Thank you for supporting CrazySocks4Docs
CrazySocks4Docs 2025 generated many shares and likes for a good cause, while also receiving media coverage on various platforms. On health sciences campuses across the country, healthcare students pulled on their socks, snapped pictures and posted them on social media. A special thank you goes to our sponsor, Netcare, who doubled the prize money to R2 000 per winner this year. Your support played a huge role in raising awareness of this vital campaign.
CrazySocks4Docs was started by Australian cardiologist Dr Geoff Toogood in 2017. The Ithemba Foundation brought the campaign to South Africa in 2019 with the full support of Dr Toogood. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the mental health challenges faced by all those who work in the healthcare sector and to show that we #Care4OurCarers.
Thank you to everyone who entered our competition for South African healthcare students.
How to survive the winter blues
As the days get shorter and colder, it’s normal for our moods to take a dip. But sometimes the change in seasons can trigger a far more serious problem in the form of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of depression that fluctuates with the seasons. The symptoms are usually more apparent in autumn and winter, although a small amount of people suffer from summer-pattern SAD. The symptoms of SAD are similar to the symptoms of depression, but in the case of winter-pattern SAD, additional symptoms include oversleeping, overeating (particularly carbohydrates) and social withdrawal.
What causes SAD?
Fewer hours of sunlight in winter can disrupt your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, leading to feelings of lethargy and depression. Studies also indicate that people with SAD have reduced levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Exposure to sunlight affects levels of molecules that help maintain normal serotonin levels, so shorter daylight hours may prevent these molecules from functioning properly. In addition, vitamin D is believed to promote serotonin activity. With less sunlight in the winter, people with SAD may have lower vitamin D levels, further reducing serotonin activity.
What can I do to combat SAD?
- Soak up the sun when it’s out. Make sure you spend time in any winter sun that is available. Take off your long-sleeved layers and expose your skin to sunlight if possible.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise boosts your metabolism and will help to combat feelings of lethargy and tiredness. If you can exercise outdoors in the sunlight, it will be even better for you.
- If your symptoms persist and you feel depressed for days on end, please seek help. Psychotherapy, light therapy and anti-depressants are all effective in the treatment of SAD.
Did you know?
People who have bipolar disorder are at an increased risk of SAD. Spring and summer can trigger mania, anxiety, agitation and irritability. This may be followed by depression during autumn and winter.
You are what you eat – in more ways than one
We all know that our diets affect how we appear on the outside, but did you know that the food choices you make can also affect your brain function, mood and mental health? A growing body of research indicates that eating unprocessed foods – as close to their natural state as possible – benefits your mental health and well-being.
Between January and August 2023, the Global Mind Project collected data about food consumption from 292 786 respondents in 70 countries. Their findings indicated that the consumption of ultra-processed food (defined as food that contains substances that are never or rarely used in kitchens, with common culprits including junk, pre-packaged and pre-prepared foods) is linked to significant declines in mental wellbeing, with a notable increase in mental health struggles among frequent consumers. This relationship was independent of age, exercise and income factors.
More specifically, 53% of daily ultra-processed food consumers reported distress or mental health struggles, compared to 18% of those who rarely or never consumed it. In addition, the average Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) score dropped from 88 for those who rarely consumed ultra-processed food to 17 for those who consumed it daily. MHQ assesses 47 aspects of mental feeling and function that are aggregated into a composite mental wellbeing score.
What can we learn from this? Does this mean all ultra-processed foods are off limits? The ‘real world’ solution is to fuel your body with real, unprocessed foods, whenever you can. For example, a real chicken drumstick, instead of a chicken nugget, or fresh fruit, instead of the tinned variety. If you make smart, informed choices on a daily basis, then you will be able to indulge in the occasional take-away or processed meal when you don’t feel like making something fresh yourself. Because in the end, it’s all about balance.
How do we cope when it all feels overwhelming?
We are living in an era in which there are countless demands on our time – whether it’s endless notifications from annoying WhatsApp groups, or more serious demands, such as caring for family members, or financial and work stresses. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you are not the only one.
Emotional overwhelm happens when stress exceeds our ability to cope. As a result, you feel flooded—mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically—by more input than your brain or body can process. This stress can be caused by major life changes (such as the loss of a loved one, or starting a new job), but it is also often caused by constant exposure to everyday forms of stress.
Multiple factors contribute to this stress, including the fast-paced nature of modern life, technological advancements and societal expectations. Today we are expected to juggle multiple responsibilities, while facing constant stimuli. Unsurprisingly, this leads to vastly elevated stress levels compared to previous generations. This is underscored by the results of a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, which revealed that:
- Younger women were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed by stress than older women, with 62% of women ages 18 to 34 reporting feeling completely overwhelmed by stress most days, compared to 48% of women ages 35 to 44, 27% of women 45 to 64 and 9% of women 65 years and older.
- Younger men were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed by stress than older men, with 51% of men ages 18 to 34 reporting feeling completely overwhelmed by stress most days, compared to 48% of men ages 35 to 44, 21% of men 45 to 64 and 8% of men 65 years and older.
How can we manage overwhelm?
The sources of modern-day stress are not likely to disappear any time soon, so the best remedy is to learn how to manage them. Here are a few suggestions from simplypsychology.org:
- Breathe intentionally: stress often leads to irregular or shallow breathing. Find a quiet space and take a few intentional deep breaths – in and out.
- Do a thought dump: write down everything on your mind, all the things that are bothering you. Often, seeing things written down helps you to gain perspective and clarity.
- Simplify your day: choose one task that you can tackle, which helps to reduce an intimidating workload. For example, instead of clearing your entire inbox, decide to respond to 5 emails.
- Learn to say no: some demands are more important than others. Once you learn to say no to the unimportant ones, they will be less likely to occupy your time.
Dates for your diary
In October we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month in South Africa. What better way to do this than by taking part in the events listed below:
- The annual Hope Hike is scheduled for Sunday, 5 October this year. The aim of this event is to walk or run a distance of your choice and to break the silence and the stigma surrounding mental health. When we talk more openly about mental health it encourages people struggling with mental health issues to seek help. Keep an eye on our social media pages for further details closer to the date.
- The Cape Town Marathon weekend takes place from 18 – 19 October, with a variety of events to enter, including the Peace Walk/Run events over 5km and 10km, trail runs (11km, 22km or 43km), and the full 42,4km marathon. We are looking for eager runners or walkers to enter these events on behalf of The Ithemba Foundation. We will pay your entry fee (and give you a stylish running shirt to take part in), provided that you raise funds via GivenGain for The Ithemba Foundation’s two public benefit goals of raising awareness of mental health and funding research into depression and related mental health diseases. If you are interested in taking part on behalf of The Ithemba Foundation, please contact us at info@ithembafoundation.org.za