Even Brave Hearts Need Help: Why Mental Health Matters

The mind is such a contradiction. At times, it is your fiercest contender, other times your most loyal ally. The switch between the two comes without warning. One moment you are soldiering through life’s blows—divorce here, workplace abuse there, the passing of loved ones, the challenges of raising children, even betrayal by trusted friends—and you tell yourself, “It’s just a bad day, it will pass. I’ve been through worse; I can get past this.”

Until one day you wake up, and though your mind knows what needs to be done, your body refuses to cooperate. You are stuck.

In that state of being stuck, you try everything to free yourself. Like Solange sings in Cranes in the Sky, I tried to drink it away, dance it away, distract it away. But nothing worked.

As someone who thrives under the pressure of a portfolio career—balancing the precision of my full-time role in investments with the responsibility of supporting clients in my accounting and tax business, while studying, mothering solo, and being a present daughter—I had always worn resilience like armor. I enjoyed the busyness, the sharp problem-solving, the sense of purpose. But it took me a long time to realize something was wrong.

It started small: fatigue that sleep didn’t cure. Scrolling aimlessly while deadlines piled up. Running late for important appointments. Canceling potentially life-changing meetings because suddenly it all felt too heavy. My mind whispered that maybe I had “conned” my way into the spaces I occupied, that I didn’t truly belong, that one day I would be found out.

That cocktail of exhaustion, fear, overwhelm, and self-doubt left me feeling like my body was holding me captive. Some call it burnout. Others call it a trauma response. Still others call it depression.

Whatever the label, I am grateful for two things: that I still knew, deep down, that I am valuable, lovable, and loved; and that Modimo le badimo positioned me to see that I was not myself. That clarity saved me. Because many highly successful people in similar situations, feeling just as stuck, chose differently—sometimes with dire consequences.

Even the most courageous, even the most resilient, even the brave hearts among us need help sometimes. And that is why mental health matters.

Seeking help is not a weakness. It is the bravest act of self-preservation. It is choosing to honor yourself the way you honor your commitments to others. It is reminding yourself that you are not a machine, but a living, breathing being deserving of rest, healing, and care.

My journey continues. I am still learning to hold space for myself, to embrace the pauses, to ask for support. And I share this here, on She Affirms, because perhaps you, too, have felt stuck, perhaps your brave heart is weary. If that is you, know this: you are not alone. You are still valuable. You are still lovable. You are still loved.

And help is not just available—it is necessary.

A re boleleng. What are your experiences with mental health challenges? Do you have tell-tale signs? Like the words of Bill Withers remind us, we all need somebody to lean on.