Saturday marked the start of Mental Health Month in Australia, which means that it’s time to connect to yourself and the world around you. This year’s theme, 'Building Resilience: Communities and Connections’’ calls on Australians to work through their struggles with the help of their community. Overcoming mental health issues can be a daunting and demanding task, so turning to your support network can be a simple but powerful step in creating happiness in your life.
After two years of Covid-19 lockdown, a lot of us are lacking in hope and optimism about the future. These feelings of hopelessness can be difficult to overcome, but tuning into and acknowledging these feelings is the first step to overcoming them. The organisers at Mental Health Month recommend prioritising spending time in with loved ones, exercising and doing things that make you happy as ways of listening to your mind and body. In Stories from Within: Olive, Olive tells us about how much she loves the water. When Olive was suffering badly from mental health issues, she stopped doing what she loved: swimming. Coming out of those periods, Olive reconnected with swimming as a way of spending time with herself and the water. As the weather starts to warm up, why not go for a dip in the ocean or do some laps at your local swimming pool?
There is a wide variety of events organised for the upcoming month. Drop into a meditation class or try your luck in a photography competition! If you know someone who is going through a difficult time, check out the Mental Health Ally Pack to learn how to support your loved ones.
Olive puts it best when she says “you don’t have to talk but get out from underneath your doona”. This October, remember to get outside, spend time doing things that you love and build resilience with help from your community.
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
To speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76
For an Indigenous run and led support service please contact Deadly Connections on 18004USMOB or 1800487662
If you are in distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or chat online.
Have something on your mind? You can reach out to BeyondBlue at 1300 22 4636 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.