We interpret the new Reebok Club C double, as we chat to the two beautiful creators and mindfulness specialists; Mahlodi Letsie & Lihlomile Jack.
Why is mental health an important topic to talk about?
I think we realise now that the stigma around mental health is perpetuated by the silencing of people struggling with mental health. So we have to start creating safe spaces for one another, and that should look like spaces where people feel like they have the courage to share their journeys with mental health. The culture of having the courage to speak usually looks different from the culture of being silenced and isolated, its more empathetic, informative, inspiring and supportive, and we need to shift to a supportive culture, if we have any chance of empowering each other to overcome our mental health struggles.
Any tips to help combat your negative thoughts?
As with most medical and health regimes, there is no one size fits all to combat negative thoughts, and the more deeper and complex your struggles are, the more help you may need. Unfortunately, like most signs in our bodies that signal to us that something isn’t right, negative thoughts tend to go unchecked, when they could alerting us to something more serious. So I would like to stress here that we NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW BRAVE AND COMPLETELY OKAY IT IS TO REALISE, THAT YOU NEED HELP. I see that as urgent as having signs that you are on the brink of having a heart attack. If negative thoughts keep and constantly resurface, that’s your mind raising more alarm signals to get help urgently.
If we are close to someone struggling with mental health, and they express negative thoughts, lets step in and be their safe space to listen to, and support them through without judgement. Sometimes this looks like listening to them without judgement, sometimes it simply looks like allowing them to fall apart and allow them to spend the whole day resting, and in most cases it requires they seek medical and psychological help, like therapy. Whatever it may be, we are all very capable of being the help that person we love needs.
In today’s modern world, there is an unspoken societal pressure that has led us to believe that we need to be perfect. Social media has created a façade that we shouldn’t show our vulnerabilities or daily struggles.
We hide behind our filters and perfectly curated grids, and we smile for pictures, but we suffer in silence.
We secretly compare our lives to the people we follow, leading us to have feelings of inadequacy and a fundamentally flawed perception of our own life experience.
We have somehow made ourselves forget that behind the smiles, and the perfectly curated pictures that we see of the people we have put onto pedestals, are humans who also have their silent struggles.
We are shamed into silence to not talk about our challenges with our mental health, for fear of being judged or rejected.
That fear is the cage many of us find ourselves living in our minds. And as long as we allow ourselves to be confined by it, we will continue to be prisoners living within its restricted walls. It will keep us trapped.
We will continue to be prisoners living within its restricted walls keeping us trapped, as prisoners held hostage by the inner workings of our minds.
That is, until the day we find the courage to break free beyond the limiting parameters of the prison walls of our own minds.
The power lies within us to break free from the shackles of our minds and break free!
Any tips to help combat your negative thoughts?
- Learn to be-friend your inner critic. Try pay attention to your negative thoughts when they arise and question them. Meet them with curiosity by asking yourself whether you truly believe them to be true.
- Get into the practice meditating. Start with short moments and build your tolerance incrementally.
- Practice patience with Self and others.
- Have a beginner’s mind and develop a relationship with yourself in the same way you would get to know a new friend in your life.
- Strengthen the power of your intuition by learning to trust yourself more.
- Be easy on yourself and resist the urge to strive for perfection.
- Learn the art of acceptance of the things you cannot control in your life.
- And lastly, learn to let go of all things that do not serve you. Be it toxic relationships, friendships, or people at work who may not value you.
You are enough as you are, and may you find the courage to begin your mental health and wellness journey today.
For more information check out @baremind_za on Instagram or visit www.baremind.co.za to start your mental wellness journey today!