Thembelihle Zwane
30 September 2026
Ukugeza ngamanzi abandayo. Ukuphuza ijusi kuphela. I-yoga olwandle. Uma wake wazizwa ucindezelekile ngenxa yezindlela eziningi zokuhlala uphilile, awuwedwa – masibingelele ‘ukukhathala ngokwengqondo nangomzimba’ (wellbeing burnout).
Abanye bathi impilo enhle uhambo, hhayi indawo yokufika – inqubo eqhubekayo lapho impilo yakho ifakwa kuyo yonke ingxenye yokuphila kwakho. Kodwa kwesinye isikhathi, lokhu kungaphambeka, ikakhulukazi uma ukufuna impilo ephelele kubandakanya ukulandela yonke i-trend entsha yempilo, ukuncintisana nabanye, noma ukubeka izinhloso ezingafinyeleleki.
Umbiko wango-2024 wenkampani yezempilo i-Lululemon (i-Global Wellbeing Report) wathola ukuthi ‘ingcindezi eqhubekayo yokuthuthukisa impilo yethu iyenza siphile kangcono.’ Nakuba abantu abangama-89% bebika ukuthi bathatha izinyathelo eziningi zokuthuthukisa impilo yabo kunonyaka odlule, cishe ingxenye babika ‘ukukhathala ngokwengqondo nangomzimba.’
Lokhu kunengqondo eNingizimu Afrika nakho, lapho amasocial media efaka umthelela omkhulu kubantu abasha. NgeWhatsApp, i-TikTok ne-Instagram kugcwele amaphosti okudla, ukuzivocavoca kanye nempilo egqamile, kulula ukuzizwa uphelelwa ngamandla noma ungasoze wafinyelela izinga elifanele.
Njengoba ukukhetha kuvame ukufinyeleleka nge-app nje, umuzwa wokufuna impilo enhle ungase udideke uze ufike ekukhathaleni, njengoba nyanga zonke kuvela indlela entsha yempilo. Umbiko we-Lululemon uveza izinto ezintathu eziyisisusa sokukhathala ukuphila impilo enhle: ukulindeleka komphakathi ukuthi ubukeke uphilile, ulwazi oluphikisanayo mayelana nezindlela ezingcono zokuthuthukisa impilo, kanye nokuzizwa uwedwa. Umphumela ungaba ukukhathazeka, ukulahlekelwa ugqozi, ukucasuka, ukukhathala, kanye nokuzihlukanisa nomphakathi.
UClaire Plumbly, isazi sesayensi yengqondo kanye nombhali, ukholelwa ukuthi ubuchwepheshe bungenye yezizathu ezisemuva kokukhathala ngokwengqondo nangomzimba, ngoba buveza abantu ekukhetheni okuningi, ukuqhathanisa okuningi, kanye nokukhangisa okuningi ngezindlela ezizayo zempilo.
‘Kunokukhetha okuningi kwezinto ezijwayelekile zempilo enhle, futhi lokhu kudala ukukhathala ngenxa yokukhetha okuningi,’ kusho uClaire. ‘Njengoba amasocial media ekhangisa izithombe zokuthi ukuzinakekela nempilo enhle kufanele kubukeke kanjani, sikhathala nakakhulu.’
Ukuqhathanisa ukuqhubeka kwakho nabanye kudala umuzwa wokungabi ngcono. ULara Zibarras, isazi sesayensi yengqondo, uthi ukukhula kokuzizwa ucindezelekile kuvela ekuqhathaniseni, kanye nezeluleko eziphikisanayo mayelana nempilo. iPhoyinti elithile eliku-social media lithi ukudla kwe-Mediterranean kungcono, kuthi elinye lithi i-keto ingcono.
‘Amasocial media aveza isithombe esihlungiwe sempilo esingafinyeleleki, esishiya abantu bezizwa benganeli,’ kusho uLara. ‘Amaphathini afana ne-“Ukudla Kwami Ngosuku” ayingozi ikakhulukazi – akhuthaza izeluleko ezingezona zochwepheshe. Ubuningi bezeluleko – ezivame ukuphikisana futhi zivela kubantu abangenalo ulwazi – zishiya abantu bekhathele futhi bekhathazekile.’
Ukhiye wokunqoba ukukhathala ngokwengqondo nangomzimba ukuthola ukulingana esikhundleni sokususa izingxenye zohlelo lwempilo enhle ngokuzenzakalela. Kwabanye, kuhlanganisa ukwamukela izinto ezigcwalisa inkomishi yakho ngaphandle kokuyivumela ichitheke. Njengoba uZarina, oke wabhekana nezinkinga zokudla iminyaka engu-13, ekhuluma ngayo – ukwenza umqondo ogobekayo ngempilo yakhe enhle kumsizile ukuthola injabulo ngokulingana.
‘Ukubeka phansi ama-app amasonto ambalwa nyanga zonke kungisiza ngiphinde ngizigxile kimi, hhayi ngokuzama ukulandela abantu abangaziwa,’ kusho uZarina. ‘Ukuhlunga umsindo ku-inthanethi kubalulekile njengokuqalisa imikhuba emisha.’
Imisebenzi eminingi yempilo enhle yenziwa umuntu eyedwa – cabanga ngokuzindla, ukugijima, noma ukubhala idayari – kodwa kuyasiza ukufaka umuzwa womphakathi. Umbiko we-Lululemon wathola ukuthi ama-89% alabo abezwa ukukhathala ngokwengqondo nangomzimba babika ukuzizwa bebodwa njengesizathu esibangela lokhu. Labo abasebenzisa umsebenzi womzimba njengethuba lokuxhumana nabanye babike impilo enhle engaphezulu ngo-23%.
Ungajoyina iqembu lokuhamba noma lokuzivocavoca komphakathi wakho, noma ubeke inhloso nomngane ngeWhatsApp. Ukubeka izinhloso ezincane futhi ezifinyelelekayo, kungasiza ukuvimbela ukukhathala.
Uzokwazi kanjani ukuthi ususondele ekukhathaleni ngokwengqondo nangomzimba? Ngokusho kukaLara, izimpawu eziyinhloko ukukhula kokungabi nethemba, umuzwa wokucindezeleka, ukuntuleka kogqozi, kanye nokuyeka imisebenzi obukade uyithanda ngoba isibonakala ingasenangqondo.
Encwadini yakhe, uClaire uphakamisa ukuthatha ikhefu elincane uma ucindezelekile. Awuzange ulale amahora ayisishiyagalombili? Yenza okuthile okuhluke ngokuphelele – geza ngamanzi ashisayo, funda incwadi, noma lalela i-podcast ekhuthazayo.
Ekugcineni, impilo enhle yangempela ayiqali ngokuthi kudliwani noma yiyiphi imisebenzi yokuzivocavoca oyenzayo – kumayelana nokuthola uhlelo oluhambisana nomzimba nengqondo yakho, hhayi ukulingisa izinhloso zabanye. Njengoba uLara esho: ‘Kumayelana nokuthola ukulingana nokulalela ngempela lokho umzimba wakho okudingayo, hhayi ukuxosha ukuphelela.’
