Living in a fast-paced world where too many events happen simultaneously – a pandemic, cases of gender-based violence, kidnappings, terrorism, war crimes, economic meltdown, and political tensions, we forget self-care. This has left many struggling with anxiety, despondency, fear, and uncertainty.
Isio finds himself right in the middle of this mix.
The recurring demands of family, the struggle of earning a living, the frustration of finding fulfillment, make him constantly exhausted, overwhelmed, even to the point of often wishing he never existed.
Outliving the pressure is no mean feat and Isio is at a critical point where he must intentionally cultivate habits and adopt practices that promote healthy functioning and positive mental health to face life, its many phases, and inevitable challenges; simply put, self-care.
Self-care is increasingly important in a world where so many people resort to suicide, secretly struggle with major depression and several other mental illnesses.
#At23 trended on Twitter last month – Twitter users jumped on it to talk about their achievements at age 23. While a lot of people expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of their lives, others expressed fulfillment. For me at age 23, older, or even younger, to set realistic goals is imperative.
When we set goals for ourselves either academically, professionally, or financially, there’s a need to resist the urge to be overambitious or influenced by social pressure. This sure avoids frustration and feeling like an under-achiever. As a matter of fact, aiming high realistically and trusting the process allow us to enjoy a great sense of achievement and self-esteem as we progress towards our goals.
The digital world vs the real world
There’s no denying the fact that it’s easy to set unrealistic goals with the pressure of social media. However, one should note that there’s the digital world and then there’s the real world. Most of us can agree that social media contributes greatly to increased stress levels, anxiety, and depression amongst others- behavioural experts have emphasized this repeatedly. A lot of people are cyberbullied. More so, there is social comparison, phone addiction, and yeah, pressure to blow! While social media helps the world stay connected, taking regular breaks is important to disconnect from its disturbing negatives.
I doubt there is a set time for how long a social media break should last but I think it’s a matter of taking all the time one needs to participate in other real-life activities that help to refresh the mind and perhaps, to self-reflect.
To wrap this up, be intentional about building connections with very supportive family and friends as this aids self-care. As human beings, building resilience and a healthy state of mind are essential if we must enjoy and win in our lifetime. Please take care of your mental health. Rooting for you!
-Kimberly Ubiebor.