Happy Holidays: A Goal and a Reality

The decorations are up almost everywhere, the year-end functions are booked and plans to go home or away are being finalised. If you are wrapping up your 2022 and making plans for 2023, you’re doing well! Then you hear the phrase: “Aren’t you excited for the break?!” and you say yes, of course you are! Sometimes they believe you and sometimes they don’t, but either way maybe “excited” wasn’t entirely accurate.

It's difficult to pin down, that mix of anxiety, exhaustion and the cautious optimism that still shines under the weight of an intense year. No one feels amazing all the time, but if you notice that your overall mood has changed, then you can address it. If you’re not keeping up with the festive spirit and it bothers you, then it’s worth taking the time to check in.

These things sneak up on us, going unnoticed until the festivities of the holidays provide a stark contrast to our dampened mood. Now is the time to check in with yourself and with a mental wellbeing professional. Even if you do not have a mental disorder or have not suffered any sort of trauma, it’s always good practice to keep track of how you’re doing. You don’t have to be clinically depressed to feel depressed and you don’t have to have an anxiety disorder to feel anxious.

The data on South African stress levels and anxiety is often inconclusive, but it is cause for concern. Way back in 2015, the Mail & Guardian declared that “South Africa was stressed out and suicidal” based on consistent findings that placed us as the second most stressed out country in the world, after Nigeria. Seven years on, post global-pandemic, South Africans have been through a lot. Our stats on infrastructure, unemployment and mental health are still concerning.

However, according to an unusual survey by Gallup, we South Africans describe our experiences as fairly positive. In a stunning display of Mzansi spirit, we have ranked 11^th in the world for most positive experiences and we are the 9^th lowest in the world for negative experiences. How does that work?

What we can appreciate here is this: While we have very real concerns about our country’s problems, when asked about our experiences, we focus on the positive. In our hearts, the position is still that of cautious optimism. Now, one survey does not mean this is absolute proof, but it is rather pleasant to see an international report that does shine more of a positive light.

When the United Kingdom announced its own loadshedding plans, South Africa raised a collective eyebrow. The UK might face four, yes only four, days of loadshedding in January 2023. While it is four days of no power in -20C weather, we were quick to offer tips and support, having had 15 years of practice. An example of our fortitude perhaps, but also of our resilience.

So, South Africa? The rest of the world may be convinced these are the end times, but they don’t have our CV, do they? It will all be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.

Do you need help? You can speak to a trained counsellor today.

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