Ahh @Saltwaterdreamtime  I really hear you, living with this kind of worry and uncertainty is so hard, especially when it's laced with that fear of going back to lockdown.  It sucks when it's something that we have no control over.   I know you guys in Victoria did it so tough last time. It sounds like they're doing a really good job with contact tracing and testing over there, and i think that they'll do everything humanly possible to avoid another lockdown. Is there anything you can do today to give yourself a bit of a break, like have a run or a surf?  ... View more

Hi @lemurien ,    I'm so sorry to hear that you and your partner got caught up in the border closure dramas, it sounds like that would have been so stressful, especially when it had already been a rough week. Glad to hear you made it back OK!    Kids helpline and lifeline are absolutely there for whatever kind of support you need- people call them for all kinds of reasons, especially over the holidays when other supports might not be available- that is what they're there for Sometimes it can be the luck of the draw about who you happen to talk to, but I've heard really great things about both services. Getting some extra support from them sounds like a really smart idea. Is there anything else you enjoy doing for a bit of self care?  ... View more

Hi @Blurryphaced , it sounds really hard to be having those thoughts and not being able to stop it, I can hear how important your parents are to you. Do you think talking to them about how you're feeling would help at all? Some people find using grounding techniques, or something to bring them back into the present moment helpful when they're having intrusive thoughts. Have you ever tried anything like that?  ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS  Hey R, it's really good to hear that you were able to keep yourself safe last night, and talk to your mum about what was happening for you, and it's great to hear that you're feeling better. What are you up to today?  ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04 ! Just wanted to check in, and see how you're doing - break ups are shit at the best of times, let alone on Xmas eve :(  I hope you're doing okay   ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 , sorry to hear you've been back in hospital- just wanted to check in, and let you know that we're thinking of you.  ... View more

I love that @WheresMySquishy , such a proactive and intentional way of incorporating reflection into your every day life!  ... View more

@MB95  oh it makes me so happy to hear that you made the gingerbread!! Yay!!! It sounds like you went very hard with the baking so I'm not surprised you need a bit of a rest lol.    I am considering attempting a gingerbread house with my little people, but I'm going to be honest-  we did one last year and ours looked pretty close to the bottom picture      I also just wanted to take the opportunity to wish you all all of the best wishes in the world for the Xmas time, I know it can often be a really mixed time of year for so many of us. This is my last day at RO until the beginning of January (which is a SUPER weird feeling!!) but I will be thinking of you all over the break. A very merry festivus to all of you! You are all amazing humans and I feel very privileged to get to be a part of this community       ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime , I really admire the self reflection and self awareness you've shown here- I think it's huge that you're able to recognise when you haven't necessarily been at your best. That is a really hard thing to do! It's been an exhausting end to a very exhausting year for a lot of us, and it sounds like you really deserve a bit of downtime.  ... View more

Hey @buildingforbetterment , thanks so much for sharing that - it's so true that family dynamics can be different and a bit stressful over the holidays, especially when you're not used to living together and you're out of your everyday routine. And I LOVE what you say about not feeling hte pressure about being constantly productive, it's so important to be able to give yourself permission to rest!!  ... View more

Hey @Lost_Space_Explorer5 , I'm a re-reader and re-watcher too! Definitely don't think it's weird, especially if it's a show where  you pick more things up with a second viewing :) I'd be interested to hear what you think of the British office if you ever end up watching it! It's definitely wonderfully awkward viewing sometimes but there are some absolutely classic moments. Ricky Gervais is pretty much the king of the awkward moment!     I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling like you don't fit in with your family/ the outside world :( Has anything happened with your family lately to make things worse, or is it a feeling that's been going on for awhile?    Good on you for getting out there and applying for jobs too-I hope something comes through for you :) Will you be doing the volunteer job over the holidays?  ... View more

@Saltwaterdreamtime  I think we all have a bit of a curious side to our brains- humans are naturally curious creatures! I can honestly say you don't sound like a weirdo to me. Or maybe I'm one too haha ... View more

Heya @Saltwaterdreamtime , I had a little look into it and can email you some information, if you'd like?  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime ,    I just wanted to echo what @Taylor-RO - I truly think that those curious feelings are really natural and more common than you'd think! It's a pretty intimate and personal relationship that you have with a mental health professional, and like @Taylor-RO  said in some ways it's often more of a one-way thing. So if you happen to stumble across them in the 'real' world it's totally natural that you'd be a bit curious - I have quite a few friends who are mental health professionals who run into clients out and about, and it's always a bit weird and awkward.  It sounds like you're really respectful of their boundaries and you haven't done anything to invade their privacy or make them feel uncomfortable.  We all have weird thoughts sometimes and it doesn't make you a freak.  ... View more

Heya @Lost_Space_Explorer5 , how are you feeling this morning? I definitely agree that acting a bit random is better than feeling unsafe, it can definitely take a little while for your body to adjust to taking new meds too. Did your psychiatrist give you any idea of what side affects are common, and how long it might take for you to adjust to them? I like @MB95 's idea of getting out some excess energy if you can- is there anything you've found helpful when you're feeling a bit on edge in the past? I know I'm a huge fan of a super long walk with a good podcast or audio book when I need a re-set.    Another v important question - are you watching the UK Office or the US Office? I was a huge fan of the UK one so I never really got into the US one but watched some over lockdown and realised how much I'd been missing out. So good!  ... View more

Hi @Speedy01 ,    We are so deeply sorry to hear about your grandma being so unwell. I can hear how important she is to you, and it sounds like she's an incredibly resilient person.  It can be a terrifying and helpless feeling seeing our loved ones so unwell. I'm wondering if you have been connected with a social worker from the hospital? They may be able to help you find support options for both your grandma to help her return home, and for you and your family.    I'm also sorry to hear that you have experienced severe depression and self harm, it shows a lot of strength to reach out for help. Have you had any professional support to help you through this at all? Headspace can be a great place to start to look for support options, they have in person and online support services , and if you'd prefer online services Beyond Blue offer online chat and phone counselling. We also have a list of services that are available 24/7 for urgent help here   I also just wanted to let you know that I had to make a few edits to your post, I've sent you an email so just keep an eye out for that. I've also moved your post to the something's not right section of our forums, so that you can get more community support     Do you have any family or friends that you can lean on for support at the moment? We are always here to chat ... View more

It's a really awful feeling when friendships end @Saltwaterdreamtime :( I know this may sound lame but we all think you're amazing here. I know that I have found that sometimes it's harder to maintain friendships as I've got older and life has got busier, especially when kids come along. Or there'll be people who I used to see all the time that I might only see a few times a year now- but when I do see them, it's like time hasn't passed at all.  Sometimes it can feel less forced chatting with new people when you're also doing something else- do you have any men's sheds in your area? Would that be something that you'd be interested in checking out at all?  ... View more

I love this wellbeing activity @WheresMySquishy  - and oh my goodness, I relate way too much to that poor little tiny hamster!    I've loved reading what everyone has written here and I think it's so important to take time prioritise some quiet reflection time.    I love your idea of having a list of reflection prompts! Do you keep that in a journal, or somewhere else?   For me, getting out into nature really helps me to still my mind from the everyday busy-ness and take some time to reflect. I love hiking, especially near the water, and have a lot of bushwalks that I'd like to do over the Xmas break. It's pretty rare for me to get time alone and I've realised that I really do need that time to re-set, so this year I want to prioritise getting up early a few days a week and going for a walk/ run to get that alone time and some clear headspace.    When that's not possible I also find doing mindfulness exercises to be really helpful- even if it's just weeding the garden mindfully, or doing the dishes mindfully! I did an 8 week mindfulness course a few years ago and it really helped me a lot.  ... View more

Hey @Mars_Elliot , just thought I would tag you back into this thread if you want to keep track of it :) I hope that things have improved a bit at school ... View more

@Lost_Space_Explorer5   aww I love how much a friendly dog can make your day! I met my friend's tiny new puppy last weekend and it fell asleep on my lap, and I honestly almost teared up it was so lovely!     I have to say I love how you can laugh about that - am I right in seeing a bit of a dark sense of humour? Such an important thing to have I reckon! How did seeing your psych go today? It's great that you were able to share some of your journal with them.      ... View more

Hey @MB95 , you don't sound like a bitch at all - I'm hearing that your family is a really sacred unit to you, and it can be really hard to accept changes like that. Letting someone in to your inner family circle can be a really big thing. Have you spent a lot of time with your brother's partner in the past?  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime , I totally hear you on feeling nervous about meeting new people and putting yourself out there. The group for dads and kids sounds like such a good idea, I don't know about you but I found that life with a small kiddo could be a bit isolating sometimes, especially for the dads! I found putting myself out there with kids did get easier over time.. especially if it's an activity like going for a walk/ playing sport etc. The first times are always the hardest.  ... View more

Hey @Lost_Space_Explorer5 , how are you doing today? I wish I could high five @MB95 's comment more than once, because I really think they've said it all. We're really glad that you made it through the week, sometimes one day (or one hour) at a time is all we can do, and doing that is such a massive show of strength.    Did you end up going to your volunteering yesterday?  ... View more

OMG @Saltwaterdreamtime  this looks exactly like the nest that we found when we had to get a dead branch of a blue gum taken off- it's amazing how much they're able to bend them, and yep they had stolen the hangers off our washing line lol ... View more

Haha @Eden1717  I have to say that I do love the look of a cupcake with that kind of icing to cake ratio!! Looks awesome!    Here's my contribution to the Xmas goodness- @MB95  I realised that *this* one actually is my favourite one (I've tried way too many recipes lol!). I do usually up the spices though.       Gingerbread biscuits   @MB95  I also love that you've acknowledged that Xmas and the end of year can often be a bit of a weird time for people for so many reasons - I think that is so important to remember   ... View more

Awwww @MB95  that is such a cute and extremely thoughtful idea! About to go into a meeting but will pop back after with two of my favourite Xmas recipes that I like to cook for people :) ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime , how are you doing today? I think there are a lot of us feeling pretty overwhelmed at the moment, I definitely am having my moments- it's been a massive year and frankly I think there's a lot of people who are feeling like they don't have their shit together! It's a bit of a cliche I know, but I think reaching out shows a lot of strength. I hope you're feeling a bit better today ... View more

Haha it's pretty amazing thinking of 5 years of memes @Saltwaterdreamtime !    I think this is one of my favourite of the 2020 meme subgenre...    ... View more

Don't be too hard on yourself @Lost_Space_Explorer5 ! We've all had our moments , and I'm sure your psych will understand. I have to say that I love how you can see the funny side! It definitely sounds like something that is repairable.    A night exam is just plain rude- I hope it goes OK, will be virtually cheering you on.    This is the closest I could find to a cheering sloth... good luck!!   ... View more

Hey @Lost_Space_Explorer5 , I'm so sorry to hear that things ended up badly with your psychologist today, I'm hearing that it was really triggering and upsetting for you :( I'm sure that it wouldn't be unusual for someone to email wanting to cancel sessions but change their mind- honestly I think it probably goes with the territory.  I think @Eden1717 's suggestion to see how you feel once things have settled down a bit is  a really good one - or at least something to think about, there's no rush.   Thanks for confirming that you're safe, but I'm so sorry to hear that you're feeling like you can't be fixed :( That's a really shitty feeling to have to sit with- I think there's a lot of people here who can relate to that. You matter a lot to us     Sending you many, many good vibes for your exams! Are they both today?  ... View more