FRIDAY FIVES!
It's baaaaack! So Friday Fives is all about acknowledging our favourite posts of the week and are a weekly high-five to the members who posted them!
Thoughout the week, mods, mod squad and staff have been nominating their fav posts and then I've picked my favourite 5 out of their nominations.
So, this is about thanking YOU, our members and our regulars for creating such a strong community here and acknowledging that it's you who make this place special (and a place that over 13,000 people visit every month for help).
So, thanks!
Hello all! It's time for everyone's favourite part of the week! 😄
First is to Tiny_leaf for offering hope that pain will pass and that getting through the moment is possible. I love this quote: "And you don't have to apologize, I know the feeling.. But after it comes back it will go away again. And every time it comes back, you'll be more experienced at coping with it. Even though it comes back, you get stronger each time, and you'll be able to handle it better." Awesome work! Along with amazing support and companionship to a fellow user 😄
Next @Bananatime04 for taking huge steps forward this week with maintaining safety and sharing with us how proud you are of yourself!
And @I_am_not_Groot for checking in with members across the community and being a listening ear when others need it most - amazing peer support!
And @Maddy-RO for suggesting a new helpline for when someone needs a friend 🙂
And lastly for today @lennycat2017 for taking the lead with the GR on sharing stories this week - such an important topic and one that will help others feel confident and safe to talk.
Guess what day it is today!! That means time for some for FRIDAY FIVES! 😄
First one is to @Bananatime04 for leaving the forums and taking breaks when they need to because it's so important to do what you need to do to take care of yourself, no matter what others think or want of you.
Next up is @purplesummer for courageously telling your mum and your professional supports how you are really feeling!
@BonnieBoo for making a new thread asking for help about a new topic.
@scared01 for making it 5 weeks self-harm free, we're proud of you too!
@Maddyw for regularly posting in the three positives of today thread, so many fantastic positives! 😄
Finally @Beautifullybroken for being so empathetic and compassioniate in your responses.
Well done to everyone this week! Remember you can nominate an awesome post for a Friday Five here!
Time for some more Friday Fives!
This week's theme is the wonderful Chris Traeger from Parks and Rec, because we can all always use some of his positivity and wisdom 
And our winners are:
@xXLexi_Lou122Xx for creating a thread that many users can probably relate to
@Tiny_leaf for their insightful post about how their spirit animal relates to their life
@BlueFlitty for making their first forum post! Welcome!
@WheresMySquishy for this amazing list of resources for habit tracking
@mspaceK for making a fantastic list of goals and meal plans
@Beautifullybroken for giving some wonderful support, and checking in with other users
Awesome work to everyone on the forums! Remember to spread the positivity and nominate people for a Friday Five here!
IT'S YADIRF! (that is Friday backwards :P)
Big thanks to everyone who's nominated a forum friend this week!
The winners are:
@Sonny for being brave and reaching out on the forum for the first time. Also for jumping right in to support another member! 🙂
@letitgo for courageously and honestly sharing how your year has been so far, and setting wellbeing goals for the rest of the year
@WheresMySquishy for being a very caring builder and supporting another user
@YoungBuck for having the courage to ask for help on the forums. Super proud of you!
@Ladybug for your kind and empathetic responses to others
@MisoBear for responding to new users! And also for your amazing responses to the introduce yourself here thread
You are all superstars! If you'd like to nominate someone for next week's Friday Five click here!
This is gonna be a big one guys!!
Friday Fives for this week go out to:
@xXLexi_Lou122Xx for being such a kind person, especially on the 'Compliment the person above You' thread! Keep up the great support Lexi_Lou!
To @Fb0134 , for joining the forums and totally beating all of us over in the games section! Also for opening up and sharing about your struggles with identity, your bravery and strength is so inspiring!
(Go go Gryffindor!)
@MisoBear , for using the SMART goals framework so well to create a goal for this WW! Your response gave a lot of guidance to help others understand how to complete this activity. Amazing! 😄
For @Peanut , for making a very useful and relatable thread asking for suggestions about how to be productive! Led to a really engaging discussion about how to turn goals into actions! 
A double nomination for @Dyl!!! You offered incredible support by sharing your experience of supporting your siblings. In particular this response was so beautiful "The best thing you can do is just be their for her And help her out and giver her encouragement as best you can"! Such wonderful peer support You're so supportive of other users and always help them try to focus on the positive things that are going on in their lives as well! 😄 Keep up the good work! 😄
A massive Friday Five to @Vivian13 , for spamming Games and Hanging Out with awesome posts! Those sections are such awesome and important parts of the forums and deserve all the love!
(and so do i 😉 )
@Tiny_leaf , such an amazing and insightful response to another user questioning their gender identity! Your compassion blows me away every time I see you post 😄 
A big Five to @beanz_321 for making this fabulous new thread for building friendships in the community! So glad to have you with us!
Also a big load of love for the thread made by user Bay52VU
If you guys haven't seen it, check it out here!
It's a really inclusive space to share your pronouns and reflect on why they're so so important! There's always people there responding to you if you're ever confused, struggling, or want to have a chat!
And because I feel like a benevolent Dumbledore about to bestow a bunch of house points...
A big shout out to everyone of the forums!! you all rock and it's so wonderful to be part of such an awesome community! 😄
If you see something awesome here on the ReachOut forums, feel free to nominate it for a Friday Five here!
Thank you all for the encouragement!
Congrats to everyone else too!
//Nothing is impossible. The word itself says "I'm Possible"//
@xXLexi_Lou122Xx it made me laugh out loud 
I was already looking for Harry Potter gifs and then i saw that link submitted in the friday fives!
It was like: The people have spoken 😛
Happy Friday everyone! Throwing out some huge Friday Fives to some awesome users!!
Firstly, to @Bread for being so courageous in making a new thread asking for help AND for giving out some high fives to fellow members! It's wonderful seeing you engage so awesomely with the community 
Another one for @not-an-otter! I absolutely loved reading the support you offered to Lexi_Lou. In particular, I love the empathy and understanding you displayed, while also showing you believe in this member and their strength to get through the week. A great example of holding hope for someone
For @ecla34 (thank you to whoever nominated me ) for a beautiful message to a fellow user about finding the positives during a tough time!
A massive Friday Five to @Saltwaterdreamtime for such an important and insightful thread on the difficult topic of racism! Such an important conversation for people to be having!
And last but never least to @Cheeseburger ! For coming out as a gay trans guy, we're so proud of you!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this part of your journey with us
As always, if you see someone on the forums doing something amazing, please nominate them for a Friday Five here!
Have a great weekend everyone!!! 😄
Taking advantage of it still being Friday (just :P) to pass around some Friday Fives!! 😄
Some lovely soul included a link to unicorn gifs so that's the theme we're going with
Firstly to @xXLexi_Lou122Xx, a double nomination! Firstly for making it to the end of the school term. Even though there are some nasty rumours going around about you, you kept going. Even when you wanted to give up. Keep going Lexi! Secondly a huge hive five for being proud of not only yourself for getting through the big week of camp, but for being proud of the rest of the community! We're proud of you too Lexi_Lou!
For @Sunflower18 for bravely sharing your recent experience of losing your dad to support another member whose family members are experiencing cancer. It is not easy to share an experience so near to your heart, and so soon after losing someone. Your willingness to support another person on a similar journey is so beautiful- if I could nominate you for 10 Friday Fives for this post, I would!
To @lokifish for making this fun wiggles themed introduce yourself thread for July! Gives us all the feels! 😄
Lastly to @Tiny_leaf a massive high five for trying to learn new coping mechanisms to deal with really painful flashbacks What you shared in the Unread Letters thread is really powerful and we're sending lots of hugs your way xx
As always, if you see someone on the forums doing something amazing, please nominate them for a Friday Five here!
(spoiler alert: most of the unicorn gifs out there involve pooping rainbows, what gives internet? )
Thank you @ecla34.
Also @xXLexi_Lou122Xx was the unicorn link your doing by any chance? 
I shall not admit to anything... 😉
Thank you, and congrats to everyone else!
As we're headed into Friday evening and transitioning into the weekend, it's time for some Friday Fives to celebrate the sheer awesomeness we see here on RO
You guys rock!
In honour of it being 50 years since the moon landing, we're going with a space theme this week!
So first a huge Friday Five to @queenP! for this absolutely incredible post in the Special Discussion on Sexuality! While this is a belated feedback five, your post was so incredible in the way you shared your experience of exploring sexuality, how that journey changed over time, and the different types of attraction that you explored to understand what was important to you in a relationship. Here's one of our fave quotes: "No one gives you a rulebook when it comes to understanding sexual attraction, and is often more gray than black and white. While sexuality is something that just eventually feels right, it is completely okay to experiment with different identities and sexualities until you find the version of yourself that feels the most authentic." Such a legend!
Next a big Friday Five to @Tiny_leaf ! 😄 xx For your incredible support to so many members this week! You may notice that there's not a link to a particular post here, and that's because there's so many examples! Your compassion and insight blow us away so often, and you've got such a beautiful way with words that conveys a lot of caring and understanding
Next to @xXLexi_Lou122Xx for recognising who their supports are, especially when they felt sad during an important time at school. Rooting for you always
To @ecla34 (lol) for leading the discussion on stress about the future! (thank you 🙂 )
I'm going to tag everyone who was involved in that GR on Future Stress for a huge Friday Five! It's been a really insightful and reflective one (it's still going here btw if anyone's keen!), i especially loved @MisoBear 's response here and @WheresMySquishy 's response here. Words to live by and such honest reflections
@scared01 @MisoBear @Tiny_leaf @xXLexi_Lou122Xx @Esperanza67 @not-an-otter @WheresMySquishy @ErinsAntics @Bee @Ladybug @May_ @recharging_introvert @lr8991 @Brendos94 @Jess1-RO
If during the weekend and next week you see someone doing something that you think deserves a Friday Five, please nominate them here!
Until then, please enjoy the fact that people have been walking on the moon for 50 YEARS! What even guys!
Totally brings a new definition to moon-walking
(less groovy tbh 😛 😉 )
Hi all, I'm back for Friday Fives 😄 With a lego theme because Lego is awesome
@MisoBear For being super encouraging and validating.
@WheresMySquishy Using their own experiences and empathy to offer advice to another user going through something similar, a really thoughtful and compassionate exchange of support
@not-an-otter A really beautiful response to another user, validating their experiences and providing support in their struggles with finding appropriate help
Our guests @KaiRoe and @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital! For so generously giving your time and insights during the Gender live chat!
@WheresMySquishy @Hozzles @ecla34 @recharging_introvert @Tiny_leaf For jumping online to participate in the Gender Live Chat! Your insights and reflections were amazing and really made the conversation so valuable!
If during the weekend and next week you see someone doing something that you think deserves a Friday Five, please nominate them here!
Guess what night of the week it is! 😄
Time to celebrate RO style with Nemo and Dory!
First up, @N1ghtW1ng for working up the courage to tell their parents that they graduated with a different degree, even though it disappointed them.
@xXLexi_Lou122Xx for writing a touching letter to themselves about not being so hard on themselves.
@Tiny_leaf for responding to a user in distress with a comprehensive list of ways to practise mindfulness. You gave so many wonderful examples of different methods depending on the nature of the flashback. The support provided came from a place of knowing. which is invaluable.
@Bananatime04 for this lovely, self-validating post. We are so proud of you for your determination and strength. You go girl!!
@Bre-RO for jumping right into the forums and providing some incredible support to others in your first week! It's great getting to know you!
@lr8991 for starting this wonderful thread to exchange tips for going back to school and uni.
Congrats to all of our winners this week! Remember, if you see an amazing post on the forums, you can nominate them for a Friday Five HERE!
Congrats to everyone else!
// Nothing is impossible. The word itself says "I'm Possible" //
It's Friday guys, so time for more Friday Fives!! 😄
First up, a huge Friday Five for @Bananatime04 ! For pushing through their nerves and doing well in their gymnastics competition, it sounds super cool and like you did an amazing job!!! 😄
Next to @happycat45 for sharing their really insightful thoughts and experiences surrounding Instagrams decision to remove likes!
To @queenP for sharing some really powerful experiences to do with bullying in order to help create an opportunity for people to discuss TW: Life After Bullying
To @recharging_introvert for their post on the International Day of Friendship thread 😄 I really agree with what you said there, our social supports play a vital role in our mental wellbeing and it's good to celebrate them! :heart
Last but not least to @Jane_Rose for starting a chat about awesome places to go on holiday! Who's looking forward to summer now? haha Having things to look forward to and get excited about are such great motivators!
If you guys see a post/user that you think deserves a Friday Five, please nominate them HERE! 😄
Until next time!
It's been a great week on the forums!
This week's Friday Fives shoutouts go to:
@ecla34 for facilitating this week's GR on building rapport with professionals!
@MisoBear for their consistently compassionate and empathetic responses!
@scared01 for doing lots of reflection around issues with therapy!
@letitgo for their amazing list of positives!
@Secret_Pigeon for being open to self-help suggestions!
Amazing work everyone! 😄
And as always, please post your Friday Five nominations for next week HERE!
