 20s. The good news is that it can be treated.
These are some of the common symptoms of depression:
Anxiety refers to an entire class or group of conditions. Anxiety is characterised by an overwhelming worry or stress related to the feeling that something bad is going to happen. Some common anxiety disorders are generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder (and anxiety attacks), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Here are some symptoms that are common to most forms of anxiety disorder:
The University of Pretoria has a full-time student counselling unit to help students who feel they are struggling to cope. Click on the links below to see more of what they have to offer, or call one of the numbers to speak to a trained professional.
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) offers a range of services, with several hotlines for the general public as well as for students.