Mental Health in a Panarozi

Mental Health in a Pandemic, Panoramic, Panarozi, Paramedic and any other word starting with "P".

In a time where most of us feel like caged birds, with our wings clipped, due to the restrictions placed on us, because of Mr. Corona Virus, I have never felt so free.

We were put in space where one day we had a full day without worrying about what we could do, to another where we were closed off to the possibilities of the world. In that space, where we now had to experience everyday life through digital platforms, living through a lockdown that was meant to be a 21-day period, to what feels like it is now our new normal.

Within all this time, I made the choice to be happy, I could not change my predicament, but I was not going to let this Paparazzi decide how I feel. Now I know it is not a basic thing, just deciding that you will be fine and then being fine, there is a lot of work and patience that goes into mental health and now during this panarozi, I feel as though our mental health matters more, as we have in a way been forced to explore our mental health. Before going up, I really went down, exploring my different friendships, who matters to me and why they matter, do they foster growth for me, do they help correct me when I am, as my friends say, “moving sus(suspiciously)”, and most importantly, how do I contribute to their life.

During this time I really had to teach myself that I matter, teach myself to be happy for me, teach myself that sometimes it is okay not to be okay, that any hardships I face are not permanent, I will rise above and once I managed to see that the battle of each day, felt less and less like a battle. From fighting to suppress what I feel to being open and honest about what I feel, that shift felt as if I was moving from a war zone to a haven, where being by myself was no longer a burden, but rather a breath of fresh air because I could enjoy the pleasure of my own company. Get to know yourself, what you enjoy, what you do not enjoy, your values, morals, thoughts, and the different filters you have, unlock your mental space, learn to free yourself from your mental prisons, learn to cater for your mental health, because once you do, making the decision to be happy, will not just something that sounds good in theory, but something that can happen.

-Kagiso Kamogelo Mabitsela