Wellbeing Wednesday Activity - 9th Jan 2019
Kicking off our Second Wellbeing Wednesday for 2019, (somewhat late in the day, sorry everyone!) This activity was suggested by @Jay-RO and @lokifish around the topic of positive relationships.
We now that positive relationships with those around us make us feel good, they give us a sense of security and connection. The security we feel in these connections can help us in time of need and become part of our support network. Just like those closest to us, celebrities and other public figures can have a positive impact on our lives, like the artist who makes these amazing images a few of us reaally love! (no we aren't endorsed by said artist) They make us feel heard and connected, as we can see that someone else feels this too, and they are bright, colourful and pure fun!
SO here is our activity; another 2 part one.
1. Think about who is in your support network, who are they and what support do they give you. (of course being mindful of guidelines so many just write who they are to you, eg a friend, aunt etc)
2. What are some ways you can be a support network to someone else
Comments
1. Think about who is in your support network, who are they and what support do they give you:
At the moment my main support person is my boyfriend. He listens and encourages me everyday and makes me feel so positive about myself. He understands that I have anxiety and doesn't get angry with me. He is so patient with me and we do things together and he is always open to trying new things with me and supporting what I believe in, but also challenging what I believe if he thinks differently. He really keeps me grounded.
My other support person is KHL. KHL has always been there for me no matter what. I know I can call in the middle of the night if I really need to. They help me and make it so easy for me to contact them depending on how I feel like talking; email, web or phone. The counsellors always help me cope and give me strategies to help myself and talk through my problems. I don't feel like an idiot when I talk to them. They help me to understand what I am going through.
A couple of close friends - even if I barely see them, I know I can always message them to have a chat about anything and to organise a catch up just to hang out. They remind me of the fun in the world and that there are people who care about me, which is so important.
And of course HERE! People are always willing to listen and post support, even if it is just a listening ear to know that I am not alone.
Oh and soon to be a new psychologist!
2. What are some ways you can be a support network to someone else?
I am not sure how supportive I have been recently to the people around me because I sort of feel like I have been focused on myself a lot given my recent headspace. But one of the ways I know I am being a support is to the kids that I work with daily. I try to provide safe and engaging lessons where kids and teenagers feel like they can talk to me about anything ( bullying, homework, friends, problems) and I just have a casual chat about it and they tell me anything they are feeling and I guide them on ways to tackle their problems. This makes me feel happy when the kids are excited to see me and if I haven't seen them in a week, they'll still come up to me and start talking as if we are continuing a conversation from a week or sometimes two weeks ago. To know that I am on their mind and that they have formed a connection to me is really inspiring. One of the things that helped me see a purpose in this world was helping others like the people in my life helped me through my tough times. Working with kids and teens and teaching them I know I can have this impact while giving them positive life living skills.
@annabethxchase @nyke @unwind thank you for sharing your support networks and how you can support others. All of your responses are so insightful and a great indicator of the supports you have around you as well as what supports you can give others. Thank you again for sharing! 😄
Some amazing answers here everyone!
1. Think about who is in your support network, who are they and what
support do they give you.
Firstly I think of my professional supports, because they are the ones who
I can be honest with and are really helping me. This includes (in no
particular order) GP, psychologist, psychiatrist, job agency consultant
(this is in a transition stage but I'm still going to list it). And
helplines when I need them. My go to are usually KHL and lifeline
I also think about you guys here. Sometimes just reading how you've
supported each other helps me get through what I'm feeling.
Friends. I have a small group of amazing people and as a group we help each
other through, those guys are amazing and I'm so grateful I met them!
Pets as mentioned below. But also as I think of it, music. There are a heap
of artists and songs that I have on my laptop in a self-love/confidence
playlist, which are songs that make me feel loved or confident. And I have
one called "fight depression" which is more about fighting through the
feels but also has some songs that just explain feelings so well and ade
really relatable for me and they make me feel heard and less alone.
2. What are some ways you can be a support network to someone else
The first thing that came to mind for me was looking after myself. If I'm
not feeling supported and looked after I can't help support others. So
self-care is a huge one for me. And my favourite thing to do is chill and
colour in or process some photos, just taking a break from daily life and
doing something fun or creative. Or playing or petting my cats, they're so
gorgeous and full of humor! I guess they're part of my support network too!
In practice, we can be supportive to others by listening and showing we
listened and understood the person. Validation is always nice and sharing
that we hear them and can see its a sucky situation. And praising their
efforts, I know for me I found it hard to see others' praise of me, but
there was something special about that when they offered praise they could
see without asking for it 🙂
And I guess a big one can also be suggesting when it might be time to reach
out for professional help from a helpline or from a gp for referral when
things are difficult to cope with.
(Email reply)
This is actually very timely for me, as I think I've just started building a support network tonight!
Think about who is in your support network, who are they and what support do they give you.
I don't really have a support "network", more like 1 or 2 people who I can talk to. I find it very hard to open up to people because I generally uphold a very happy and positive attitude all the time, so people find it hard to believe that I'm struggling with something. My main support, if this even is possible, is myself. I find that I have a lot of conversations with myself to solve problems, and find a way to see that all will be okay. It does it difficult sometimes, so I would say this forum is generally a great place to find some extra support. However, I know that my school counsellor is always there for support, and so are my parents, but it's really hard to talk to them because they always have more questions than answers.
In saying that though, tonight I decided to come out to a friend from school. Yes, the same religious school I was talking about when I first joined this forum (@nyke you were right -- this person's religious, but said he wouldn't be friends with anyone who was homophobic, sure took me by surprise). I knew that he was a very neutral person, and he was completely fine about it, thankfully -- he's the first person I've come out to that I actually see on a regular basis (which was kinda daunting to think about). He went further and even reminded me that if I was ever feeling low about something, to come and talk to him. I've never had someone say that to me irl, so it was very comforting. 🙂
What are some ways you can be a support network to someone else.
I try my hardest to make sure people know they can come and talk to me about most things. I strive to do it because I know how terrible it can feeling being low and without support, it's like struggling in quicksand without yelling for help, or even worse, yelling for help but everyone pretends they aren't looking. I feel that my support isn't necessarily what is defined as "support", it's more about building strong connections with others. Maybe I don't check in enough with people? I don't know. This question has really got me haha. Majority of people in my life sustain a very positive and bright face and don't open up much, so it's difficult to discern who really needs the support. I don't know if any of that makes sense, but that's my two cents.
1. My support network feels rather small to be honest. I guess I don't feel comfortable opening up to anyone unless I feel close to them, and there's not many people that fit that bill here. There's someone 7ish years my senior I can talk to if I need some advice / strategies for dealing with stuff like anxiety, and if there's something on my mind. I guess I also talk to my parents for more immediate advice, "what should I do in this situation" and the like, but that's very on / off depending on how I'm feeling with them. I guess I also want to become more independent from them, so going to them for help can feel a little like a conflict of interest. I feel like I do need some specific support from some type of person, but I can't picture what that support looks like unfortunately. 😕
2. I think there's a reason that its called a social NETWORK. It isn't just about one person being the support, it's about everyone. I more inclined to refer a person // let them go to a different support person if I feel said person would be more helpful from a wisdom / experience perspective, or if that person has an already established relationship of sorts. Personally, I like to listen to their story first, try and make sense of the madness, and then try to find a first step so that the person can begin their journey.
1. Think about who is in your support network, who are they and what support do they give you.
My main support would be my psychologist at the moment, the offer me some amazing support and actually seem to really take interest in me as well as actually taking care of me. It's feels nice to be appreciated 🙂 I have you guys who NEVER fail to give me the loveliest support, I have no idea how so many people can be ao nice 🙂 it gives me some faith in humanity that some people are genuinely beautiful humans 😉
2. What are some ways you can be a support network to someone else?
Yesterday I sent an email Tina close friend of mind to remind her that I'm here for her and will always support her. I think letting people know that, even if they don't take you up on the offer is really reassuring for them to hear/know 🙂 
