Is it time to book a self check-up??

Upon the reflection of the last 2 years, I had to consider how blessed I am to still be here in my right mind and in good health. After 2 years of recurring pandemic and a trail of bad news, I think it’s fair to say we all need to book an appointment for a ‘Self Check-up.’ Many of us are barely hanging on without any self-recognition of our mental state. How often do we check in with ourselves to see if we are really okay? It was early 2019 just before Covid-19 had an impact that my mum mentioned she felt overwhelmed and that she needed a break. I took it upon myself to start looking at how we could arrange a holiday break away for her to get some well deserved rest. Unfortunately due to the pandemic and other external factors, we were unable to book some time away, and we then went on “LOCKDOWN.” As a result mum’s mental health took a rapid decline but thankfully through prayer and the help of professionals, family and friends she was able to overcome this debilitating battle. This experience helped me to really examine my own mental health and the mental health of my family and friends. It was last year after doing some self-reflections, I realised that I was not doing as well as I appeared to be. I began having chest pains and felt overwhelmed. Immediately, I knew I had to make a change before it was too late. I started reaching out to close friends and family for help. It took some time, but I was able to get the help that I needed and found myself better able to cope with my daily commitments. Who says it’s wrong “to not be okay”? Is it a sign of weakness to disclose when things are not going well? Too many times we celebrate the notion of being successful, however we seldom recognise what it took for many of our successors to reach their desired goals. Did you know the Late Abraham Lincoln went through a state of depression before he became the President of the United States? Did you also know about the struggles of Oprah Winfrey before her international success? I believe there is so much emphasis on the success stories but we never take time to give credit to all the obstacles that were overcome. Many of us may be going through some silent battles and don’t know how to get through, but if we heard about someone else being able to overcome the same hurdle, I am sure it would give us the confidence that we too can get past the same hurdle. Let's get into the habit of regularly booking a check up with ourselves, making sure that we are coping with our everyday tasks. If for any reason you feel that you are not coping, then reach out to someone, join a support group, find a counsellor; don’t just struggle on your own. We live in unprecedented times and we all cope with challenges differently, it’s our duty to ourselves to ensure that we not only take care of our physical health but that we are also looking after our mental health. Lets normalise “MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS.”