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Anxiety and Stress: The dark side of lockdown we need to address

Like the aftershocks of a major earthquake, Covid-19 is creating ongoing uncertainty for many of us. As if the health and economic impacts weren’t enough, there’s the mental toll to worry about too, as we navigate between lockdown levels.

In a national address on 16 September, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the country has ‘withstood the storm’ in its fight against the coronavirus and that the data shows a clear downward trend in the country. However, he cautioned that ‘by any measure we are still in the midst of a deadly epidemic’ and said that the most important task is ensuring that the
country is not hit by a second wave of infections as is being seen internationally.

Of the coronavirus’s many side effects, perhaps the least appreciated are psychological.While some people are talking with friends and colleagues about this serious issue, it isn’t getting the attention it deserves. A group of South African Psychologists have produced a technology
solution to help. It is a facemask for the mind, a ventilator for the emotions
and a sanitiser for the soul. In collaboration with Mygrow, The Emotional Intelligence Platform, these simple techniques are being made available to South Africans to help fight the psychological side of Covid-19.

Join the 30 Day Wellbeing Jumpstart Challenge available to South Africa for free.

Mygrow is an online personal development platform focusing on Emotional Intelligence development.

“COVID & lockdown has made life hard, but life after lockdown seems even harder! Many are realising that the road ahead is full of stress and exhaustion, with no clear end in sight. But one thing has become clear – mental health and wellbeing matters, and all of us need it”, says Mark Baker, CEO of Mygrow.

The SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) issued this warning as desperate callers to their helpline have doubled since lockdown started and continue to climb.

The organisation warned that a second wave of crisis facing the country would be the psychological impact of Covid-19 and which would be “much more devastating and longer-lasting than Covid-19”.

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