"Rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

Shakera Wadee

Shakera Wadee

Educator at Alruwad International School

Published Feb 8, 2022

"Exercise not go gentle into that good night,
One-time historic period should fire and rave at shut of twenty-four hour period;
Rage, rage against the dying of the calorie-free."

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas pleads with his dying begetter to not requite into decease, despite his old age. However, these words accept become applicable to young and erstwhile. Youth low is on the rise and closer to home as many youth face depression and perceive the light in their lives dying, hopeless of a way out.

In 2017, Due south Africa recorded suicide by a 6-year-old. In 2018, the international theme for World Mental Health Day held on ten Oct recognised Youth and Mental Health. In 2019, a promising high-school soccer player with the skills of scoring goals at perfect angles took her ain life due to the taunts and remarks of her highschool mathematics teacher for failing to embrace the subject field. Too academic pressures, personal trauma and challenges; youth face difficult socio-economic situations such as poverty, family problems and abuse.
In March 2020 the global Covid-19 Pandemic spread rapidly in South Africa, bringing novelty to the youth, creating new challenges and for some, heightening their social-economic problems. This menses tested the resilience of the youth intellectually, socially, emotionally and for many, financially. They had to deal with getting sick, caring for loved ones or mourning the loss of friends and family members. Some were left stranded in isolation in different cities and countries abroad from their families for long periods of time. They faced changes in their academic learning or changes in the workplace for them or their parents. They lost out on social interactions and recreational activities which usually served equally a means of alleviating stress. While some youth thrived through exploring new ways of doing things and seeing the benefits of time at home, others struggled to survive.
Information technology is hard for youth to discover a solution when non equipped with coping strategies to deal with new situations, or overwhelmed with social pressures, negative thoughts and feelings. Daily struggles become long term problems. This often results in low, withdrawal and unfortunately suicide.

However nosotros plead with you, Do not get gentle into that skillful nighttime . There are many support structures, skills and strategies available to assistance you to move away from your dark deject; to develop long term resilience and a positive outlook and growth mindset.

Some of these are listed below:

Speak to a family unit member or friend. They might be able to give you an culling and more positive perspective.
Talk privately and confidentially through the SADAG conversation line or the helplines available on the website. They can also be contacted telephonically (0800 567 567) and through SMS (31393).
Download the "seven cups" application to chat anonymously and  with ease to a professional counselor.
Take advantage of engineering science to pursue free studies, learn new skills and connect with friends and family.
Start your morning with meditation, prayer or exercise.
Cease your day with a gratitude periodical. Every moment has blessings or alternative choices and outcomes. If something did not occur the way you planned or expected, information technology could exist saving you from something harmful or preparing you lot for something better.
Maintain a work-life balance. Switch off from daily causes of stress and pressure and take time to do things which you dearest, either by yourself or with those whom you love.
Cover solitude equally an opportunity to discover new talents and hobbies.
Avoid excessive use of social media and take fourth dimension to build your reading log, especially with books which are motivational and support a growth mindset.
Set long-term goals and notice the all-time ways to attain them. Do not measure them past the standards set up by social club or the opinions of other people, merely what y'all would like to personally achieve and grow as a person.
List your positive traits and get out and help others. Helping other people using our strengths helps to boost our mood and sense of value.
Call back that tomorrow is another day, and with each solar day brings new blessings.

Young age is non a time to fire and rave at close of day,
But to pause and seize the opportunities of each promising twenty-four hour period.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light,
for while  the calorie-free in front of you might be fading,
there is a light within y'all waiting to exist reignited.