Living in South Africa certainly has its fair share of challenges, including traffic congestion, job losses, finance shortages, lockdown restrictions, load-shedding, water shortages and Covid-19 just to mention a few.
This is according to Toughlove Benoni facilitator, Chantal Grotto.
“Coping with adversity requires a strong sense of self as the cornerstone to mitigating what needs to be done to process the challenges,” she said.
“A sense of self is built on two facets namely self-love and self-respect both of which go hand in hand with each other. Your everyday routine affects how a person feels about oneself and in turn how a person feels about themselves affect how they handle situations both good and bad.”
• Self-respect comes from self-love
Self-love is defined as regard for one’s well-being and happiness. There are three types of self-love:
• Physical: How you see yourself
• Mental: How you think of yourself (self-acceptance)
• Psychological: How you treat yourself (self-respect)
For self-love to manifest, you must make yourself a priority:
• Acquire life satisfaction
• Develop a healthy lifestyle
• Learn to deal with adversity
• Develop healthy self-esteem
• Work on your self-esteem
“If you are having a hard time coping, it is a good idea to talk to a counsellor. Your doctor can help you find a counsellor, or approach local support groups such as Toughlove SA or Sadag.” Grotto explained.
“It is evident that people who have good self-esteem cope better in challenging situations and processing hardships”.
Should you require support, email info@toughlove.org.za or call 061 548 3862.
Contact zane@sadag.org for counselling queries.
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