1300 364 277
Quick Exit
This button appears across the site. Press this button to exit the site immediately to nondescript link
Click to close or press

Month: December 2021

Coping with Holiday Stress: Tips from RAQ Practitioners

Posted on by admin

Are the holidays making you more stressed than merry?

Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed with the dizzying list of demands such as shopping, cooking, and entertaining. Or perhaps this time of year brings up difficult feelings for you.

Some of our RAQ practitioners share their top tips so you can protect your wellbeing and give yourself the gift of self-care this silly season.

 

Remove Expectations

We can feel pressured to celebrate in a certain way (e.g. with family, travelling, with lots of gifts). Know it’s OK if this isn’t the way you want to spend your time. If Christmas for you means spending the day at home with a good book, that’s OK.

Georgia – Senior Practitioner

 

Know Your Limits

Just because you’re family, it doesn’t mean your views align with each other’s. When those prickly topics come up, know when you need to exit, and have a plan to make it happen.

Kate – Senior Practitioner

 

Limit Social Media Use

It could be triggering to go on social media and see families spending time together and make unhealthy comparisons. Check in with yourself as to whether you need to have a day offline.

Alanna – Senior Practitioner

 

Take a Nap

Give your body and brain a chance to recharge on those go-go-go holiday marathon days. Even 20 minutes will make a big difference.

Tim – Practice Manager

 

Remember to Breathe

When feeling overwhelmed, close your eyes, place your hands on your belly, and just tune in to the sensations around the inhale and exhale. Taking 5-10 slow, deep, conscious breaths in and out of the belly can calm and centre you in any situation. The beautiful thing is it’s free, you can do it anywhere at any time, and no one needs to know.

Shirley – Relationship and Family Counsellor

 

Observe Your Vices

It can be easy to overlook how much you embrace your vices (e.g. excessive food consumption, alcohol use, smoking) when times are stressful. Try to set yourself some goals to limit how much you rely on these.

Kate – Senior Practitioner

 

Stay Centred

This year, there are many of us who are really going to miss seeing our loved ones. So we’re going to be sad and wobble. But that’s OK. A strategy I use to manage strong emotions is to imagine myself as a coconut tree in a storm. I can choose to be the leaves being tossed around madly, or I can be like the trunk and bend with the intensity and stay centered, knowing it will pass. If you feel overwhelmed, choose a place where you sit and be the trunk of a beautiful coconut tree.

Helen – Regional Manager

 

If you need extra support during this period, we’re here to help. You can learn more about our counselling service here, or call 1300 364 277 to make an appointment.

It’s OK to Need a Break from COVID

Posted on by admin

COVID-19 has been the hottest topic for nearly two years now. No matter where we go or who we speak to, it seems we can’t escape news or discussion of the pandemic.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and need a break from this heavy topic – especially as we near the holiday period and want to focus on lighter things.

We hope this advice helps if you’re feeling burnt out by COVID mania.

 

Put a time limit on your news consumption

While it’s important to stay informed and be aware of the latest restrictions and health directives, too much “doomscrolling” can cause unnecessary stress and fear.

Try to limit your check-ins with the media to avoid overexposure to negative news, particularly at vulnerable times of the day, such as right before you go to sleep.

 

Express your boundaries early

COVID is impacting us all, and it’s only natural friends, family, and colleagues will want to talk about it at some point. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and want to avoid the topic, be sure to let the people around you know.

You could tell them how you’re feeling before you see them to ensure you’re on the same page. For example: “COVID has been making me feel stressed lately. Can we please stick to lighter topics today?”

Or you could let them know you’re open to a quick COVID-related vent but would like to steer the conversation to other topics for the rest of the interaction.

 

Have other topics prepared

Consider the things you would like to discuss, and have some questions ready to go before you meet. This can help ensure your conversation stays on track and there are no awkward silences that tempt you to default back to COVID chat.

Some conversation-starters might include:

  • What have you been watching/reading lately?
  • What are you doing for Christmas?
  • Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?
  • Did you achieve this year’s resolutions?
  • How have you been spending your weekends?

 

Don’t repress your feelings

While it may help your mental wellbeing to take the spotlight off COVID, avoiding or repressing negative emotions altogether can cause more harm than good down the track.

Many of us are feeling stress and anxiety around COVID-related issues. You might be nervous about the uncertainty of the future, or maybe you’re grieving cancelled plans. Whatever it is, it’s important to acknowledge and process those feelings. Talking to a counsellor can help with this.

RAQ provides confidential counselling in person, over the phone, and over video chat. You can learn more here, or call 1300 364 277 to make an appointment.

How are you really doing? We list the signs you might be struggling during COVID in this blog post.

Tips for Parents Struggling During COVID

Posted on by admin

COVID has caused stress and burnout for a lot of parents. Lockdowns and home-schooling had us scrambling to keep our kids safe and entertained while we tried to hold onto our own sanity.

And even as restrictions ease and vaccine rates rise, the domino effects of COVID are still taking a toll on parents.

Raising kids is tough enough without the added challenges of the pandemic. You might be weighed down by uncertainty about the future. Maybe you have a newfound anxiety around your children’s health and hygiene. Or perhaps, like many, you’re simply exhausted by the increased time spent together in close quarters.

We hope this advice helps if you’re struggling with parental burnout during COVID.

 

Signs you might be struggling

While parenting is innately tough a lot of the time, these signs may indicate your mental health is suffering and you need some extra TLC.

  • Feeling tired and overwhelmed most of the time
  • Feeling more irritable and impatient than usual
  • Emotionally distancing yourself from your children
  • Feeling like you’re failing at parenting
  • Changes in your usual sleeping and/or eating patterns
  • Losing interest in hobbies and interests you normally enjoy
  • Wanting to isolate from the people around you
  • Having a strong lack of motivation and/or energy
  • Feeling hopeless and/or depressed
  • Using alcohol/drugs more than usual
  • Neglecting your own hygiene and appearance.

 

Looking after yourself

Here are some ways to manage stress and avoid burnout when you’re feeling overwhelmed as a parent.

Lean on your support networks

It’s not always easy to stick your hand up and say you need help – especially when it comes to parenting. But asking for and accepting help from loved ones can lighten the load and make a huge difference for you and your whole family.

Maybe you need a hand with practical day-to-day tasks, or maybe you just need another parent to vent with. Whatever they can do to make things a little easier, don’t be afraid to reach out and keep your support network close.

Prioritise downtime

We get it: parenting is a 24-hour gig. But self-care doesn’t have to take up hours of your time.

Even just a 30-minute read before bed or 10-minute meditation and/or cup of tea in silence can make all the difference to help you feel grounded and calm your nervous system.

Making the time for self-care is half the battle – feeling guilty about it is a whole other ballgame. Try to remind yourself that you’ll be a better parent for it, and you’ll be modelling the importance of self-care to your children.

Seek professional help

If you’re struggling to cope on your own, speaking to a counsellor can be a positive first step to addressing your mental health.

Talking to a counsellor in person, over the phone, or over Zoom can help you make sense of your feelings and identify potential solutions. You can learn more about our confidential counselling services here or call 1300 364 277 to make an appointment.

You can find more tips to manage your mental health during COVID in this blog post written by one of our mental health professionals.