All my love to those who have already been affected by bush fires this fire season  ... View more

Relationships are such a big and important part of our lives as human beings and social creatures so love the opportunity to have these discussions!   1. What do you think makes a healthy relationship different from an unhealthy one? (Can be romantic, sexual, companionate etc)  I think what makes a healthy relationship different from an unhealthy one is the ability to be yourself. Whether it's a romantic relationship, friendship, or family member it's so important to feel comfortable sharing your true self with the other person. Some red flags that I've noticed in my own friendships are when my opinion is repeatedly shut down and I feel like I can no longer speak, when I don't want to share things about my life because I'm afraid of the other person's adverse reaction, and when it feels like I'm always doing all of the listening and none of the sharing. As was mentioned, feeling like equals and equally validated is so important.   2. What do you value in a relationship, and why do you think people look for romantic or sexual relationships? Are there benefits? I think the things I value in a relationship are pretty standard - honesty, trust, the ability to listen without judgment, and compassion. When in a romantic relationship you need to be equals and partners. I think people look for romantic relationships because it feels nice to know there is someone out there you can rely on and share your experiences with. Life is better with someone and, for me, I often search for that someone in romantic relationships, although I also have many incredibly important non-romantic relationships too. It simply feels nice to be intimate and a little bit vulnerable with another human being. Just sharing some human experiences together. How we humans do.   3. How do you know if you are ready for a relationship? Good question! I want to say that maybe you never know if you're ready for a relationship until you give it a go? If it feels wrong at the start, or you find yourself wanting to pull away, maybe that means you have to do some more work on yourself before you dive into a romantic commitment .... or maybe that person just isn't a good fit for you.    ... View more

Hi @Introvert2195!   Thank you so much for coming to the forums and sharing how you're feeling! As a fellow introvert, I can absolutely identify with everything you said in your post. I'm in a long distance relationship and a lot of my closest friends are now all spread out in different towns so I find it takes a lot of planning and time to catch up with them. And that doesn't particularly help when you're just having a crap day and want a last minute cuppa with someone.  Can you use your work and study connections to make friends? I find it a bit easier to make friends in these spaces because you already have something in common to talk about!   On another note, you'll always find people to talk to on the forums  ... View more

Today I practiced self care by making myself an extra yummy breakfast and taking it easy for the day!    ... View more

    Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment   This!!! Because there is just so many things racing through my head at the moment and the mental to-do list just keeps piling up and up.  Tell us a little bit about your studies Just like @ecla34 I am also finishing up my psych honours project with the thesis due in about a month (ahhhh scary thought). I want to apply for a clinical psychology masters program for 2020 and continue on the psychology path!     What do you enjoy about your studies? I actually enjoy learning about psychology because obviously the brain is super weird and cool and interesting! It's also been nice this year at uni because our cohort is a little smaller so I've been able to get really close with some of my peers.   What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress? Like the GIF above I will have a million things racing through my head and find it particularly hard to relax, especially trying to quiet my mind so I can get to sleep at night. I know that it'll all be over in about a month but for the moment it is all-consuming.    What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies? I honestly need some better coping strategies, this is one thing I'm pretty shocking at! I try to go for walks as study breaks to get some exercise and fresh air, but I don't do it often enough because I feel guilty about 'wasting valuable study time'. My housemates are good support though and it's nice to just talk and debrief with them over a cuppa at the end of the day.    Set a goal for managing study stress! Goal: do little bits of study everyday to make the workload seem not so big! ... View more

Tell us what song lifts your mood and why?  One song that always uplifts me is Church by Samm Henshaw, his voice is so smooth and gets me vibin'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_8-P4eZ1jA   Share a story/memory that demonstrates the power of music The first thing that came to mind for me in response to this is this moment I always get when I'm at a music festival. I'll be in the crowd, surrounded by both friends and strangers, and the lights are going and its hot and then one of your favourite songs come on and everyone just starts signing along and there's just this really profound moment of just like pure joy and peace. Does anyone else get this or know what I'm talking about??  ... View more

Great discussions!    Why can stereotyping be so harmful? I think imposing stereotypes on people can be very limiting. Not only will the person imposing the stereotype on someone only see that person through a certain light and fail to acknowledge all the different aspects of that human being that make them wonderful, but the person being stereotyped may also begin to believe they are only able to accomplish certain things and limit themselves.    Like @Tiny_leaf mentioned in their example, probably the best way to have your view about certain groups of people challenged is to come in contact with those people! Talk to people, listen, and learn more about their experiences.  ... View more

Hi everyone, I've been loving reading all the posts and hearing about people's different experiences with mental health workers...decided to jump on this moving train!   Do you know the difference between all the health professionals you can see for support (e.g., psychologist, counsellor, psychiatrist, social worker, occupational therapist, etc.)? Why is it important that we should know the difference between these health professionals?   I think that navigating and coordinating all the mental health support services out there can be really tricky. In my experience, a counsellor can be useful if, for example, you are going through a bit of a tough time at school or need some grief support, and with a little help you can be back on your feet again. A psychologist is useful in helping you with more long-term, distressing, mental health issues. If you're feeling like 'talk' therapy isn't working and you that may benefit from medication, you can coordinate your psychologist with your GP or see a psychiatrist.  This is just my understanding, but yes the whole system is very confusing!  I think the first point of call is always to start with your GP - they know you better as a patient and can also give you a mental health care plan so that you can access medicare rebated sessions.   ... View more

Yayyy! Nice work everyone!!   ... View more

Yes, very good points!   For me, implementing good sleep hygiene becomes super important around exam time. It's so tempting to stay up late studying but if you've already been awake for more than 15 hours your brain really doesn't do a good job of retaining information. And like @ecla34  said, it's also important in consolidating your memories and making sure you learn the info you're studying!    I think it's always very obvious how much more productive you are after a good nights sleep. I know if I've gone out late on the weekend the next day can be pretty hard, not only due to a potential hangover but because I haven't had much sleep, and the fact that drinking can also increase your sleep awakenings in the second half of the night, meaning the sleep you do get is pretty crappy.      ... View more

Today I practiced self care by not setting an alarm, because I don't have anything major on today, and letting myself sleep in a little and wake up naturally! ... View more

Wow @tasminspeedd I'm so sorry you're being treated this way. No one deserves to be spoken to like that.    I'm also glad that you reached out and are going to speak to the school's wellbeing team. That was really brave. Hopefully they can help sort this out so she doesn't bully you anymore.  ... View more

Thank you, that's kind of you!    That sounds very frustrating, does that mean you will have to travel to go see one?   It may take a while to see physical changes, but making step by step changes to your diet you might start to feel differently? ... View more

Hey @xXLexi_Lou122Xx, I don't really know your full situation but I was on here and thought it might be okay if I replied?    It's hard when you have something out of your control preventing you from what you love to do...how long until you get to see your cardiologist?  And it sounds like your healthy eating is going well (you have more control than me, my diet is so bad at the moment)! Eating well might be enough to keep you healthy until you're allowed to get back into exercise!  ... View more

I too am jumping onto this one a little late, sorry!  But I think the idea of international day of friendship is super cute and also our social supports are so so important in maintaining positive mental health.  Sometimes you need your alone time but in the end it is always better for you to have your friends around    What is the role and value of friendship in your life? Friendship plays a big role in my life! I always had trouble finding good housemates who I could live and get along with and having that stress at home led to some crappy times. Now I live with two friends who I had fell out of touch with for a while but moved in with and I couldn't be happier with my situation! They're lovely people and so supportive and I value every single day with them  How can friendship help to promote peace and harmony?I believe that when you're surrounded by good people, you're happier, which makes you exert happier vibezz on the world making it a better place. Also I've found if you treat everyone you meet like your friend, you'll find people will respond to you better too! What will you do this International Friendship Day to celebrate the friendships in your life?Even though I've technically missed International Friendship Day, this weekend I'm going to put my study aside to spend some quality chill time with my friend for her birthday    ... View more

I second the beautiful response by @happycat45 !   And you never ever have to feel like you're bothering anyone on here, this is what the forums are for. You don't have to go through this alone. We all just want to make sure you feel supported through this tough time  ... View more

@mspaceK  I'm so sorry to hear that you've been feeling anxious and distressed. You said this kind of situation can happen to you often, is there anything that has helped you overcome a bad night in the past?  ... View more

Wow @KaiRoe  the process to get hormones seems quite difficult... do you find that there is also a cost barrier that might be an issue for a lot of people?  ... View more

I've always been one to fall asleep pretty easily but earlier this year I had a bit of a stressful time where I found myself needing to implement some useful sleep hygiene improvement techniques, and they really do help!    Do you have any tips for improving sleep hygiene? If you have been tossing and turning, don't stay in bed as it can make you more and more frustrated. Try getting up, walking around the house, getting a drink, or maybe doing a quiet non-technology based activity in a different room for a while.  Keep the phone plugged in across the room, not next to your bed, as it will remove that distraction when going to sleep while also forcing you to get up to turn off your mobile alarm in the morning!  Don't have a light-up clock with the time visible from your bed, you'll start fixating on it rather than relaxing and getting to sleep.    What will you try this week to improve your sleep? I've been getting up and going for a walk along the creek near my house first thing in the morning lately and it makes me feel so good! I'm going to put in a real effort this week to keep that activity going.  ... View more

Oooops, and my answer to the recent question...   How do you deal with stress about the future? Are you more que sera, sera, or do you want to know now for certain where you're headed in future?  I definitely like to know where I'm headed and like to try to control my future as much as possible. Probably not the healthiest mindset but I think I'm becoming slightly more relaxed and 'go with the flow' recently.  ... View more

Wow I like hearing about so many people wanting to work in the mental health sector! It's cool that even though we are all dealing with our own stressors and hardships a lot of you are still willing to put yourself out there to try and help others      What are your plans for the future? Could be for next week or for 15 years from now in your dream career! If you're a bit stuck/unsure, what are you doing nowadays?   In the very near future I have a job interview in a fortnight that I am super excited about! I don't want to get my hopes up too much, because I'm sure there are others interviewing for the position, but it is exactly the kind of job I want and need right now!   ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS  how good is it? I feel like I learned so much, it was so interesting! I didn't realise how old they were, like BCE old!  ... View more

Is that because you won't already know people in the program? There might be lots of other kids in the program from different places who won't know anyone either!   Do you often get nervous going into social situations and is there anything you can do that will help calm your nerves? I find coming up with a few talking points (E.g. for me lately it has been talking about the new spiderman movie tehe) can really help going into new social territories  ... View more

My favourite part of this week was going to see the Terracotta Warriors at the NGV! It was so interesting learning more about their history  ... View more

Hi @annonymous1234567    I'm sorry that you're feeling nervous about going into this program - it sounds really cool!  Being the only kid from your city may be difficult but it may also be a chance to make some really cool and different friends Would you like to tell me, what exactly about this is making you feel nervous?  ... View more

I really like the idea of this! There's always good and bad but it's our frame of mind that can make all the difference      Negative: I was in my home town on the weekend, spending some quality time with my family, and it made me really sad to have to leave to come back to the city.    Positive: I know that I only miss them so much because we have such a close bond and care for each other so much. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to be studying at a uni in the city and I know they are proud of all my hard work so far!  ... View more

Loving the theme!   Hot potato, mashed banana, or cold spaghetti? If we are talking about for eating: hot potato. But if we are talking about the dance move: definitely cold spaghetti!    What colour car do you drive? (If you don't drive, what colour would your dream car be?) I drive a BLUE suzuki swift and I love her!!!   Can you point your fingers and do the twist? You bet I can, that's my signature move.    What's your favourite thing to put in a fruit salad? (Yummy, yummy!   ) Watermelon, it's everyone's favourite surely. Such a yummy, summertime fruit.   If you were a pirate, what would your name be? According to this random pirate name generator I found on the internet (https://www.quizony.com/what-is-your-pirate-name/result.html) it's Barracuda Bart?!?!?   PS That pirate name generator is fun - give it a go  ... View more

One thing that always dwells on my mind is climate change and scary news stories sure don't help that! But something that gives me hope for the future is hearing of people making real change through their actions. With the current water crisis, major cities around the world can expect to have their access to household water supply shut off in the next 20-30 years but the story of Cape Town pushing back their 'Day Zero' always gives me hope that people hold the power to change their actions and change the outcome of the story! Here's a link to an article published a few weeks ago giving a bit more light on this story: https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/cape-towns-recent-water-crisis/ ... View more

Hello all! How did you first hear about ReachOut and when did you decide to get involved on the forums as a user?I was looking to do some mental health volunteering and after some thorough googling I thought that being a part of the forums looked like a good start! I already use some of the ReachOut apps like Breathe and WorryTime so I was familiar with the organisation.  What's your favourite post thread?I'm still finding my way around and getting used to the forums but I enjoyed making my first post on 'Today I practiced self-care by...'!  Why did you decide to become a Builder?I decided to become a Builder so that I could get better at communicating with others about mental health issues. I want to work in mental health and thought that becoming a Builder would be a great way to build those skills and be part of a passionate community!  What do you do during the day (Study? Work? Hunt ghosts? Fight Crime? Taste cupcakes?)?During the day I study Psychology and work a casual job at a pub. I like my job because it's a pretty chill environment where I have made lots of friends and it allows me to actually take a bit of a break from thinking about my uni work!  Do you have any weird hobbies (Train a rubber duck army? Teach lizards Spanish? Learn how to the master the recorder?)?Hmmm weird hobbies, not really! I'm a bit basic! I binge way too much TV, go to the cinemas, watch docos, read books, magazines, and listen to podcasts!  What's you're all time favourite TV show? That probably has to be Brooklyn 99. I've seen it maybe 5 times over yet every episode still makes me lol  I'm excited to start getting into the forums and interacting more with you lovely people!    ... View more

One thing I have always not really liked about my real name is that it's reallllly hard to make nicknames out of it, so when I was a kid I wanted my name to be 'Isabella' so that people could choose whether they wanted to call me Belle, Bella, or Issy! haha   A quick google tells me that 'Isabella' comes from 'Elizabeth' meaning 'Devoted to God' in Hebrew. Maybe that's why the British royals like the name?? ... View more