Ahh I see @roseisnotaplant! Well I hope maybe the list making tip might help :)    What do you usually do when you wake up in the night? Sometimes if I can't get back to sleep I'll put on some guided meditation (I like the beach sounds and calm voice in this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQQ) or even sleep music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ6xgDI7Whc - fun fact, I used this to calm myself down on an international flight where we experienced a lot of turbulence, it's quite soothing to listen to!). Maybe they might work for you too :) ... View more

This is a great idea for a topic @roseisnotaplant - I feel like a lot of us on here might be a bit sleep deprived at times!    For me I know that it helps when I go to bed around the same time every night, so that my body gets used to knowing when it's time to wind down. I also find reading a chapter of a good book (or a bad one - might put you to sleep quicker  ) helpful, sometimes it will make me so sleepy I actually fall asleep with the book still on the bed haha. The last thing I'll mention that works for me is to write out a bit of a plan for my day the next day - I'm a pretty organised person and I find this relaxing, and it makes me feel prepared. I'm sure it wouldn't be for everyone though :)    Is there a particular aspect of your sleep routine that is causing you trouble? Or is it more just feeling tired/actually falling asleep? I hope through this thread we're able to come up with some ideas for a structure or routine for you! ... View more

Hey @missep congratulations on the new job! ABA work is very rewarding, you're very kind to give up your time to help those families :)    Do you think @Mona-RO's suggestions about possibly talking to a supervisor or getting some ideas from other ABA workers might be helpful?    I have actually been an ABA therapist for the past 4 years and would be really happy to answer any questions you have or give you some ideas from my sessions if you think it would be helpful :) I remember being supervised by my trainer when I first started and I felt quite "awkward", it definitely took me some time to find my groove with it.  ... View more

Let us know how you go @honky, and good luck :)  ... View more

@honky that sounds like a really tricky and unfortunate situation! Does the workplace you are currently on placement at have an HR officer? Or some sort of anonymous system of delivering feedback? If anything do you think there might be an opportunity at the end of your placement to pass on some feedback about your experience? I'm sure your placement coordinator would want to know. And a huge congratulations on graduating soon - that's a big deal!! :D  ... View more

That's great to hear @Jeplar :) what are your plans for the holidays?  ... View more

Oops I missed that post sorry @Jeplar! It sounds like you do have some good things in place for when you're feeling down, I find it helpful to have a list of activities to do or people to talk to when I know I'm having a bad day. Pets can be a wonderful source of comfort too :) what pets do you have?  ... View more

What do you usually do when you're feeling depressed @Jeplar? Do you have any strategies or things you like to do that help improve how you're feeling?  ... View more

Oooh yes I'm also a fan of soundtracks @N1ghtW1ng and @RevzZ! What are your favourites?? :D  ... View more

Hi @Jeplar! I can't recommend any hip hop or rap artists unfortunately (my sister tells me I'm into 'daggy' music), but I enjoy listening to artists like Lily Allen and Kanye :) keen to see what others like!  ... View more

Yay glad you made the link! I'll add my music preferences now :)   I'm glad to hear it's better now you guys aren't talking, I actually found the same thing once I stopped talking with my ex. It felt like I could get some distance and it stopped me wanting to think about them all the time, is it the same for you?    I'm about to log off and head to work but talk soon - I hope you have a great day :) @Jeplar ... View more

@Jeplar I can totally relate to being an independent worker! I guess I just meant that maybe it would be a chance to interact with some of the other people in your class and possibly get to know them better? But as I said, I completely know what it's like to prefer working independently, I really disliked group work all through out school.    Let me know when you've made the post (or you can link me), my music taste is quite "daggy" as my sister says, but I'd be interested to see if anyone else likes the things I'm in to.    Has this experience been your first break up? And are you finding it easier now you're not talking to your ex anymore?  ... View more

@Jeplar did they have any ideas about helping you settle in more? It sounds like you enjoy it when people pay attention to you, or notice you, as you said. That's a really normal feeling to have, I think as humans we do crave attention and quality time from other people. Are there many opportunities in class to work with other people, like group work?    Let's start a new music thread then! I am quite unsavvy when it comes to technology, would you like to set up the thread? If not I'm happy to try :)    I'm glad the arguments have stopped, it can be really unpleasant and frustrating to have those talks with someone you used to be so close with. Do you still speak to them often?  ... View more

@basketofmonkeys I love the freedom of uni too! Since I graduated and started trying to find some work I've decided I can't wait to get back into study already so am hoping to go back next year, maybe I'll just be a student forever :P I enjoy clinical psychology too, especially from a developmental perspective. Do you think it's something you want to pursue down the track? :)  ... View more

@honky I'm not too sure what we'll be doing, we're hiring a car and driving around the North island and are spending Christmas there, so I'm sure we'll find something nice to do!    @Jrt14 I had some friends go on the giant swing in NZ last year and they LOVED it! Still don't think I could stomach it, but sounds like it is right up your alley :p I hope you have a great trip!  ... View more

@Jeplar I'm glad you say you're doing alright and have been able to talk to someone at your school about things. How was that? Did you find it helpful?    I'm quite new to ReachOut but I wonder if we might have some music-themed threads on here where you could chat with people about Ivan B or Russ or any other artists - https://forums.au.reachout.com/t5/Hanging-out/music/m-p/134874. This one's a bit old, so maybe we could start a new thread together and see if there are other people on here who like rap music (or any music!)?    How are things going with the break up? It's never easy moving on from those situations :(  ... View more

@N1ghtW1ng It's great that you enjoy organising and feel you're good at it! You'd have to be organised to juggle those different commitments like work and sports activities :) It sounds like the tricky thing for you is when you have to organise or liaise with other people. Is there a particular aspect of conversing with other people that you find difficult?  ... View more

@N1ghtW1ng sounds like you have a lot on!    I actually tutor as well and so can totally relate to the difficulties of squeezing in your students with other evening-based activities - why is it that everything always happens in the afternoons/evenings?! Is there any chance you could ask the student's family if you could start at 4.45pm and then finish at 5.45pm? If you explained your ju jitsu commitments do you think they'd be happy to make that slight 15 minute change? I think it's definitely reasonable to ask, so I hope they're able to make an adjustment for you, you're the one helping them by offering the tutoring service :p   In terms of managing commitments in general I find prioritising and working out what is really intrinsically *important* to me helps a lot! Especially when growing up seems to come with so many different responsibilities   It sounds like ju jitsu is a pretty important (and enjoyable) commitment for you, so where does your tutoring sit relative to that? :) ... View more

@basketofmonkeys great idea with this thread! I also studied Psychology and totally agree with you about stating your intentions - I think this must be why I love list-making so much, it makes me feel accountable and I find I actually get stuff done  What's been your favourite part of your Psychology degree so far?    @amypond you read my mind in this post, I find nothing more relaxing than a long bath with pretty lush bath bombs and a good book. I've recently moved house after only having a shower for the past 4 years, so it's still very much a novelty to have a bath again    I'm going to practice self-care this week by creating a list of movies I've wanted to watch for ages, and try and watch at least 1 a week! First on my list is revisiting the Harry Potter series :D  ... View more

I saw this thread and thought I'd live vicariously through all of you with exciting trips planned soon!    Italy is on my list too @Emsie, I went there with my family back in 2008 but we stuck to most of the bigger cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice, so I'd love to go back and check out some of the smaller towns and coastal villages. Where do you want to go there?    @Jrt14 I'm actually going to NZ at the end of this year too! My parents are taking my sister and I, it will be our first big family trip in a while so I'm super excited  you sound a lot more adventurous than me though, are you going to do all those exciting activities like bungee jumping and zip lining? I don't think I could stomach it! I'm excited for the beautiful nature over there though.    The next countries on my list are France and Italy, I've been fortunate enough to visit both but I loved them so much and would love to go back and practice my French again.  ... View more

This is a fun thread!    1. I love baking and decorating cakes - baking is my favourite self-care strategy!  2. I have now lived in 3 different states of Australia (progressively making my way north  ) 3. I find it frustrating that when I try and cook Indian or Thai curries they never taste as good as the ones you get at a restaurant (despite all the different recipes I've tried!) 4. I am fluent in French 5. I LOVE doing the washing (I know that's weird but I find it very relaxing!) ... View more

1. Which do you reckon was named after the other: orange the fruit or orange the colour? Good question! I think the fruit was named after the colour. But then again the colour 'berry' is probably named after the fruit itself... So who knows haha. 2. What's your favourite quote from a TV show? Not sure about quote, but my favourite TV shows are Homeland and Gossip Girl  3. Have you ever been horseback riding? No, but I was just saying to my partner yesterday that I thought it would be a fun thing to do with friends! 4. Which everyday task do you think should become an official Olympic sport? Why? Washing the dishes... It would make it *fun* and probably quicker 5. What's one goal you have for this month? To get into a better exercise routine, trying to do something every day. ... View more

Hellooo @Bee! Yes I'm quite new here      I'm getting some stuff delivered from IKEA this week before my parents come to visit next weekend - wish me luck with making it!    ... View more

@Jeplar Does your current school have a counsellor or social worker that you could potentially chat to about this? Or is there someone you feel comfortable with at your school (e.g., a favourite teacher)? When I started a new school in Year 11 I found it helpful to go and speak with the counsellor/social worker for students, she told me it's quite common to experience difficulties when you start a new school and I found it helpful to talk to her about my feelings. I know it might not be the answer for you, but I thought I'd share my experience in case it's helpful.     Who's your favourite rap artist? I wonder if there might be some other people hiding at your school who also like rap! What sorts of after school activities are you interested in? They could be a great way to meet some other people with similar interests to you perhaps  I'm glad some people have asked you to come with them too, it sounds like they'd like to get to know you too Is there an activity you could try attending with them?   As for the break up, it sounds like you're going through a tough time with it  it's funny how sometimes these things don't 'hit' us until later on, after the event has happened - is that how you feel in terms of your feelings of depression?  ... View more

Hey @Jeplar, thanks for sharing how you’re feeling. It sounds like you’re going through a difficult time and are feeling a bit isolated in your current situation, is that right? I hope we’re able to give you some support and a space to share how you’re feeling on the RO forums here.     It’s always difficult when you move to a new place, whether it be a new city or new school, particularly if you’re also experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression. It also makes it difficult if we’ve had previous past experiences that weren’t so positive, so it’s totally understandable that you’re finding it tricky in your new school situation. I wanted to say that I think it’s a great sign of your self-awareness that you’re able to articulate how you’re feeling and why - this isn’t an easy skill, so great work! Are you currently seeing someone about your anxiety and depression?    What’s your favourite type of music to listen to?  Are there any groups at your school (e.g., clubs or things like that) that you might be able to try attending as a way of meeting people with similar interests? ... View more

Hi @Myvo, so sorry to hear about your situation and how it's making you feel. I'm glad you've posted here on the forums, and hope that the RO community is able to be a source of support for you.    It's really tough when something that was important to you and you had future hopes pinned on (such as a relationship) is taken away quickly, I think it's quite normal to feel like you can't cope in these situations. I'm glad that you've felt talking things out with people has been helpful to you, and also that you've been able to distract yourself a bit with work. I went through a pretty tough breakup nearly 5 years ago, and I remember what an awful time it was. You're right in that it's a slow process to 'recover', and I think it shows great self-awareness that you recognise this. ... View more

This is a really insightful thread, thank you for starting it @pineapple1. I agree with what has been said by some of the other users on here, when someone is so used to giving help and being the supportive one, it's hard to then flip that and take on the other role to "be helped" by others - seems silly doesn't it! As @Mona-RO says above, it might be due to feelings of not wanting to add to other people's problems, and the sense that you "should" be able to help yourself.  I think it's a great start even by creating this thread on the forum, because it's probably something a lot of the users here can relate to  ... View more

@mspaceK that's an amazing list you've made! Do you find making lists helpful when you're feeling overwhelmed? I know they work for me (chronic list maker here!!)  It sounds like what you're studying is pretty interesting, hopefully that will be a bit of motivation for the next 3 months until you finish in November! Keep us posted on it all  ... View more

@Bee there is something so satisfying about successfully building flatpack furniture!! Although in my experience I often end up a little frustrated if it doesn't work out    One of my favourite coping strategies/distractions is to get up and make a 'mug' cookie in my microwave - for anyone interested this is one of my favourite recipes! http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2012/03/06/chocolate-chip-cookie-in-cup/  ... View more

@N1ghtW1ng that's a really interesting observation you made re support for adults vs. younger people, I agree with you that a lot of the focus is on ASD in younger individuals like children or adults, and not so much those in between. It can definitely make it hard for those who don't fit into that category, so good on you for sharing your experience! I guess that's one of the ways that we raise awareness and remind people that ASD is something that can affect people at all ages  ... View more