Maintaining personal, social and emotional wellbeing can be difficult in uncertain and highly stressful times, such as during a pandemic. However, our wellbeing is central to our relationships with partners, family, friends and community, and is vital to thriving and doing well.
Relationships Australia South Australia has a number of services dedicated to supporting individuals and families with their wellbeing. You can find them and many more here www.rasa.org.au/services/all-services.
Find out about our COVID-19 response here www.rasa.org.au/covid-19
Look after your wellbeing during COVID-19 by:
- Staying connected with friends and family online or over the phone.
- Taking time to rest and recharge; resist the urge to be constantly busy or productive right now.
- Prioritising good food, exercising and developing a regular sleeping pattern.
- Being kind, forgiving and loving towards yourself, this is a difficult time, and nobody is doing it perfectly.
- Taking regular breaks from media to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
- Receiving information from reliable, credible sources, like the World Health Organisation and SA Health, rather than social media.
- Making space for things that you enjoy, such as creative projects or hobbies.
- Acknowledging and accepting your feelings, even if they are painful.
- Reducing stress by giving yourself at least a 15-minute break daily. Use the 15 minutes for something special you can do by yourself or with a loved one/friend. For example, sing a song online, light a candle and have a special cup of tea, watch the clouds roll by etc.
For most of us, these are challenging times. It is expected and part of being human that we will feel uncomfortable and sometimes painful emotions. It’s important we do our best to manage them in ways that can assist us to make sense of what is happening right now. Reaching out for additional support is a positive act of self-care.
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the following, seek help early:
- Finding it difficult to participate in normal day to day activities such as staying connected, getting out of bed, getting to sleep or waking up at unusual times over a number of days, not having an appetite or overeating
- Loss of hope or interest in the future
- Experiencing an overwhelming sense of fear or sadness that is severe or lasting too long
- Mood swings or thinking about suicide
Telephone and online supports:
- Relationships Australia South Australia: 1300 364 277 or 1800 182 325 (country callers) rasa.org.au
- Drug ARM: (08) 7099 7290 drugarm.com.au/coronavirus-response
- SA COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line: 1800 632 753 (8am – 8pm)
- SkyLight COVID-19 Mental Health Peer Support Line: 1800 02 2020 (5pm – 11:30pm, 7 days)
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au
- Regional Access Program (country areas): 1300 032 186 https://saregionalaccess.org.au
- Lived Experience Telephone Support Service (a peer mental health support line): 1800 013 755 (5pm – 11:30pm) letss.org.au
- Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
For people under 25 years of age:
- Kids Helpline (for people between 5-25 years of age): 1800 551 800
- headspace (for people between 12-25 years of age): 1800 650 890
Here are some useful links you might want to explore: