GO! Blog

Gracefully Onwards! Let's GO!

The 4th Annual Mental State of the World Report by Sapien Labs provides a comprehensive analysis of mental health per country across the world. Our society regards mental wellness as crucial for productive and prosperous communities. 

The report offers insightful gems. However, interpret these in the context that our real creatorship and prosperity lie NOT in living in our heads but rather in our bodies. We need to embody who we are as souls.

The pandemic ended more than two years ago, yet mental well-being levels have not yet improved significantly. Participants below the age of 35 have shown the steepest decline during COVID, amplifying the pre-existing trend of poorer mental health for younger generations.

Interestingly, several wealthier countries rank low, with the UK one of the worst performers, confirming that wealth and economic development don’t necessarily lead to greater mental well-being.

In 2023, more than 500 000 individuals completed the 15-minute questionnaire. In total, 47 items were assessed and compiled to score six dimensions: Mood & Outlook, Social Self, Drive & Motivation, Adaptability & Resilience, Cognition, and Mind-Body Connection. 

Insightful gems:

1.      Age at which a child gets their first smartphone

Across a sample of almost 30k respondents in the age group 18–24 years old, it was found that the younger they were when they got their first smartphone, the worse their mental health outcomes in adulthood. For example, 74% of female respondents in this group got their first smartphone at age 6 and had MHQ scores that fell within a Distressed or Struggling range. This decreased to 61% for those who acquired their first smartphone at age 10, and 52% for those who acquired their first smartphone at age 15.

The impact of owning a smartphone at a young age was especially pronounced for the dimension of Social Self, and drove symptoms such as Suicidal thoughts, Feeling detached from reality, and Feelings of aggression towards others. Developing countries typically top the ranking and the average age which young people first own a smartphone is generally older (about 14/15 in Latin America and 16 in Sub-Saharan Africa) while it is lowest in the Core Anglosphere (age 11).

2.      Consuming processed food

Here, a sample of just under 300k respondents showed that more frequent consumption of ultra-processed food results in substantially poorer mental wellbeing at all ages, with a broad impact on symptoms of depression and emotional and cognitive control. More than half of those who eat ultra-processed food daily, are Distressed or Struggling with their mental well-being, compared to just 18% of those who rarely or never consume ultra-processed food, an almost 3-fold increase.

3.      Family bonds

Across a sample of more than 407k+ respondents, 10% of 18-24 year olds did not get along with any of their family and preferred not to see them compared to only 3% of the oldest generation. At the same time, the risk of mental health challenges in adulthood is four times lower if you have close family relationships.

All these gems are equally helpful if we consider embodiment:

• Remain on subject – having a mobile phone could result in your focus being on “object”- things outside yourself where you tend to compare and polarize.

• Treat your body as the “temple” that it is. There is no point in consuming food that doesn’t nurture your body.

• Heart connections and relationships with family and friends support our health and wellness. Love is what this world is primarily about.

I’ve been pondering the concept of “us” and “them”. Polarity. Me vs you. Good vs Bad.

It sometimes is easier to believe in the “us” and “them”. It is comfortable since it does not require you to change. This week I pose 2 questions on TikTok the first is listing the people that you admire and the great characteristics that they have. The second is looking at the other side of the coin. Who are the people that irritate you and what do they do or believe that triggers you?

Many years ago I was fortunate to attend a workshop presented by Deepak Chopra in Johannesburg where he did exactly this exercise.  With none of us knowing where this would lead, we happily scribbled down lists of people we admire and what it is that we admire about them. At the end of the exercise he said that whatever you admire in others is already in yourself. You wouldn't have been able to recognize it in others if it wasn't present in you.

Which characteristics do you notice in others that are already in your life? In what way might you enhance those characteristics that are not yet in full bloom for you?

And then we get to what irritates us about others. What it is that they do or say that triggers an emotional and sometimes even a physical reaction from us. There's a number of different ways that you can work with this. Have you got your list ready? Let's look at each individually

• Perhaps ask yourself “what is it that I believe that causes me to react”? For example when I encounter a salesperson who constantly pushes their product it triggers my belief that a good product has inherent value. I believe that a good product needs an introduction but it does not need continuous promotion. The trigger shows me what I believe and gives me a chance to reevaluate it. Is it still valid? Do I want to keep it or is it time to let it go?

• Being triggered can also show you what you need to do. It might show you what you expect from yourself that you are not yet doing. For example, if someone is sincerely patient and polite to everyone around them, and I’m triggered, it might show me that I need to be more polite and patient.

• And finally, it might be something that you should stop doing. If I am triggered by people who condescend to me, the question is where am I being condescending to others? I might be condescending when the person does not hold the same values as I do, or has a different political view. Being triggered tells me I need to change my own behaviour.

The way we look at, and experience others inevitably tells us more about who we are than about the other person. While we can’t change anything in others, we are in full control of our own thoughts, beliefs, feelings and behaviours.

Victor Frankel said “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

So, what triggered you most yesterday? What was the thing that you responded to with emotion? How did you react and what does that say about you?

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”  Michelangelo

I was listening to Bashar the other day saying that we already are exactly what we’re supposed to be. Dr Sue Morter agrees – we have all we need and are perfect as we are.

What we need to do though, is to let go of what is not authentic. It is how Michelangelo described his approach to sculpture: “all” he did was to remove the excess marble.

Letting go of what is not authentic sounds easier than what it is in practice. It is in the excess that our fear, anger, shame, guilt, embarrassment, and insecurity lie. Why is it so difficult to let that go? Why the need to hang onto those stories, those negative emotions. We truly fear our magnificence more than our flaws.

In my imagination I spread my arms like a jesus on the cross (what is it that I think I’m sacrificing?!?) and engage with a strong wind that cuts through me. If I’m a wireframe covered in fabric, the wire frame is authentic and I consciously squeeze it together. I untie the fabric, the excess, and let that fly away, piece by piece.

When I’m completely naked, just the wireframe remaining, being in or out of the wind does not matter anymore. My authentic self does not resist, there is no friction. I am free.

Are you looking for a healthier version of ice cream? I suppose technically you can't call this ice cream as this frozen desert is vegan. You will not be disappointed with the creamy texture!  I found this recipe on Healthygirlkitchen.com and have already made it several times. 

Above is based on the work of Dr Sue Morter, also the author of the book: The Energy Codes®: The 7-Step System to Awaken your Spirit, Heal your Body and Live Your Best Life.

In the video below, two of my favourite authors/ public personalities, Trevor Noah and Simon Sinek, talk about friendship. There were 3 key insights for me on guarding your friendships in this conversation:

1. You do not build trust by offering help, but by asking for help. Simon Sinek. It is such a privilege to help friends - allow your friends to do the same for you.

2. It is not worth sacrificing friendship for career success. When you are in trouble your work won't save you, your friends will.

3. As we sacrifice more friendships for our work and career, the demands on the life partner grow.  

We used to belong to clubs, were members of organisations, and were affiliated with a church, but now we expect our work to fulfill all those roles. 

Along the same lines, we have friends who support us in different ways and we support different friends in unique ways. A spouse or partner can't take on all the roles different friends are supposed to play. 

Soothing and calming Meditation/ blessing

5 September 2024