Hey @Dyl, I'm so sorry to hear that, that sucks. I'm wondering if you're safe right now? Wanna talk about what's going on? ... View more

Oh that's totally fine. Having a shower is good, it's like a fresh start. If you have a fave podcast or songs without lyrics, they can be really good to have on in the background to calm you down before bed (whale noises are not my jam, lol). I listen to podcasts and audiobooks to get to sleep (hilarious but IKEA made a sleep podcast and it's amazing), I make sure my sheets are nice and clean and I sometimes use the Smiling Mind sleep meditation if nothing else is working. If there's something on my mind that I can't stop thinking about, writing it out on a piece of paper and then scrunching it up and throwing it away works well for me. Once it's on paper it kind of takes away its power. Sending you sleepy and peaceful thoughts. ... View more

Talking to parents about this sort of stuff is hard, huh? I remember finding it super tough to talk to my parents about getting bullied at school, I almost felt ashamed at the time. Now I realise that it wasn't my fault, and it was nothing I did wrong. They were just going through a bunch of stuff and taking it out on me. At the time I thought I would never have friends because this tiny group of kids hated me...I was SO wrong. I have so many awesome friends now who I vibe with, and they don't judge me, they just like me for me. You seem so cool, and I promise this will happen for you too. If you feel okay with it, maybe you could reach out to the person you were talking about that you don't see often, maybe a phone call or texting them might help? ... View more

@Saltwaterdreamtime  I just want to check that you're safe? If you're not feeling safe please call Lifeline 13 11 14. We're here for you on RO to talk and help you through this. RO has the Next Step Tool here too.  ... View more

Ah, I get it. I don't know your teacher but maybe he might be more receptive than you think. Teachers are trained to be able to handle this kind of stuff, and a lot of the times when I've gone to teachers about bullying stuff they've actually been pretty cool and supportive, even if I've cried in front of them. But I get it if you feel like you don't want to talk to him, you've got to do what is right for you. I'm wondering if you might be able to talk to your parents or an adult you trust about it?  ... View more

It's totally not useless, you tried! Resetting your sleep schedule can be tough, especially if you're in a not so great pattern. There's a bunch of info here if you want to have a read and get some tips, I've found a few of them helpful for me this week (my boyfriend is interstate and I find it very difficult to sleep without him here). One thing I find useful is to just get out of bed when I can't sleep. That way you're not associating your bed with stress and frustration. Then, once you feel sleepy hop back in and try again. How does that sound? ... View more

Hey @Jane_the_cat. I'm sorry you've had to go through this, I had a similar thing in primary school where I was taken out of classes for G&T stuff and it did affect my friendships for a little while. If you feel comfortable it might actually be better to just go to your year advisor with your documentation? In my experience, schools tend to take things a bit more seriously when it's not an anonymous thing, as it seems less more credible. Would that be something you'd feel okay doing? I'm really glad your friend is starting to understand how hard this has been for you. What's your support system like otherwise? ... View more

It's cool if you don't know. I think it really matters how you're feeling. You deserve to feel good. I found this article on RO about how to deal with disturbing videos that you might find helpful? Would you like a distraction right now or do you want to talk about what's on your mind? ... View more

That's great, sleep well and good luck with your new job. You'll do great! ... View more

Heya @mspaceK , housemates that don't do their fair share definitely piss me off too. Sounds like she's not exactly being the most considerate and that's really impacting on you? If you want someone to chat to, I'm around on here tonight. What can you do for yourself tonight as a form of self-care? I made myself some dinner and now I'm chilling with my cat and watching some silly Youtube vids. If you can't think of anything there's a list here that you might wanna check out. ... View more

Lentil Korma with tofu and veggies ... View more

@Tiny_leaf I always call my cat my kitten! She'll always be a kitten to me. Oh gosh, dental stuff is so hard with kittehs, my lil gal was so super groggy after she had her teeth cleaned. I hope both your lil ones are doing better? I'm glad you're not feeling dizzy anymore, it sucks to feel off kilter. How are you doing otherwise? ... View more

That's good to hear! Anytime you need support we're here for you on RO <3 ... View more

Hey @Cheeseburger , I'm glad you're safe and I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time at the moment. Relationships can be really challenging, especially when you're worried you might lose someone you love. I think it's really important that you do what is right for you. My hope is that if he loves you he will be supportive of your identity. You are so allowed to cry if you feel like it will make you feel better. I often have a good cry when I'm feeling really upset, and it usually helps me to feel so much better!  I know your friends might be scared you're going to delete Facebook, but I'm wondering what is best for you? Would it be better for you to have a little bit of a social media break? You could always use email or texting to communicate with your friends if you felt like that was a better way to communicate? Sometimes I delete Facebook to give myself a mental health break and then I come back to it when I'm feeling like I can use it in a better way.    I'm wondering what you're scared to talk about with your friends? I'm here to support you if you wanna chat.  ... View more

@Saltwaterdreamtime  Yeah, that would have been a really rough thing to see. I know I would feel very upset and off if I had seen something like that. Maybe taking some time away from social media could be a good thing if you think it would help you? Are there any things that you like to do to help you relax when you're feeling upset?  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime I'm wondering how you're doing today? I know you've been having a stressful time with work, working for yourself can be really challenging, and seeing that video wouldn't have helped things. Wondering if you want to have a chat about what's on your mind? ... View more

Hey @dolphin56, Just wanted to hop on here and say that I definitely relate to a lot of what you're saying. I'm in uni now, but I had a similar experience when I was in school. It can be really hurtful when people tease you or make you feel bad for not being perfect, just because you're good at so many things. In my experience, people often act this way because they're envious of what they think you have. Maybe they're not as academic, athletic or as musical as you. Instead of questioning what they could do to improve themselves or get what you have for themselves, they decide it's easier to tear you down or make you feel inferior in other ways. I just want you to know that you deserve everything you've achieved, and you're allowed to celebrate your own successes. You sound very self-motivated, which is a fantastic trait to have. I'm wondering why in particular you worry that people won't like or respect you if you don't do well in something? ... View more

@Tiny_leaf Tacos always make my day better, haha! Sounds like it was a rough one for you. I know I definitely feel off when my little one (cat) is sick. Animals are so important, my kitteh is like my baby. Is there something, in particular, that might have made you feel that dizzy? How are you feeling today? ... View more

Hey @annonymous1234567 ,  From what you've said it kind of sounds like a playful thing, and if she responded with a "haha" sounds like that's how they took it? It's hard to say without context but sometimes it can be difficult to read tone and that sort of stuff through messages.  I don't think it's wrong to make a playful joke, we're all human and sometimes humour can be great for getting a friendship back on track. How are you going with it now?  ... View more

I also love podcasts. Here are a couple of my current favourites: 1. Hidden Brain Looks into how our brains work, and psychology. Done by NPR in the States. Really well produced. 2. Drew and Drew's Grandma Youtuber Drew Monson and his grandma, Dorothy, delve into everything under the sun. Really sweet and funny, I love the dynamics of their relationship. Drew is really open with struggling with his mental health sometimes, and I find him really relatable. 3. Into Intentional Christie focuses on intentional living, zero-waste and has recovered from an ED. Really inspiring and uplifting. Great for starting a productive day. I have so many favourites but these are the first three to come to mind. ... View more

Hey @Cheeseburger ,  I'm so proud of you for booking that appointment. It's definitely normal to feel a bit scared about seeing someone new for the first time, especially when you're talking about such personal things. I remember the first time I saw my psychologist I felt super nervous, but now I've been seeing her for a few years. I go back about once a month to maintain my mental health (kind of like a check-up at the doctor's) and I actually look forward to my appointments! You deserve to feel better, so again I'm really proud of you for taking this step! ... View more

Hey @DruidChild, I just read through this thread and wanted to hop on here and check how you're doing at the moment? It seems like you've got a lot going on at the moment. You seem like a really lovely and caring person, especially in how you're looking after your sister. I'm currently supporting my own sister, who has an ED and it's been pretty stressful if I'm honest. I haven't been through everything you've been through, but I can definitely relate, and I think you're really brave for picking yourself up and keeping on going even when you're experiencing so much stress.   I'm really sorry that your psychologist, counsellor and peer support worker don't seem to be supporting you that well. This might seem like a silly question, but have you brought up how you're feeling about them with them? So for example, have you said to the social worker "Hey, I'm sorry if this comes across as rude, but I feel that I would get more out of our time together if we spoke about/focussed on finding solutions to my problems?". This can help to reshape/reframe the sessions, you could return to goal-setting, or you might ask for a referral to another person if you feel you really can't work with the people you're seeing currently.   I know this might not be the right path for you, but I want to let you know that you deserve to be making progress and feeling better and that there are people out there who are amazing and can help immensely. Sending so many virtual good vibes your way.   ... View more

Hey @mspaceK,   Urgh, I can COMPLETELY relate to what you're going through. I've lived in several crap sharehouse situations where my housemates have at the very least irritated me and at the very most sent me into really terrible periods of anxiety. I've learnt a lot through these experiences and I'm actually pretty thankful for them now because they taught me what I do and don't want in a home environment.    I think the previous advice has been good. Unsolicited advice sucks and living with someone who is overly critical also sucks, so I don't want to give you a bunch of tips you have already tried, so just let me know if you'd like me to share any? ... View more

Hey everyone!  I just wanted to check in on my fellow uni students. How is everyone going? I just finished my first of two exams yesterday. It went okay, trying to stay positive and hoping my next one I will nail! I'm doing an Honours year this year so extra work on top of classes, but making time for self-care as well.  I let myself have the day off today after I finished a shift at work, just listened to some music and chilled out. How is every else holding up? ... View more

Hey @Lonelyboy17 ,  I'm sorry you've been going through a rough time at the moment. I just wanted to check in and see how things are going right now? ... View more

Love reading through these, so inspiring! Today I practised self-care by listening to my body. That meant going out in the sunshine and singing super loud in the shower. ... View more

S - Specific M - Measurable A - Acheivable R - Relevant T - Timebound   By Sunday night (6pm) I want to have created cue cards for my uni exam, practiced with them on quizlet for at least 2 hrs, and completed 3 practice questions.    This fits the SMART goal format because my goal is specific (about 1 uni subject rather than "study"), Measurable (I've included numbers to hit for parts of the goal so I can measure my achievements), Achievable (I'm not telling myself to memorise a whole textbook, rather I know I'm able to do these tasks in the timeframe around my other commitments), Relevant (it's related to an upcoming exam which is a priority for me, and Timebound (Aiming to have it done by Sunday 6pm gives me a deadline to work towards).   What are your SMART goals, everyone? ... View more

@Hozzles How good is it when you re-read something you wrote ages ago and you're like "Damn, I'm good!". That's so awesome! ... View more

Hey @keezeik ,  I just wanted to touch base and see how you're doing? I think you're taking some really positive steps with everything you mentioned in your last post. Sometimes balancing everything can be a challenge in itself (uni, etc), so I just wanted to let you know I think you're doing great and that you should be really proud of yourself! ... View more

@Bee I'm sorry you've been going through a hard time. I've been feeling a bit the same lately and I'm definitely going to practice some self are today to help me feel better!   Negative: I've been feeling a little bit the same as uni exams have triggered some anxiety within me. I was feeling quite down about it, feeling perfectionistic and that I "shouldn't" be having thoughts that are less than serene, happy and positive.    Positive: Through attending therapy and speaking with my friends and partner, I'm becoming more and more able to catch these negative thought patterns when they start up and challenge them. This is SUCH a positive for me!  ... View more