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‘Our language is a reflection of ourselves.’ – Cesar Chavez.

Four weeks ago, there stood a girl dressed in green scrubs clutching onto her belongings in the community out of fear of the unknown. This girl was both naïve and sheltered in her upbringing. Pieces of privilege from her own life were beginning to be challenged and reflected on. The injustices and the lives of others, so close to her own home had a stark contrast. It was black and white. This is a reality in South Africa, there is a lack of balance in our societies because of overriding injustices. That girl is me, a final-year occupational therapy student thrust into her first day of community fieldwork with fears, worries and anxiety.

Cesar Chavez, who is a civil rights activist, stated that ‘Our language is a reflection of ourselves.’ He goes on to explain how this represents growth in a person (Chavez, 2023). This blog aims to reflect on my experiences and thoughts on the 4 weeks, I have spent working in the community of Cato Crest and Denis Hurley Centre and the lessons learnt.

Much of my anxiety, was due to feedback and commentary from previous students. I heard numerous complaints and rants. However, I began to quickly realise that other people’s experiences cannot shape mine. It was after the second week of fieldwork that my thinking shifted, and the magic occurred.

As clinicians, we must always begin by thinking critically. Critical thinking allows one to become solution based. This ensures the best possible intervention for your client and ways in which your therapeutic skills could improve (Doyle, 2022). It is very important to look at life from every side and angle. This is what I struggled with in my first few weeks of community. Previously, I was so used to working within the box and this was dependent on whether I was in a paediatric or psycho-social fieldwork block. Since I began this degree, it has always been emphasised, how OT is based on being holistic to a client. But I have never truly achieved this up until community. As my wise supervisor repeatedly asked, ‘How is your session any different from a normal paediatric session?’, ‘What if this was the last time seeing your client?’ This was the missing puzzle piece for me, what if it was?  The gears shifted in my mind. This is the reality of community-based practice.  Therefore, I had to now become confident, and ensure every aspect of OT was being addressed in my session or else I would be failing as a clinician and doing my client a disservice. This a lesson to carry into community service.

A few moments stuck out to me and are impossible to forget. My previous fieldwork block was at Newlands Park Centre for substance abuse users. Within my first week at Denis Hurley Centre, I bumped into a gentleman whom I was working with at NPC. It felt like fate. He had a happy ending, he visibly looked well and was still sober. He was holding his little daughter's hand and is working on mending the relationships in his family. He was still benefiting from the social work counselling and even attended my substance abuse group to motivate those in active addiction. It felt like a success. However, on the flip side, there was another gentleman who also knew me from the rehabilitation centre, he is currently homeless and relapsed within 48 hours of completing the program.  I began to reflect and ask myself, ‘What went wrong?’

Was it the intervention that failed him? However, the previous gentlemen were a success story. So perhaps it was his own actions and negligence? When I spoke to him more at DHC, I realised that he had the tools and knowledge for sobriety but did not implement this. This is what I realised occurs in other communities too.

Similarly, Thandeka’s Creche in Cato Crest was previously given many resources by students over the years. However, on visiting the creche it was bare of all resources. Previously, a recreational area was painted and created for children, this is now filled with rubbish and rubble. There are countless stories of projects being vandalised, stolen, or lost in the community. I am not sure how we can tackle this in the future. Perhaps, at the creche, we can begin taking inventory each time services are provided. I still have not answered my question of why people in the community cause harm to what is benefiting the wider population. I am afraid our services will not stop this, but the nature of occupational therapists is perseverance, and we cannot lessen or withdraw our services out of fear of theft, vandalization and crime. If we did this, we would be doing our profession a disservice by not trying to dismantle injustices and promote health and well-being.

The children at Dalton Creche come from a distraught home environment. There is an ongoing sewer issue, crime, drug abuse, and poverty, and the overall environment is not safe for play and development. At DHC, our sessions are done in a very different environment, the children have access to everything from hot meals to safe playing and technology. After visiting the actual creche, therapy sessions began to be structured differently. As I realised, we were not being holistic at all. Therefore, environmental safety was often discussed with the children using pictures, and cues to try and make therapy realistic and beneficial to their home environments.

In the Cato Manor clinic, I felt this process of learning was very realistic and prepared me for community service. As you do not have much preparation time and need to interview, assess, and provide intervention within a limited amount of time. This is what I struggled to implement but have become much more conscious about this.

All in all, despite the hardships experienced, this community block prepares you most for community service and working in primary health care or government facilities.  Imposter syndrome is real but do not mistake your lack of experience or knowledge as the inability to do something. We cannot be defensive if something goes wrong, we need to reflect on our interventions, consider constructive criticism and use this to improve as every single day comes with new lessons to be learnt.

Imposter Syndrome: 8 Ways to Deal With It Before It Hinders Your Success (hubspot.com)

The importance of self-reflection (irisconnect.com)

How To Give and Take Constructive Criticism (With Examples) | Indeed.com

8 Ways to Cope with College Anxiety and Stress (healthline.com)

References

Chavez, C. (2023). Cesar Chavez Quotes. Retrieved August 18, 2023, from BrainyQuote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/cesar_chavez_389927#:~:text=Cesar%20Chavez%20Quotes&text=Our%20language%20is%20the%20reflection%20of%20ourselves.,and%20growth%20of%20its%20speakers.

Doyle, A. (2022, March 15). Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples. Retrieved August 17, 2023, from ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/critical-thinking-definition-with-examples-2063745

Gepp, K. (2021, May 20). 8 Tips for Coping with Anxiety as a College Student. Retrieved August 18, 2023, from healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/college-anxiety

Herbert-Smith, K. (2023, March 27). The importance of self-reflection. Retrieved August 18, 2023, from IRIS: https://blog.irisconnect.com/uk/community/blog/importance-of-self-reflection/#:~:text=We%20learn%20by%20experiences%20and,from%20just%20experiencing%2C%20into%20understanding.

Indeed. (2023, July 31). How To Give and Take Constructive Criticism (With Examples). Retrieved August 17, 2023, from Career Guide: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/constructive-criticism

Naidoo D, Van Wyk J, Joubert RW. Exploring the occupational therapist’s role in primary health care: Listening to voices of stakeholders. Afr J Prm Health Care Fam Med. 2016;8(1), a1139.

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Tackling one goal at a time to promote health and well-being.

Elie Wiesel once wisely said that it may feel at times that we are struggling or unable to tackle certain injustices, but there should never be a moment in which we cease our protests.

Working in the Cato Crest community and Denis Hurley Centre, it sometimes feels as if I am overwhelmed because the injustices witnessed are far too many for these two hands to handle. However, this should never stop an activist from continuously thinking of ways to uplift the community and tackle whatever is presenting itself as change must begin somewhere.

Sustainable development is to improve human well-being and quality of life for all people, especially those who are most disadvantaged by poverty and inequality (Republic of South Africa, 2008). There are 17 sustainable developmental goals, which acknowledge that countries need to focus on communities of a lower-socio economic status to even out social, economic, and environmental sustainability (UNDP, 2023).

In this blog, I aim to discuss 5 SDGs and how I intend to work on these within the community. The 5 SDGs are, no poverty, zero hunger, good health & well-being, gender equality and clean water & sanitation.

No poverty

According to Stats SA (2019), 40% of South Africans are living below the national poverty. In the community of Cato Crest, we could begin at primary and high schools by educating the youth on furthering their studies. Many high school students, at Mayville Secondary high school, have requested additional help and guidance in selecting subjects and tertiary education. According to Giovett (2022), education can help break the generational cycle of poverty. As employment opportunities would be greater. Another solution to alleviating poverty would be to have therapy groups at Denis Hurley Centre, this group would be craft-based and to upskill the clients. We could create recyclable art, and this can be sold outside the centre to bypasses. This project would help generate a source of income for the homeless.

Zero Hunger

The issue of hunger is related to the issue of poverty and unemployment. According to Stats SA (2021), 2.1 million South Africans were living in hunger.  A result of this is high levels of malnourishment (Labuschagne, 2022). At Denis Hurley Centre, the kitchen staff provides breakfast and dinner to ‘rough sleepers’ or the homeless. A way in which OT, can become involved is to train the food insecure and unemployed who seek out these services. They would be trained to assist with cooking tasks such as peeling and chopping vegetables. They could eventually be hired by kitchen staff and earn an income. Earning an income would alleviate food insecurity. At Cato Crest community, an OT project could be establishing a vegetable garden, community members would oversee maintaining the garden and distributing the nutritious produce to those in need. The remainder of the produce can be sold, to obtain a stable income to alleviate food insecurities.

Good health & Wellbeing

By implementing the vegetable garden and promoting healthy eating, hopefully, good health & well-being would be achieved. At DHC, every morning a health promotive talk is given, this is to recruit those who would benefit from OT and to screen potential clients. Our overall aim is to promote health and well-being. At Cato Crest community, our active ageing groups can ensure that we are spreading this message through all age groups and not neglecting our geriatrics. We can educate them on the importance of staying active, eating healthy and performing meaningful leisure tasks which can be explored in groups. As in this stage of life, leisure would replace the occupation of work and improve quality of life and well-being.

Gender equality

Within communities, women are not seen as equal because of old patriarchal systems in place. Women are often victims of rape, and abuse and are not always given vocational opportunities as these are often reserved for men in the community.  According to Vollgraaff (2022), half of the population of our women folk are not even in the labour force. South Africa has been labelled the rape capital of the world (Govender, 2023). All these issues contribute to gender inequalities. At DHC, I am working on creating a women’s empowerment group. Many of these women are vulnerable or homeless. This group will equip them with coping skills such as de-escalating a situation if they are in danger, how to avoid substance abuse and cope with stress or trauma. The women will also be involved in creating recyclable art pieces with the Art therapist in charge, this can then be sold to generate an income as they are unemployed. The women would be treated holistically, and their health and well-being would be improved through meaningful activity.

Clean Water & Sanitation

       According to Madonsela & Binedell (2001), most areas within Cato Manor have been developed but the Cato Crest community has not. Although written, twenty-two years ago, this still stands true. There is inadequate housing, mass pollution, poor water, and waste management. This creates an unsafe environment, putting people’s lives at risk and depleting their well-being. There is no indoor plumbing which results in people fetching water from outside taps and storing this in their homes. This can be a risk for contamination. During health promotion talks at the Cato Manor clinic, I can educate people on safe drinking water. Please refer to the link below on how to make household water safe for drinking. This advice can be made into posters and placed on the walls of the Cato Manor clinic and in the schools or libraries within the Cato Crest community.  As Ots, we need to educate the community on the harms of littering and causing pollution as the issue is becoming more uncontainable. We could assist with a community clean-up and appoint motivated and responsible community members to continue with this. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste, to hopefully improve sanitation levels in the future with the consistency of the community.

So let us begin, the road ahead may be a long one, but the journey must begin. We need to begin with urgency to protest poverty, hunger, inequality, poor sanitation, and health.  We need to eradicate the mindset that we are voiceless and cannot tackle these generational problems because if we do not, who will?

Making Water Safe in an Emergency | Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene-related Emergencies & and Outbreaks | Healthy Water | CDC

Gender equality | UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa

References

Africa, R. o. (2008, July). A National Framework for Sustainable Development in South Africa. Retrieved from South African Government: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/nationalframeworkforsustainabledevelopmenta0.pdf

Africa, S. S. (2019). 5 facts of poverty in South Africa. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from Stats SA, Republic of South Africa: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12075

Giovetti, O. (2022, April 17). How does education affect poverty? It can help end it. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from Concern worldwide US: https://concernusa.org/news/how-does-education-affect-poverty/#:~:text=Education%20is%20often%20referred%20to,globally%2Drecognized%20solution%20to%20poverty.

Govender, I. (2023, March 31). Gender-based violence – An increasing epidemic in South Africa. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10091185/#:~:text=South%20Africa%20is%20considered%20to,the%20first%20quarter%20of%202022.&text=The%20rate%20at%20which%20women,higher%20than%20the%20global%20average.

Labuschagne, I. (2022, June 2). South Africa’s hunger problem is turning into a major health crisis. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from news24: https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/south-africas-hunger-problem-is-turning-into-a-major-health-crisis-20220602

Madonsela, V. and Binedell, M. (2001). Cato Manor: Integration of biophysical aspects. LEAD Programme in Technologies for Enhanced Environmental Management. Durban, November, 2001.

Programme, U. N. (2023). THE SDGS IN ACTION. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from United Nations Development Programme: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals

SA, S. (2021). Focus on food inadequacy and hunger in South Africa in 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from Stats SA, Department: Statistics South Africa, Republic of South Africa: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=16235

Vollgraaf, R. (2023, August 23). Half of South African Women Aren’t Even in the Labor Force. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-23/half-of-south-african-women-aren-t-even-in-the-labor-force#xj4y7vzkg

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Occupational Therapy & Conquering Community Injustices One At a Time.

Piles of rubbish and litter cannot be contained on this land. There are sewage spills and waste within the streets and people's home environments. Houses are made of tin and do not have running water. The streets are filled with drugs and violence. Not even the schools are safe from this. This is Cato Crests community, riddled with injustices and huge inequalities compared to other more affluent suburbs.

Frank Kronenberg stated that as OTS, we cannot ignore politics because this directly affects human health (Kronenberg, 2022) . Politically, all human beings are equal. However, this is far from the truth as our societies have injustices in place. It is my understanding that this all began during apartheid, perhaps even before that as racism has always existed.

The Cato Crest community is made up of predominantly black individuals who are living in poverty. Khumalo’s (2019) research stated that apartheid policies encouraged racial segregation, which sparked the growth of informal settlements in post-democratic South Africa. In Cato Crest, informal settlements are encroaching, there is a severe shortage of land, housing and supplies to the area.

Going back to Frank Kronenberg, he believes that the future of Occupational Therapy is too strong, extreme or revolutionary to be tied down by a career. I am not sure if I agree with this completely. Working within the Cato Crest community, it does feel at times that I am playing the role of everyone in the MDT. What I mean is, sometimes you find yourself giving ‘speech therapy’ or ‘dietician advice’. Although this is not within our scope of practice, we still do this within a safe limit to holistically treat a client as they may not have access to any other services besides OT. I disagree with the second half of his statement. I do not feel as if I will have to go beyond the bounds of my profession, as being client-centred, I would never hesitate to give other medical or health advice of which I have knowledge.

 However, perhaps this is why many therapists find it difficult to define OT, as sometimes it feels like we do ‘everything’, especially in community-based practice. Frank Kronenberg, continued to describe that the future of this profession needs to focus more on larger communities. I agree with this statement as someone who is working at Denis Hurley Centre and Cato Crest community. These communities are riddled with injustices. This blog will go into detail on ways a few injustices can be dismantled through the future of OT.

Poor Sanitation within the Cato Crest community cannot be ignored. At the community, I saw an open body of water which was filled with sewage, there were diapers, and sanitary pads which are not properly disposed of. Rats’ fest on the pollution too. Citizens utilise outdoor toilets and many houses do not have running water or plumbing. This increases the risk of health issues, bacterial infections and can decrease play and education participation in children (Mara, 2010). In the future, I can use health promotion talks to educate people on ways to minimise waste to create a safer environment. Pamphlets can be handed out to members of the community on the importance of this. Perhaps, we could start a group of enthusiastic community members who can assist with weekly clean-ups and motivate their neighbours to do so. They could begin calling out members who are dumping waste, with repetition of this there is a possibility to minimise or eradicate the pollution.

More than 20.4% of South Africans experience food insecurity (Mtisnsilana,2023). At Denis Hurley Centre, many of the clients are homeless or asylum seekers. There is an issue of food insecurity. DHC, does provide meals to these individuals but as OTS we could actively involve members of the community in this. Starting up a food garden initiative would allow the community members to actively engage in growing vegetables and fruits. As many are unemployed, this could be a meaningful activity as the produce can be used for many reasons. It can be used as a source of food or used by the kitchen staff to prepare nutritious meals for community members. The extra produce could be sold, to obtain an income to maintain the garden.

Another appalling statistic, the unemployment rate is a record-high 32,9% for the first four months was observed, ranking among the highest levels ever (Stats SA, 2023). Within Cato Manor, many individuals are unemployed. We can submerse ourselves within the community to motivate and upskill individuals. A long-term project idea is to begin a clothes market within the community. All clothes would be donated to the community to be sold. Half the profits would be a form of income for the sellers, and the other half would be used to continue uplifting the community. Those profits can be used to buy additional materials to maintain another project to create recyclable crafts such as coasters or jewellery. These goods can then be sold to informal traders or members of the community to generate a stable income.

Working as a student clinician on a community level can be very overwhelming because of the multiple injustices which can be seen as a crime to humanity. In my first week of community fieldwork, it felt as if I was swimming against the tide. It may seem that the positive changes we are implementing are so small in scale compared to the negatives. However, even the slightest change is therapeutic and can have a long-lasting effect on a person's life. As OTS, we have the power to bring about these changes, so let’s run with it.

References

Estrany-Munar, F., Talavera-Valverde, Á., Souto-Gómez, I., Márquez-Álvarez, J., & Moruno-Miralles, P. (2021). The Effectiveness of Community Occupational Therapy Interventions: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6). Retrieved August 4, 2023https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063142

Hendricks, S. (2016, August 2). Food Security in Rural South Africa - Homegrown solutions for South Africa's hungry. Retrieved August 04, 2023, from University of Pretoria: https://www.up.ac.za/research-matters/news/post_2996572-food-security-in-rural-south-africa-homegrown-solutions-for-south-africas-hungry

Khumalo, Z. (2019). The Impact of Informal Settlements on Environmentally Sensitive Areas: A Case Study of Cato Crest Informal. degree of Master of Town and Regional Planning in the School of Built Environment, 10. Retrieved August 4, 2023, from https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/xmlui/handle/10413/19165

Kronenberg, F. (2022, July 28). The idea of OT is too radical and powerful to be contained by a profession. (m. OTS, Interviewer): Retrived August, 02 ,2023, from https://youtu.be/yZXmsDfOI0I

Mara, D., Lane, J., Scott, B., & Trouba, D. (2010). Sanitation and Health. PLoS Medicine, 7(11). Retrieved August 4, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000363

Mtinsilana, A. (2023, February 15). Hunger in South Africa: study shows one in five are at risk. Retrieved August 04, 2023, from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/hunger-in-south-africa-study-shows-one-in-five-are-at-risk-199133

SA, S. (2023, May 16). Beyond unemployment – Time-Related Underemployment in the SA labour market. Retrieved August 04, 2023, from Statistics South Africa: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=16312#:~:text=South%20Africa%27s%20unemployment%20rate%20in,the%20fourth%20quarter%20of%202022.

Scott, K. (2019, May 10). South Africa is the world’s most unequal country. 25 years of freedom have failed to bridge the divide. Retrieved August 04, 2023, from CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/07/africa/south-africa-elections-inequality-intl/index.html

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Why is Maternal & Child Health important to society?

Did you know that in 2018, nearly 43,000 children aged 5 and below died in South Africa?

Did you know that everyday 800+ mothers die during childbirth globally?

Did you know that in South Africa there are 113 deaths per 100,00 births?

What if I told you that these deaths are easily preventable? (Maswime,2022)

Mothers and children in communities of a lower socio-economic background face the greatest struggles. Mothers firstly, face the brunt of society. Secondly, rural communities’ healthcare services are inaccessible due to a lack of resources.

Many communities within a South African context, follow a patriarchal system. Mothers are meant to be caregivers, to support children, see to their needs and promote their health. What if the mother’s health is not protected? This could influence the level of care and wellbeing of their children.

According to the following research, many mothers have the responsibility of being the primary caregiver, balancing work because of poverty and need to manage their homes. They have many roles and tasks to juggle while battling with their unstable environments.

Lower socio-economic communities, have high levels of crime, gender-based violence and a lack to sanitation. This ultimately, caused high stress levels in mothers. This negatively effects their health and well-being. This also influenced the children, limiting their engagement in play due to unsafety. Which negatively effects development and health (Ayob, Christopher & Naidoo, 2021).

In patriarchal societies, mothers are responsible for raising the future generation. And if both maternal and child health is diminishing… What does this say about our future generations? Are we breeding a society to not succeed?

Let’s be honest, the health system in South Africa has been failing. There is a huge ratio of patients, long lines, poor quality of services, resources, and infrastructure. It is not rare to see neglect and a lack of prevention services in public health settings (Maphumulo & Busisiwe, 2019).

“Women are born with pain built in … It’s in our physical destiny…We carry it within ourselves throughout our lives, men don’t.’ – Fleabag.

As mentioned earlier, women in our societies face the brunt of it all. What does this mean? Preconceived notions are put into place when a female is born. There are set out gender norms. Gender gaps exist. Women are not encouraged to overachieve, seek education or employment of high income.

 Many employed women in the community, seek informal work for insufficient income. According to, Bhan (2020), mothers who work as informal traders do not have the luxury of maternity leave and will work immediately after birth. They cannot afford to allow their bodies to heal. This negatively affects maternal health and the care of an infant. High levels of poverty and food insecurity are a result of such harsh decisions.

In lower socio-economic communities, both physical and mental health is at risk. Children are exposed to vicarious, and primary trauma. These experiences can haunt our youth into adulthood and impact their health. This is a cycle which is ongoing from the previous generation to the current and future generations. This is the cycle we seek to break as healthcare professionals.

As OTs, we need to education the community through health promotion and advocate for their rights as members of society. They have a right to adequate healthcare services, and a need to achieve physical and mental health.

“I raise up my own voice – not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard … We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” – Malala Yousafzai

References:

Zainab Ayob, Chantal Christopher & Deshini Naidoo (2022) Exploring caregivers’ perceptions on their role in promoting early childhood development, Early Child Development and Care, 192:9, 1462-1476, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2021.1888943

Women and men in the informal economy: a statistical picture (third edition). Geneva: International Labour Organization; 2018. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_626831/lang--en/index.htm [cited 2018 May 25].

Bhan G, Surie A, Horwood C, Dobson R, Alfers L, Portela A, Rollins N. Informal work and maternal and child health: a blind spot in public health and research. Bull World Health Organ. 2020 Mar 1;98(3):219-221. doi: 10.2471/BLT.19.231258. Epub 2020 Jan 28. PMID: 32132757; PMCID: PMC7047022.

Waller-Bridge, P. (2019). Fleabag: the scriptures. New York, Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House.

Winnie T. Maphumulo, B. R. (2019, May 29). Challenges of quality improvement in the healthcare of South Africa post-apartheid: A critical review. Retrieved from National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6556866/#:~:text=According%20to%20Young%20(2016%3A20,disease%20control%20and%20prevention%20practices.

Karl W. le Roux, Joan Christodoulou, Emily C. Davis, Linnea Stansert Katzen, Elaine Dippenaar, Mark Tomlinson & Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus (2019): Maternal and child health outcomes in rural South African mothers living with and without HIV, AIDS Care, DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2019.1679706

le Roux, K.W., Almirol, E., Rezvan, P.H. et al.Community health workers impact on maternal and child health outcomes in rural South Africa – a non-randomized two-group comparison study. BMC Public Health 20, 1404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09468-w

Maswime, S. (2022, May 4). Most maternal deaths are preventable: how to improve outcomes in South Africa. Retrieved from The conversation: https://theconversation.com/most-maternal-deaths-are-preventable-how-to-improve-outcomes-in-south-africa-181282

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Advise to my future self as an OT.

Hey, you! Are you hanging in there?

Make sure to remember:

We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future. – Steve Maraboli.

In the health science and occupational therapy field, practitioners experience second-hand trauma which begins to feel emotionally and mentally draining after periods of time. So, take care of yourself!

Tips to always remember:

Journal or set time aside for yourself (daily) to reflect on your day this allows one, to process experiences and organize your thoughts.

Keep time aside daily for leisure activities that you love. This will boost mental well-being and positive emotional reactions.

It is important to set healthy boundaries with clients, co-workers, and other relationships.

Minimize your stress levels by exercising and meditating. Time management will also help prevent excess stress.

Connect with your loved ones. It is important to not neglect personal relationships and to make time in your schedule to catch up with friends.

How to Take Care of Yourself (with Pictures) - wiki How

Never stop learning and connecting with other people. Learning does not end with being a student.

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” - Leonardo da Vinci.

I hope you never stop filling your shelves and heart with literature. Books have opened so many doors for you in the past and exposed you to new worlds. Never forget your love for reading and the joy it gives you, no matter how crazy your working life gets.

You have always in the past, expressed yourself through mediums of art. This has never failed to make you happy when you were low, so don’t forget that when things become rough.

Short tips to remain true to therapist you:

 Give Full Attention to What You’re Doing

Avoid Distractions

Take Breaks

Ask Questions

Create a Checklist

Be Clear About Your Role

Review

 Learn From Your Mistakes

How To Avoid Careless Mistakes at Work? - Time Camp

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. - Colin Powell.

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Occupational barriers experienced in mental health in South Africa.

"We are not our trauma. We are not our brain chemistry. That’s part of who we are, but we’re so much more than that." ― Sam J. Mille

According to WHO, ‘Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with stressors of their life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community… Mental health is a basic human right’ (WHO, 2022)

Furthermore, the exposure to unfavourable conditions such as poverty, violence and occupational deprivation increases the risks of developing mental health conditions. Barriers to occupational performance also include societal, environmental factors, and family-related and mother related factors.

(HRW, n.d.), States that South Africa has failed to improve social, economic issues such as unemployment, inequality, poverty, and corruption. South Africa also faces gender-based violence, xenophobia and the issue of covid-19 aid programmes not being inclusive to disabled individuals, refugees, and LGBT people.

It has been reported that South African socio-economic issues such as food and housing insecurity are forces contributing to stress, anxiety, and depression. The majority of South Africa are vulnerable to poverty and unemployment. Currently, Covid-19 has impacted unemployment which increases the above factors. (Duby, 2022)

Disabled individuals in South Africa also face further environmental, attitudinal, and institutional barriers. These include lack of accessible transport to reach the workplace, lack of skills training, lack of application and monitoring of the Employment Equity Act and lack of funds (Berthoud 2008; Department of Labour 2002; Economic Policy Research Institute [EPRI] 2001, 2004; Moodley 1997; Seirlis & Swartz 2006). This can further contribute to the rise in psycho-social issues.

Furthermore, any individuals suffering with Mental Health are already burdened with having to face stigmas and ridicule from society. Within a South African context, people suffering with mental illness are seen as lazy, ‘crazy’ or possessed by spirits. Statistically, 1/3 of South Africans suffer with mental health. However, only 3 percent of the health budget is reserved for mental health. This contributes to the ‘epidemic’ of mental health and possibly the high level of suicide attempts as intervention is not accessed and resources of intervention are low. Therefore, many South Africans suffering with mental health issues feel isolated from society as they are misunderstood (Sankobe, 2020).

Therefore, for mental health to improve in South Africa major changes need to occur. It is important to remember, "Your mental health is everything – prioritize it. Make the time like your life depends on it, because it does." — Mel Robbin

[ot-is-spilled-blog]

Covid- Trick or treat

‘We can’t conserve anything, and especially not social relations, without altering their nature, arresting some part of their interaction with time in an unnatural way.” – Sally Rooney, Beautiful world where are you.

Research has shown that the pandemic lead to increased anxiety. In the beginning a lot was unknown, and false information or rumours were fuel to the fire and would create panic. Present mental health disorders in people, worsened and those who previously presented with none were now struggling with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and fear. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol to combat these factors, but this results in its worsening. Countries such as South Africa, banned the retailing of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, many people struggling with substance abuse disorders were trapped in their homes because of lockdown and social distancing restrictions. Such frustrations were then rained down on family members, therefore rising gender-based violence and domestic abuse. (staff, 2021)

The effects of COVID still linger today and will be bubbling under the surface for the upcoming years. Many people like to believe the pandemic is over and life is ‘normal’ again. But I believe this to be false.

Whether it be in our subconscious mind or blaring in our faces – we all have changed through this pandemic. We see a change in our own mental health and how being isolated and using the internet as our only form of human interaction has now affected real life social interactions.

My reflections on community life slowly going back to ‘normal’ almost feels contradictory to me because I am still anxious and feel as if I forgot to do basic human things while ‘locked-down.’ Things that felt so normal before such as seeing people at university, eating in a restaurant, looking at peoples faces for the first time without a covering have now become a ‘new’ affair. It is an odd reality we live in. In my opinion, people are being forgetful and negligent because many of our vulnerable populations are still at risk and many still struggle with long-covid. The pandemic is still in the air.

However, it is refreshing to be able to do again the unthinkable since these past 3 years. Our minds and perspectives have changed, it’s almost as if we now see the world with a different lens. I do not think, I and many other people could let go of the social anxiety or flinches and the need to hide when I hear a cough or sniffle in public.

‘We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalised greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature.’ – Sonya Renee Taylor.

[ot-is-spilled-blog]

I am standing on the edge of becoming an OT.

Imagining myself standing on the edge of a cliff, arises the same emotions as the phrase, ‘sink or swim.’  Within me this swarm of emotions can either feel like a push or a pull back depending on the various situations I have faced and will be facing.

In 2019, I was a first-year student (you must be thinking, why is she in third year then?), well the answer to that question is that my poor planning, immaturity, and mental state lead me to failing a module of anatomy which of course had repercussions and prerequisite effects. However, I look back on this experience as a learning curve which taught me to better plan, diarize dates, attend lessons and not to study last minute. I also felt shame and being left behind (at the time) because I would be graduating later than all my friends and I had disappointed my parents.

“Things and people moved around me, taking positions in obscure hierarchies, participating in systems I did not know about and never would. A complex network of objects and concepts. You live through certain things before you understand them. You cannot always take the analytical position.” – Sally Rooney.

Reflecting now, on my journey as a student, I believe things happen for a reason. Life is not coincidental. Lessons are learnt from experiences, and with this wisdom can be found. Being a student leads to many contradicting emotions. I sometimes feel knowledgeable or clueless and imposter syndrome sets in.

In the novel Beautiful World Where Are You, one of the protagonists describes how ‘remembering is weaker than experiencing,’ struggles of the past will never feel as 'bad' as present suffering or challenges once we recall them. This can easily describe my struggles, tears, and sleepless nights over the past few years. That now when I look back, they do not seem all that ‘bad’ as compared to present experiences. And once fourth year begins, I will feel the same of this year. And when I enter the workforce and qualify, the cycle will continue. I am not sure why this reaction occurs, but I think I have benefitted from it on this journey.

I am trying to walk right now not run. What I mean is, I am just trying to survive and excel in this final semester before final year and not stress about future events but rather focus on the present.

Practice makes perfect and famously said, 'Rome was not built in a day.' I do believe studying occupational therapy has created a new set of eyes for me, it has changed my thought processes, how I view the world and people. This too will continue to evolve as we are not stagnant-beings.