KBB Marked International Health Day by Discussing the Importance of Mental Health Care on Physical Health

It is so important to keep ourselves healthy, physically but also mentally – and especially during these tough days for all of us while self-isolated. Based on this fact, on the 7th of April for World Health Day the Be a Man Club in Kosovo marked this day through a live streaming conversation with Ass. Dr. Natyra Agani (Ph.D. on Psychology).

Since nowadays almost everything has been switched to online platforms, this discussion joined many different people such as young people, students, parents and Be a Man Club members as well. Ass. Dr. Natyre started the video live stream with an introduction of herself, she is a teaching assistant at the University of Pristina in the department of Psychology and she told the audience how amazed she is with the members of Be a Man Club since she met them in different youth activities in Prishtina. She holds psychological sessions with young people as well and started to explain how the COVID19 is affecting everybody’s life, which is totally fine.

We are used to being active most of the time and it is normal to feel sad and bored while we are self-isolated. She told us that the anxiety and stress from being home all the time and not going out at least for a walk, missing our friends, relatives, colleagues, and our loved ones, is totally normal – she told us she is feeling the same way. But, Ass. Dr. Natyre told us what we can do while we stay home, how we can take care of our mental health since this issue affects our physical health too. 

“Call your friends, relatives, colleagues, and your loved ones, ask them how they are doing, it is very important to keep in touch with people we love. You need to have a good sleep schedule, eat healthily and not disrupt these habits. While attending online lectures and meetings, do not forget to spend time by yourself”, she told us.

She gave us some examples of what we can do in our free time after we finish our school/work obligations.

“Read the books that we said we will read and due to the lack of time we didn’t. They are still somewhere hidden in the bookshelf. Listen to music, avoid a lot of listening to the news and the use of social media. This can affect your mental health too”, said Ass. Dr. Natyre.

After she told the audience how they can spend qualitative time for themselves, young people, parents and students that were watching the live stream, they started to ask different questions based on their current situation. She responded to each of them and also shared a website that the Department of Psychology of the University of Pristina has developed for young people in order to help them to take care of their mental health during this hard time.

Afterward, after questions & answers, Ass. Dr. Natyre said that she is very willing to support whoever needs some advice and is going to a tough time and everyone can contact her. She thanked everyone who participated in her live streaming discussion and especially to the Be a Man Club members that are – as she said – an example of active youngsters who contribute to a healthy, non-violent and equal society.

This activity has been implemented within the project “Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and the Prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Balkans”, implemented by CARE International Balkans in partnership with SIT – Center for Counseling, Social Services and Research and YMCA në Kosovë dhe mbështetur nga Agjencioni Austriak për Zhvillim, dhe Fondacioni OAK.

YMI – Young Men Initiative #CareInternational #CARE #AustriaDevelopmentAgency #OAKFoundation