Categories: Lifestyle

Natasha Joubert’s Journey: A Miss South Africa Breaking Mental Health Stigmas

Natasha Joubert is Miss South Africa who shared her personal battle with mental health while performing her royal duties. Her journey to Miss Universe 2021 was met with setbacks and plunged her into severe depression, but she sought professional help and refused to let her hardships define her. Natasha’s story reminds us to recognize our struggles, seek help, and prioritize mental wellbeing. Her journey of conquering her internal battles while performing her royal duties and managing her personal life displays her resilience and strength.

Photo: Miss South Africa (@official_misssa)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)

Who is Natasha Joubert and what is her journey about?

Natasha Joubert is the current Miss South Africa who has bravely shared her personal battle with mental health while performing her royal duties. Her journey to Miss Universe 2021 was met with setbacks and plunged her into severe depression, but she refused to let her hardships define her and sought professional help. Natasha’s story serves as a reminder to recognize our struggles, seek help, and prioritize mental wellbeing.

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Navigating the Glitz and Glamour

The glitzy universe of beauty pageants, where sparkling tiaras and magnificent dresses reign, is often accompanied by an undercurrent of resilience and openness. This is perfectly encapsulated in the journey of Natasha Joubert, the current Miss South Africa. Her disclosure of her personal battle with mental health, even while performing her royal duties, stands as a lighthouse for those silently facing similar battles.

Natasha’s path to fame and recognition wasn’t a simple climb to victory. The graceful and stunning beauty queen took her second shot at the Miss South Africa competition in 2023 at the age of 26, after securing a place in the top three in 2020. This journey eventually led to her representing South Africa at the prestigious Miss Universe pageant, a stage that carried the burden of representing the dreams of her nation.

Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)

The road to Miss Universe 2021, however, didn’t meet the expected outcomes, leaving Natasha wrestling with deep feelings of failure and inadequacy. Despite her tireless efforts, she could not make it to the top 21, a setback that plunged her into severe depression. Her struggle was only magnified when compared to her predecessors – Demi, Zozi, and Tamryn – who had secured higher rankings. The burden of failing to meet her nation’s expectations severely impacted Natasha’s mental health.

Rising from the Ashes

Refusing to let her hardships define her, Natasha took the bold step of seeking professional help. She turned to a psychologist and a life coach, marking a significant milestone in her fight against depression and charting her road to mental wellness.

Simultaneously balancing her royal obligations and preparing for her wedding with her long-time partner Enrico Vermaak, Natasha has been tasked with managing multiple responsibilities. Yet, she stays dedicated to her healing journey, providing a blueprint for those battling similar circumstances.

Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)

In a recent Instagram Story, Natasha unveiled her struggles to her followers. She openly confessed to feeling overwhelmed and not feeling like herself for a fortnight. Her admission of grappling with negative thoughts and feeling like the worst version of herself was a rare and raw display of vulnerability in the public sphere.

Encouraging Mental Health Conversations

Natasha’s brave admission, however, wasn’t just a plea for help; it was an effort to instigate a broader discussion about mental health. Natasha hopes to inspire others through her honesty, demonstrating that it’s perfectly fine not to have everything figured out and to seek professional guidance.

She also highlighted the need to respect personal boundaries, insisting that individuals are not obligated to share every aspect of their lives with the world. This strong message emphasizes the importance of personal space and mental health, even in the social media era where everything appears to be on show.

In her closing words, Natasha extended a comforting message of solidarity to those facing similar struggles. Her journey of conquering her internal battles while performing her royal duties and managing her personal life displays her resilience and strength. Despite the setbacks, Natasha continues to evolve as a woman, continuously prioritizing her mental health and urging others to do the same.

Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)
Photo: Natasha Joubert (@natasha_joubert)

The Bigger Picture

Natasha Joubert’s story extends beyond a beauty queen adorned with a crown; it’s a tale of resilience, honesty, and bravery. It serves as a reminder that everyone fights their battles, even those who appear to have it all. More importantly, it encourages us to recognize our struggles, seek help, and endlessly strive for mental wellbeing.

What is Natasha Joubert’s personal battle with mental health?

Natasha Joubert has bravely shared her personal battle with mental health, which was brought on by setbacks in her journey to Miss Universe 2021. She struggled with feelings of failure and inadequacy, which plunged her into severe depression.

How did Natasha Joubert seek help for her mental health?

Natasha Joubert sought professional help from a psychologist and a life coach. She took the bold step of prioritizing her mental wellbeing and actively worked towards her healing journey while balancing her royal duties and personal life.

What message does Natasha Joubert hope to spread about mental health?

Natasha Joubert hopes to inspire others through her honesty about her struggles with mental health. She emphasizes the need to recognize our struggles, seek help, and prioritize mental wellbeing. She also encourages respecting personal boundaries and not feeling obligated to share every aspect of our lives with the world.

How does Natasha Joubert’s journey encourage mental health conversations?

Natasha Joubert’s brave admission about her struggles with mental health is an effort to instigate a broader discussion about mental health. She hopes to inspire others to seek professional guidance and emphasizes the importance of personal space and mental health, even in the social media era.

What does Natasha Joubert’s journey signify?

Natasha Joubert’s journey signifies resilience, honesty, and bravery. It serves as a reminder that everyone fights their battles, even those who appear to have it all. More importantly, it encourages us to prioritize mental wellbeing and endlessly strive for it.

What is the significance of Natasha Joubert’s journey for beauty pageant contestants?

Natasha Joubert’s journey signifies the undercurrent of resilience and openness that exists in the glitzy universe of beauty pageants. Her disclosure of her personal battle with mental health while performing her royal duties stands as a lighthouse for those silently facing similar battles and encourages them to seek help and prioritize mental wellbeing.

Liam Fortuin

Liam Fortuin is a Cape Town journalist whose reporting on the city’s evolving food culture—from township kitchens to wine-land farms—captures the flavours and stories of South Africa’s many kitchens. Raised in Bo-Kaap, he still starts Saturday mornings hunting koesisters at family stalls on Wale Street, a ritual that feeds both his palate and his notebook.

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