The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is a well-known resource for people to access information on a wide variety of mental health topics.
They have free support groups and seemingly endless resources for people who feel mentally vulnerable or anxious, and for their friends and families to be able to better assist their loved ones.
In March, they collected data from almost 2 000 people both in person and online who participated in a survey that looked at the mental health effects of load-shedding.
SADAG Spokesperson Faatima Seedat said, “People are feeling really overwhelmed with load-shedding and are often struggling to complete their day-to-day activities.”
She describes wanting to conduct the research in order to be able to create relevant and topical support tools for people whose anxiety around power cuts is becoming unmanageable.
“Load-shedding disrupts routines and plans that people have made, sometimes with negative consequences which need to be managed. The economy is already in a bad way which leads people to fear losing their jobs or businesses which is extremely stressful.”
“Over 60% said one of the most anxiety-producing effects of load-shedding was when the schedule is not followed and when power is not restored on time.”
Realising that load-shedding is not going away, Seedat has some tips for how you can try to build resilience against the anxiety surrounding power cuts.
- Try to plan ahead to make sure your phone is charged so you can stay connected.
- Try to plan activities during load-shedding slots: go to gym, shopping, or walk the dog.
- Try to get a small gas stove or something to cook a small meal on or boil some water for tea and get some candles or battery lights.
- Try to meet a friend, neighbours or visit your family to reduce feelings of isolation.
- Use load-shedding as an opportunity to detox from social media. Read a book, visit family, or prepare ingredients to cook when power is restored.
- If feelings of anxiety are prevalent – use this time to learn some breathing techniques or discover how to do simple meditations.
Visit www.sadag.org to learn more.
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