Be kind!
The year has almost come to an end, and this year’s World Kindness Day was on November 13th – but for Ithemba every day is World Kindness Day. As a weary and worn-out humanity, especially at the end of yet another gruelling year, we need to show we care for one another – now more than ever. This year’s Kindness Day theme was “The Importance of Kindness in Child Development”. This is something we cannot stress enough, especially amidst the onslaught of social media from far too young an age on our children’s psyches. Read more here. Most of all: Go well into the end-of-year busy-ness, and may 2025 be kind to you and yours.
Save our children!
It has been reported that the Australian government will prevent children under the age of 16 from accessing social media to protect their mental health. Social media platforms will be required to enforce the new regulations. In the USA, Florida has just approved a bill banning children under 14 from social media, and 14- and 15-year-olds will need parental consent to access platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Already last year the US surgeon general warned that social media “can increase the risk of children developing anxiety, depression and eating disorders”. According to a Unicef study more than 95% of children in South Africa have access to the internet, risking exposure to online violence, exploitation and abuse. Read more here and here.
Mental health and entrepreneurs
The stresses and stressors entrepreneurs face have led to what has been described as a “hidden mental health crisis”. As one article puts it: “While entrepreneurship may outwardly appear to be a path filled with innovation, success and independence, the reality for numerous founders is far more complex.” Also: “They navigate a roller-coaster of stress, isolation and pressure that can profoundly impact their mental well-being.” It can lead to burnout, anxiety and depression. A study in California found that 72% of entrepreneurs struggle with mental health issues. If you experience such difficulties, please get help! Read more here.
Loneliness – and what you can do
We have become a species that increasingly gets lonelier and lonelier – and homo sapiens is supposedly a social species. Countries such as Britain and Japan have already appointed ministers of loneliness in their cabinets. The World Health Organisation has even declared loneliness a public health concern. Anxiety disorders are some of the reasons why people isolate themselves from others. In Japan a whole new lexicon developed around these behaviours. One example is the hikikomori phenomenon, where young people refuse to go out – they can’t even go to school. Let’s reach out to people whom we think might experience loneliness. Read more here, here and here.
What a run!
Thank you to Team Ithemba’s participants at the Cape Town Marathon and the Peace10 during Mental Health Awareness Month. Your efforts placed Ithemba in the 8th place for the total marathon in terms of fundraising on the Givengain platform. Thank you to our runners in the Marathon and the Peace10 and all our supporters for supporting Ithemba’s aims. Next year we do the repeat.
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Our Cape Town Marathon runners, the three cousins Delana Eksteen, Hein Hörstmann and Mareike Belbin, with their medals after the event. Triple congratulations to our Three Cousins! |
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Our Cape Town Peace10 runners, colleagues Janine Immelman and Janine Rabe, with their medals after their run. Thank you to our awesome team of the Two Janines! |
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Our Cape Town Peace10 participants, Ilse Cilliers and her sister Aloïs Cilliers, who also completed the Peace10 – and who once again were blown away by the fantastic “gees” among the cheering crowds along the route. Thank you to two Super Sisters! |
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Our Cape Town Peace10 participant and well-known journalist Willemien Brümmer with her medal after running her 10 km for Ithemba – thank you Willemien, for doing your thing, despite paying for it with a huge blister! |
The shame of falling victim to a scam …
We do not think about it, but the psychological fall-out of falling victim to a scammer is even worse for your health than the savings that have been lost. If you have been tricked into sending funds to a fraudster, it is not only about the money, but also the shame and stigma of being a victim of such a scheme. Please get help before it affects you more than the money you have lost. Read more here.
Leadership and normalising maternal mental health
In the last of our messages for 2024 on the importance and, unfortunately, much neglected issue of postpartum mental health, Thanya April, Operations Manager at the Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) at the University of Cape Town, writes: “Organisational leaders – whether in healthcare or corporate settings – have a unique opportunity to support maternal mental health. When leaders openly prioritise mental wellbeing and create supportive policies, they send a powerful message that it’s okay for mothers to seek help. For example, at the PMHP, we have developed policies that promote both the mental and physical health for our staff, many of whom are mothers. This has helped create an environment where women feel comfortable to discuss their challenges, set healthy boundaries and prioritise taking the time they need for rest and rejuvenation. When leaders model acceptance and understanding about the struggles that mothers may face, this has a ripple effect that benefits families, communities, and future generations.”