There are certain things in life that we can never get enough of — and wellness advice is one of them! With each day inviting new sets of challenges — from general adulting (which stays kicking our asses) to crazy tight deadlines, we need a regular dose of words that propel us in the direction of mental wellness.
Our Jan/Feb 2022 cover story interview with actress and author Bonnie Mbuli reminded us that wisdom doesn’t only live on book pages, podcasts or old minds. Aren’t we just glad that we have a walking book of wellness wisdom in the gorgeous Miss Mbuli?
READ MORE: Yoga Moves That Bonnie Mbuli Swears By
Below are some of our favourite Bonnie quotes around mental wellness…
1. Not just about looks
“Throughout my 20s, I was depression prone and also suffered from anxiety. The only way to keep a lid on the anxiety was to work out. Exercise went from being about aesthetics to wanting to be mentally sound. Fitness, for me, is key to staying on an even keel.”
2. Stay at it
“I often liken caring for our mental health to maintaining a healthy immune system. You don’t start boosting your immune system once you’re sick. The point is to keep it healthy so you don’t get sick. I also realised that if we are constantly on the brink of being mentally compromised, anything that life throws our way just tips us over.”
3. Game changer workout
“When you’re going through a lot of emotional turmoil, you spend the bulk of your time running away from your body. Yoga, in my case, returned me to my body. That combination of movement and meditation really flipped the script for me!”
4. A higher self
“Beyond acting and producing, I really believe that my purpose is to help people win the war against their mental destruction. How do we live beyond the limitations of our bad habits and limiting beliefs? I’m interested in meeting the highest version of who God intended Bonnie to be.”
READ MORE: 4 Ways To Support Healthy Ageing
5. Stay in tune
“I think everyone has a propensity for depression. The trick is to teach your mind to recognise the symptoms ASAP. My two major depressive episodes taught me that everyone’s biggest enemy is their mind. Left to run rampant, our minds can easily become our worst enemies.”
6. True to self
“When what you do for a living becomes your entire identity, it’s easy to view your life as finished when things don’t go your way in a particular situation or experience. It’s important to have a vision of yourself that is larger than the job because, after all, the job comes from you, right?”
7. Sit back, you’ve got this!
“Whatever purpose you were born for on this earth, you’re going to arrive in the form and shape best suited for it.”
8. Did you know?
“How we are nurtured as children plays a big role in how we respond to life lessons.”
9. A higher refuge
“Apart from the fact that I meditate daily, work out and eat well, prayer is my mainstay. I pray through any and everything. No matter what circumstances surround me, no matter what comes and goes, prayer is the one thing that never changes. Prayer is where I source my strength. Prayer never leaves, it never forsakes me. It’s always me and God, and I’m really grateful for that.”
READ MORE: 24 Motivational Quotes To Help You Push Through
10. Self-acceptance is key
“I think the biggest contributor to depression and anxiety, especially in our society today, is perceptions. There’s who we are, and then there’s this perception of what we’re supposed to acquire and become. Lastly, there’s this perception of perfection that is always held up to us. We always operate from a place of: ‘I fall short. I’m not meeting this and that criteria.’ My daily thing is reminding and asking myself: ‘How can I live, enjoy and unite with this current version of myself?'”
11. Strength in vulnerability
“We are so afraid to be vulnerable about who we really are. The minute we step out there, we wear this veil of perfection then walk around feeling like imposters all day. Yet, the reason we feel like imposters is because we’re just not being ourselves!”
12. Big on truth
“Learning how to be vulnerable has been my biggest teacher…Vulnerable to my struggles and vulnerable in an industry where one is expected to appear perfect — or where, somehow, the people who appear perfect are the most applauded. I’ve always shattered this expectation because I just want to tell the truth!”
