Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime, I can hear that you are upset and angry and scared. I'm sorry that the COVID-19 situation has been really awful and has affected many areas of your life. It's really understandable to feel all these things and all the emotions you're feeling now are totally valid. Like @Ronan-RO said, hopefully the new measures, while strict and are challenging to our regular lives, will decrease the cases which will allow us to return to our lives, jobs, families and friends. I know it's not the same as seeing people in person, but having the ability to use our phones to communicate and connect is a valuable thing. And it's great you've been so proactive, I wish you luck for your applications! Those long walks you mentioned sound really nice! Is there anything else you have been doing to keep yourself occupied? And hope the hospital visit went smoothly. ... View more

Hey @ruthxxx it's really understandable, and admirable, that you want to take your education seriously. You mentioned that your friends used to be super close - do you guys currently talk about deeper and more meaningful things or is it more of superficial conversation? Similar to what @Taylor-RO said, understanding does often allow perspective. I saw you mentioned you don't like being vulnerable and feeling like a burden, which I think a lot of people also feel at different times. If a friend opened up to you regarding their own anxieties, do you think you and your other friends would perceive them as a burden? But I completely understand, being vulnerable can be really tough and we have to work at our own pace!   I just wanted to say as well, well done on taking this year to work on yourself! I am glad to hear that with school currently out as a factor due to the virus that your anxiety has decreased.   Definitely a good idea to see if your counsellor will do Skype sessions! ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 yesterday sounds like it must have been quite frightening and I am truly sorry to hear how you are in such stress and pain, you definitely do not deserve to feel this way! How are you feeling this morning? I hope you managed to get some rest. ... View more

Hey @xXLexi_Lou122Xx how are you going today? ... View more

Hey @xXLexi_Lou122Xx, it sounds like it's been a tough couple of days for you. How are you feeling? Is there anything we in the community can do right now to help you out? ... View more

Hi @aebarrie12 just checking in here did you end up giving it a go and maybe have a chat with this girl? Sometimes a slow start when you pass her in the hallway? Such as a smile or wave or gentle "hello", and see how she responds. How she responds to those smaller efforts might give an indication on when to jump in and start a convo! I think it's really awesome you'd like to be friends again and good on you for being brave enough to want to reach out and to try doing so! Best of luck! ... View more

I am loving seeing everyone's gorgeous pets!   These are my dogs:     They are always good for hugs! Charlie is 13 and so has been a big part of my life growing up and we rescued Mac just over a year ago, and it's like we've never not had him. They're so sleepy and always ready for cuddles. I used to be afraid of dogs from a bad experience, and Charlie helped me get over my fear! ... View more

@Bre-ROthanks for sharing that acronym! Like a few people here, I feel myself struggling with the uncertainty of COVID, as we have no idea what it could look like tomorrow let alone in a week and that is understandably really difficult for us humans - who like routine and certainty - to accept. I hope everyone is looking after themselves as best they can and taking time to recognise how they are feeling ... View more

Hey @Rattata, I am glad to hear some of the pressure of finding a job has eased for you! I definitely understand that separation as well, my partner and I live separately so we've recently started more restrictive self-isolation as well and it's been quite hard. I'm glad you are able to video call to keep in touch. Has it been helpful still being able to communicate? As @Ronan-RO said, it is totally okay to have an unproductive day! Especially in the new situation we are all facing, I think it's also perfectly alright to adjust the way we think of productivity. I see you say you have uni work to be done, but I also view your art and cleaning (definitely also understand the cleaning frustration - I do the same thing with my cleanouts ) as productive for days as they are today. Hope you are feeling better today ... View more

Hi @Eden1717. I really wanted to reiterate @Bre-RO 's message - that I can see from your messages in the forum how tough everything has been for you recently, but also how you keep showing up each time and getting through it. I am really in awe of the strength you are displaying here. That was an incredibly powerful description you just wrote there - I really hear your pain and your struggle inside it, and thank you for being so open and sharing these thoughts and feelings with us. I completely understand the desire for some space, the current self-isolation regulations are definitely causing strain in many lives at the moment, and I am sorry to hear it is causing you to feel stuck. Is there any place in your house where you can be alone (as alone as one can be when a whole family is inside) and not feeling watched, listened to and seen? Please know we are all here for you and hear to listen to how you are going. ... View more

Hey @Claire-RO thank you for checking in and for your kind words! It's going to be difficult for sure, but I suppose we all have to accept, adjust and adapt to a new normal for a while. We are all allowed to dance or cry or paint or scream our emotions about this out and I fully intend on doing all of the above!   @trashconvertersthat is so awesome! Honestly, nothing better for a podcast than someone's true enjoyment and passion about what they're talking about. Get it!! Can't wait to hear how channeling into the podcast world goes and smart too - ain't no time better for a podcast, I'm on about three per day now!! ... View more

@Janine-ROmy veggie garden is currently just separate pots on the deck haha until I find actual garden bed space for them but I planted some beans, some tomatoes and some lettuce. I have zucchini to go! Us too, plenty of possums and bats who like to fight in the fig and avocado trees so I am pretty sure I won't have many grown plants myself But yummy - all those seeds, especially eggplant seeds! Can't wait to hear how they grow ... View more

@Eden1717I am glad to hear you got some rest last night, even if it was only a small amount. I am sorry to hear how today has been a struggle for you. I want to give you major kudos for getting through the day - sometimes that's all we can do and sometimes it's freaking hard and you've done it today! Are you still feeling pretty agitated and anxious right now? ... View more

Evening all! Honestly, while I am extremely sorry to hear others struggling in this time of uncertainty, hearing that others feel overwhelmed and anxious is just a little reassuring that others feel similarly - even though I know how I feel about the pandemic is valid in itself!! I feel like last week it all kind of crashed onto me, I was cruising a bit before then, very lucky that I still had things going, and just in the last week have had my sport cancelled, lost one of my jobs due to it being closed, had to cancel holidays and had events cancelled. It all seems like superficial stuff, but having it all happen at once has been pretty overwhelming. Watching the PM's speech last night really hit it home and I had to have a bit of a cry to get those emotions out of my system. I hope everyone is feeling okay-ish and I'm sending positive vibes out. One thing that has really struck me about this pandemic is Mother Nature showing us what a mere few weeks without pollution can do - I mean, dolphins in the Venetian canals!? And an increase in people buying chickens and vegetables to grow at home - if we learn something from this virus, I truly hope people start being more conscious and sustainable with the way we are living!! ... View more

Great tips, thank you @Bre-RO!! I can't wait to get involved with some of these ideas! Something I've been doing when I'm getting a little flat is chucking on a song with a good beat/a fave tune and having a solo dance party to really shake out the cobwebs! ... View more

Hey @musicfan_xo I'm sorry to hear it's been a difficult couple of days for you, but I also think it's really dang brave of you to reach out for some support where you need it. Thank you for being so open in your sharing on here. I am sorry to hear that several phone services have not been useful to you, but I am glad to hear your psychiatrist has been a measure of professional support, especially as you said you've had difficulty in the past with finding an appropriate one. It's wonderful to see you and @Tay100 looking at peer support together - what a great option! Is there anything else we in the community can do to support you right now? Even if it is just listening to how you're feeling.   Hey also @MB95  The advice you offered in your post was really poignant and powerful to read, thank you also for your openness in sharing. ... View more

@musicfan_xowhat a fabulous idea! And happy (late) international happiness day to you all! Something that makes me happy is Harry Potter - I am such a Harry Potter nerd and anything HP gives me this childlike giddiness! Also my dogs make me very happy! I love this positive thread. ... View more

@Rattatafilms in that sphere sound awesome! I believe we need far more representation of all groups in Australia and the world on film. Fantastic! I wanted to check in on how you were feeling about job etc. at the moment, given the need for self-isolation? Are you finding you and your girlfriend are able to spend a bit more time together? I noticed you said you're both trying to do things together - have you found something you guys particularly like to do together? Some things I've been doing to pass the time in self-isolation that might be of interest - teaching myself a new language, baking and decorating cookies, started planting a veggie patch, swear word colouring book! What have you been doing to keep occupied? ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 I've been absent for a couple of days and just catching up on these posts. I can hear in your words how incredibly tough and brave you are in this situation. I am so sorry to hear pain and distress you are going through right now. It's incredibly tough that no one in your family or healthcare appears to be listening to or understanding you right now. You said before you are struggling to cope and keep connected right now. Is there anything we can do here in this community to help ease some of that strain? ... View more

Today I practiced some self-care by starting to plant a veggie garden! I have never gardened before, I do not doubt that I will lose some plants before I start but it was great to get some fresh air and a podcast with some manual labour! ... View more

I'm a bit late to the party - as everyone can understand, it's a little hectic right now! @musicfan_xo thank you for the tag! I'm sending some virtual hugs your way! I feel like we could all use some today ... View more

This is such a great idea @Janine-RO - I saw it the other day but didn't have time to post, and I've been super keen to see everyone's contributions. @WheresMySquishy I absolutely relate to the postgraduate study acceptance - it's a rough world out there at unis, I'm waiting for my next round of applications after not getting in the last one, and I reckon you're so tough to keep trying and giving it a crack, even through discouragement. I am happy one of your residents was able to help you feel a little more assured. Keep trying! We are all backing you here!! @drpenguin I really loved reading how you and your mum talk about her experiences as a refugee coming to Australia, I think hearing our own family history is pretty underrated and I am glad you have heard some of yours!   Has there been a time where someone shared a story with you, that taught you something important?  We have implemented a program at my footy club where on club dinner nights a player gets up and shares a story about their mental health and wellbeing. Last season, I was privileged to witness so many diverse and different people (even the stereotypical blokey bloke tough players!) get up and be vulnerable and open about their mental health, and how certain situations in their lives have affected them. I feel like we all got to know each other on a different level when we got to open our minds and hearts like that.   Do you have a story that you'd like to share with us? Something actually happened today - my footy club (running theme today, I know!) had a super full on physically and mentally demanding boot camp. We were divided into male and female mixed teams and put through our paces (bricks, battle ropes, logs, tires - the lot!). I almost quit a dozen times, but was really strongly reminded throughout of how much of a difference team support and encouragement makes to success. Things like teammates who had finished a run coming back to do it again to help a straggler finish, or carrying an extra brick if someone was falling behind. It was also a great reminder that I have more endurance than I give myself credit for sometimes, and can succeed even in the face of feeling like I can't keep my bricks in the air for one more second! ... View more

Hey @Eden1717    The past few days sound like they've been really frightening and difficult for you and I am so sorry to hear that you're feeling stuck and struggling to sleep would not be helping at all. How are you feeling today? ... View more

@MisoBearthat sounds amazing! I love a good Harry Potter mug myself! And yes - it's gotta be a big mug for extra self-care cosiness ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 , I can see that today has been pretty tough on you. Is there anything we can do here on the forums to help support you? ... View more

@MisoBear& @Tiny_leaf I do that too, so much easier if you're not focusing on the task you're not so keen on! @Janine-ROI am the same! I put on a podcast and get itchy feet to do something productive I found a super interesting podcast called Noble Blood - it's all true stories of royals throughout history, some of the not-so-well known ones. Kind of like listening to fairy-tales, but usually a bit more gory! All In The Mind is a really cool psychology podcast with so much interesting info and research on it! And I have yet to start it, but for all the Harry Potter fans out there - I have listed The Fox and the Foxhound: Love, Marriage and Harry Potter about a couple of whom one knows and adores HP and the other has never read it, so they read and discuss a few chapters at a time together. Looks good! ... View more

I am a newly formed fan of tea @MisoBear! It has changed the self-care game. I had a pretty full on day, so did some self-care on the way to work with my favourite tea and when I got home I settled in with a great book.   @Janine-ROI also use a special mug when I'm feeling particularly cosy! ... View more

@ecla34these are such great questions! I'm just going to put my responses to both questions here!   Can you think of a time when something's gone wrong? Maybe something didn't go to plan or an unexpected complication cropped up that made things difficult. What was your initial reaction? I was really hoping I would get into a postgraduate degree this year and had been allocating my time and jobs etc. last year towards helping me achieve that goal and had planned the whole next couple of years around being successful at getting that degree. Not getting it was crushing! My initial reaction to this was to cry, vent and give myself time to sit in that disappointed space for a while and then to pick myself up and get going on what I need to do to try again!   What are some of your go to strategies to either cope or resolve problems? I really think that it's important to remember that your feelings are valid when something goes wrong - whether it makes me angry or disappointed or sad, these are all valid feelings and it helps me to allow space to feel these emotions. But after this, my strategies do involve bouncing ideas off friends and family, writing lists, researching areas relevant to what I'm struggling with and remembering to self-care when I'm feeling anxious or stressed about what's going on. ... View more

This is such a great topic - I had to jump in! And what great responses, I might have to put some of these to use! Something I use is the "one minute rule". I am a biiiig procrastinator, yet I also like having things done, as that makes me feel less stressed (walking contradiction over here!) so - if I have something I need to do (i.e. make the bed so it's nice for me to get back into at night) and it takes less than one minute - I do it on the spot! It's actually a bit nuts how many extra little tasks I get through in a day that take a minute (ish!) rather than let them pile up which makes me feel accomplished instead of anxious! ... View more

Hi @Rattata, I completely understand that it can be hard not to feel a little isolated or even left behind when your partner is doing other things and you feel like you're waiting around in place for your time to start doing things. My partner works full time and I do not, and I've definitely felt myself slip into overthinking mode about my own success, so I know how easy it is to fall into that pattern. @Janine-RO and @TOM-RO are pretty bang on with seeing a counsellor and picking up something again that you're interested in, I do find when I'm making myself busy (especially with things I take enjoyment in), I lose a bit of stress. It also sounds like you care about and support your girlfriend a lot, and that's really awesome to hear! Also I'd love to know, only if you're comfortable with sharing, what kind of films you like to make? ... View more