Nafeel Sijui Aje! — I Can’t Explain How I am Feeling.
By Miriam Karanja
We often joke that Nafeel sijui aje is a feeling that you cannot explain but can be fixed by money. In fact, if you ask most people these days what can easily solve whatever problem that is going in their life; 95% of us will simply say, Money.
But if we are keeping it a buck, when was the last time you knew exactly how you were feeling? When was the last time you were fully in control of your emotions? When was the last time you were happy? The last time your chest was light? The last time that choking feeling at the back of your throat wasn’t there? When was the last time you slept peacefully?
Can you remember? Are you aware?
The truth is, most of us have been existing in limbo for the past couple of years. Blame Covid-19, the tough economic times, responsibility fatigue, increase in mental health issues; but most of us have been in a daze. Coping. Doing our day by day without any sense of direction. Not exactly sure how we feel about ourselves, or about anything. Just existing.
If you are not exactly sure if this applies to you ask yourself this:
- When asked how you are, do you typically answer “busy” or “tired.”?
- Do you pay attention to the needs of others but often neglect your own?
- Do you say “yes” to most things you are asked to do, regardless of your capacity or interest in doing them?
- Do you often feel anxious or resentful?
If 3/4 out of your answers to the above questions is YES, then you definitely need to turn your life around.
September is Suicide Awareness Month and there is no better time than this to do a thorough introspection of what is going in our lives, our friends, colleagues, family, and kid's lives and to do the very best we can to improve our Mental Health.
According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, the number of mental health cases has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the country’s mental health task force, 25% of outpatients and 40% of in-hospital patients suffer from mental health issues such as depression.
The article even goes ahead to state that “If you look at a family with five people, two parents, and three children, at one point or another one of them in their life will suffer from mental illness of one sort or another. In other words, 20% of Kenyans — whether we like it or not — will at one point or another have a mental health need,”
“Nafeel Sijui Aje” could mean you are anxious or stressed or depressed but you are not necessarily listening to your body. It is important that you do. It is important that you incorporate activities that contribute heavily to your all-around well-being.
Whatever next steps you decide after reading this post please realize there is only one YOU in this world. And even though our expectations for ourselves have multiplied, the number of Hours Remain The Same.
Extend some grace to yourself. Extend the same grace to others.
When you prioritize your mental and physical health, you’ll be able to manage your current responsibilities with more grace and less resentment.
