Am I OK?

The annual RUOK day campaign centres attention on the importance of checking in with your family and friends and asking them if they are ok. The message of positively connecting with loved ones has never been more important. However, as well as connecting with those we care about, we should also pay attention to our own mental health and wellbeing.

So, we ask you to pause and reflect: ‘AM I OK?’

Sometimes we are so busy working, studying, parenting, doing… doing… doing. In this flux of responsibilities, roles and relationships, we may not be consciously considering how we are doing. It may seem self-indulgent to stop and think about how we are feeling. Instead we push ourselves to do more and more and more. However this is the perfect recipe for burnout, disconnection and increased risks to our mental wellbeing.

Unfortunately many of us don’t think about our mental health proactively.

But stop, reflect on where you’re at and how you’re going.

Your mental health isn’t something that just happens to you. It’s not only a passive process. It’s a very active process. How you’re feeling is something that you can greatly influence. However it’s much easier to influence this preventatively than simply reactively.

There are so many ways to get mental health support nowadays. You can visit your GP, get a referral to a psychologist, and look at holistic treatment options. There are many evidence based websites and books
where you can get support – those based on cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy or mindfulness based practices may help you learn skills and strategies to improve your mental wellbeing. You can learn stress management strategies such as meditation.

You don’t have to go through it alone, get some help.

If you find yourself at a point where you are feeling overwhelmed, or where you are having thoughts of suicide, take this seriously. If it was a loved one feeling this way, you would connect them with help. Do the same
for yourself. It can be scary to feel like you have no other way of dealing with what you’re facing. However help is available. Have compassion for yourself by prioritising your own mental health and wellbeing. Your mental health doesn’t have to be everyone else’s business, but it should be your own.

You do not have to be alone. Get urgent support. A helpful resource is the Suicide Call Back service: 1300 659 467