South Africans need a strong dose of stability to navigate the current chaos and unpredictability globally. This can be achieved by shifting our lenses, repurposing our lives and finding ways to nurture a sense of wellbeing amidst the volatility, writes Phyllis Ndlovu, founder and CEO of Kisima Psychological Services.
There is much to respond to, from political grandstanding by global powers that embrace far-right leanings, such as the US threat to withdraw much-needed aid, to the varied responses to our recent State of the Nation Address, as well as South Africa’s role in the Congo war. The noise – locally and globally – is loud and potentially disruptive.
This disruption is reminiscent of the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, when countries and their citizens were disrupted and compelled to pivot quickly and adjust to a new normal. The predominant collective consciousness during those early days of the pandemic fluctuated from fear and anxiety, to anger, frustration and global restlessness. Right now, the dire news emanating from seemingly irrational pronouncements by some world leaders have left people questioning those leaders’ mental health and instilled, once again, a sense of global restlessness.
Within this chaos, South Africa, its leaders and citizens are invited to ask themselves “within this disruption, how do we respond?” I believe this disruption presents us with an opportunity to repurpose our lives, and ask ourselves: “What can we control? How do we want to engage within our spheres of influence? How do we want to impact humanity?”
On a personal level, we must ask “How do I want to show up and restore my own sense of wellbeing within this scenario?”, “How do I nurture personal balance of mind and greater stability within my environment”?
Firstly, it is important to recognise that the story we tell ourselves about our experiences shapes how we feel and respond. That story becomes a lens through which we look at the world. If we amplify to ourselves that life is chaotic and the world is going to the dogs, this narrative will feed our fear, anxiety and a sense of being out of control. But if the story we tell ourselves is that this is a season of disruption that can enable personal growth and that no season lasts forever, then we are empowering ourselves rather than being self-defeating.
Secondly, current events present an opportunity for us to focus on what we can control at an individual level. It is important to acknowledge the noise, but also to acknowledge that within the noise are aspects we can control. And, part of what we can control is mechanisms to protect our wellbeing. By way of example, someone who works at an aid organisation has been asked to stay at home due to the uncertainty around funding from the US. Instead of being fearful about losing her job, she has decided in her moment of ‘not knowing’ to reframe the situation as an opportunity to rest and refuel.
While it is important to address our physical and mental responses to moments of chaos, we also need to address the social aspects too and pay attention to our relationships: are they a source of solace and nourishment or do they feed into our fears? If people in our social circles reinforce messaging around disorder and chaos, this can erode our mental health. We also need to reflect on what kind of messaging we ourselves are feeding into our social settings.
This doesn’t mean we should deny the chaos around us, but we should rather be asking ourselves if we are using our limited energy wisely in any given 24-hour period. When we choose to focus on what is working in our lives, whether on a macro level or within our individual spheres, and work towards common goals, then we nurture a sense of wellbeing. In such contexts it is important to become intentional about having a sense of gratitude.
There’s a neuroscience benefit to shifting the lens that we use to look at the season we are in: the pursuit of common goals releases dopamine, which enables our brains to thrive. Much like the COVID-19 experience and accompanying level 5 lockdown, we need to ride the storm and flatten the metaphoric curve. We need to establish realistic steps that we can take – as a country, as companies and as individuals – to reposition ourselves and move forward in a meaningful way. Not to do so is to give in to the fear, anxiety and restlessness that is unproductive and wears us down.
