MASERU — As the Middle East war progresses, a local Mental Health Activist, Ms. Lieketseng Mpeete has called Basotho to exercise mental alertness to be able to face pressures and effects emanating from the ordeal.
She said this in an interview with the Agency on Tuesday after the alleged Petroleum Fund announced fuel price review with effect from April 01, the price pump of petrol93 will increase by M.6.70 per litre, petrol 95 will increase by M7.35 per litre, the pump price of Diesel50 will increase by M13.10 per litre and the pump price of illuminating paraffin will increase by M13.00.
Ms. Mpeete founder of Insurmountable Holdings said stress and frustration as a result of petrol and paraffin hike are comprehensible but that should not be the reason to temper with mental welfare and wellbeing of people.
“Our peace of mind is of course affected by this situation, the more reason why we should exercise mental assertiveness to be able to curb the effects brought by these drastic changes,” she said.
She urged the society to talk about their fears, take things one step at a time without bombating their brains, indicating there is always hope in the land of the living as long as people are in existence.
Meanwhile, the Agency has observed and recorded numerous occurrences since Monday evening following the alleged announcement from Petroleum Fund with motorists rushing to petrol stations to supplement more fuel while others were also rushing to buy paraffin. This has been a trend since Tuesday morning as well, whereby some petrol stations were also facing petrol shortage.
Information gathered from Wilson Centre, an online platform has shown that mental alertness refers to keen observation and sustained focus which is important for daily performance.
Key strategies outlined by the centre strengthen mental alertness including prioritising sleep that is seven to eight hours of sleep, saying quality sleep is a foundation for good memory and concentration.
People are urged to also practice deep breathing to calm the mind and enhance focus while also avoiding multitasking which reduces efficiency and reduces fatigue. Moreover, regular exercises as well as opting for other healthy habits that include drinking water more often and brain stimulations amongst others.
It is said that the Middle East has since been a hotspot of instability emanating from rivals, Israel partaking in wars and facing threats from militias that include Hamas and Hezbollah. Conflicts have involved regional and global powers, leading to widespread instability and violence.
Another conflict also erupted from over domestic disputes, others over regional competition, with spill over drawing in major world powers. Israel fought four major wars with Arab neighbors, including Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, between 1948 and 1973.
Above all, the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1960s has challenged non-state actors, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Palestinian territories, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Therefore, the militias have been main military actors since the 1980s, evolving into influential political parties in the 1990s and 2000s. In this era, they have been the most consistent threat to Israel. In all these fights, mounting tensions between the United States and Iran remains the main source and course.
ENDS/AM/tl
