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BeyondBlue Tradies National Health Month
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, August is Tradies National Health Month, to highlight the importance of health and safety among Australia’s trade workers. Mental health and wellbeing is crucial to the safety of anyone in the mining or construction industries, so Beyond... View more

Hi everyone, August is Tradies National Health Month, to highlight the importance of health and safety among Australia’s trade workers. Mental health and wellbeing is crucial to the safety of anyone in the mining or construction industries, so Beyond Blue is hosting a special free webinar for our tradie community on Tuesday 12 August at 4.30pm which you can register for here. We know that Tradies can face unique stressors, with a culture of toughness and difficult job demands that can impact personal time and self-care. It can also be tough for partners and family members who aren’t sure how to support someone in a trade who may be showing signs that their mental health isn’t at its best. If you’re unsure where to start your conversation this is the space for you. Whether you want to share your own experiences, ask questions, or simply connect with others who understand what you're going through, you're in the right place. If you're seeking additional support, here are some resources: Hope Assistance Local Tradies: Home This Is A Conversation Starter: TIACS - This is a Conversation Starter Mates in Construction: MATES - Industry Based Suicide Prevention - MATES Don’t forget - our counsellors are always here for you on 1300 22 46 36. We’ll also use this space to post some of the questions and answers from the webinar discussion. Feel free to dive in and keep the conversation going. Thank you again for joining us — we’re glad you’re here.

Just Sara A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members
  • replies: 715

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful word... View more

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful words. I hope this thread stays active through members giving out praise regularly to people they feel deserving, and therefore keep generosity of spirit alive within the pages of BeyondBlue Forum. My bunch of Red Roses (my choice) goes to Wishful for the following sentence; 'Personally, I see no reason to be praised in me, but I'm learning that seeing through the eyes of others can be more accurate!!' I so hear you Wishful. Just beautiful... Try to keep your leading comments short to focus on 'their' words. Choose specific flowers (or a gift if you like) to present to them. Sign off respectfully and sincerely. I hope this takes off... Spreading the love...Sara

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quirkywords Is positivity always helpful.?
  • replies: 92

In the last decade there has bee a big emphasis on being positive all the time. I have had a problem with this and now I am reading articles that agree with me that in some instances being over positive can not be appropriate or even helpful. How can... View more

In the last decade there has bee a big emphasis on being positive all the time. I have had a problem with this and now I am reading articles that agree with me that in some instances being over positive can not be appropriate or even helpful. How can positivity be extreme you may ask? Positivity has a time and place, and if ill timed or relied on in an inappropriate situation, positivity has the potential to be dangerous. However it can be harmful to relationships, particularly when a person is struggling and their partner pushes them to “look on the bright side” without listening to what they are feeling. What do you think? So are ok when someone tells you to look at what you have and not to complain? Or do you find when you are telling people how you are feeling that they don’t listen and tell you to be grateful, that you get annoyed. Let me know what you think. Is there a time and place for positivity?

white knight Take a swim of empathy
  • replies: 4

I would guess that many of you are empaths. The Community Champions here are, no doubt and a high percentage of members are also. So what is the advantages and disadvantages of being an empath... and what is it exactly? "Empath" isn't an official psy... View more

I would guess that many of you are empaths. The Community Champions here are, no doubt and a high percentage of members are also. So what is the advantages and disadvantages of being an empath... and what is it exactly? "Empath" isn't an official psychological term, but it's generally defined as a person who is highly attuned to the emotions of others. Empathy is an essential skill for all kinds of relationships. But people with very high levels of it may have a hard time setting boundaries between themselves and others. I think that hits the mark. But metaphorically I would say that I'm living in a bath of empathy where there are no enemies, no danger but the water there that I swim in are made from built up tears over nearly 70 years. The deeper it gets the more at home I feel. If I climb the ladder to mix with others then I'm subjecting myself to dangers. However I like other empaths are really emotionally alone most of the time and we yearn to dive back in, back home, it seems that when life is a blur a translucent vision of beautiful things like birds, dogs cats, wildlife ... all harmless wonderful things, thats where love is. The penalty for being an empath is that your state of mind isnt other peoples problem. "Normal" people are quite happy dealing with each other, emotional - rarely, ready to defend and prepared to attack verbally or worse is part of day to day life. They watch you swim and recall when a loved passed or a pet and quickly they return to sipping their wine or drowning but in beer. Maybe they dont drink so they might take a deep breath and get on with it!. For us empaths we reach the side of the pool and observe the fallen. We get out of out comfort station and built a dam wall to save them slipping into a place they might not return or sit on a log listening or lifting them.. the crowd still mingle and we direct them that way ... they turn and we are gone... submerged. Being an empath is a unbelievable feeling of emotion that take us where few can go, an emotion level that is amazingly sad, amazingly so unbelievable its hard to describe but one thing is certain for many of us... we wouldnt have it any other way. In the words of Stephen Fry "if I was reincarnated I would want my bipolar, I wouldnt know how to live any other way.... TonyWK

Guest_22043504 Worry and anxious
  • replies: 2

Love to know others tips on this. Most times before one of our adult children..still at home will have an important event or go away on a holiday, I stress that there general health will be well eg: no cold/flu etc...so they can enjoy their trip or s... View more

Love to know others tips on this. Most times before one of our adult children..still at home will have an important event or go away on a holiday, I stress that there general health will be well eg: no cold/flu etc...so they can enjoy their trip or special event. I know my mum always said to me 'stay well...if you are not well you won't be able to enjoy yourself as much'. Any help would be great for this mum to break this awful cycle. x

Clara1 Health Crisis
  • replies: 2

My neighbour’s niece is having a health crisis, possibly cancer and is in hospital. I have spoken to my neighbour about this. I have not seen the niece in some months but I worry about her. I know they are not my family but they have always been nice... View more

My neighbour’s niece is having a health crisis, possibly cancer and is in hospital. I have spoken to my neighbour about this. I have not seen the niece in some months but I worry about her. I know they are not my family but they have always been nice to me and I want them to be well. Not sure where to proceed from here.

white knight Finding peace and feeding your mind
  • replies: 2

Some members have sought tranquillity in their lives but simply don't know where to start. If they think camping is the answer I can vouch it certainly is a start. However- it can take time to wind down Eg we headed off with our caravan three days ag... View more

Some members have sought tranquillity in their lives but simply don't know where to start. If they think camping is the answer I can vouch it certainly is a start. However- it can take time to wind down Eg we headed off with our caravan three days ago. First day I vomited, then it intensified and now I'm OK, this happens every trip caused by moving out of my comfort zone sparking anxiety. Now we're settled on a riverbank but for me I need to mentally go much deeper. This might give you my meaning- WHERE A FAMILY USED TO TREAD There's something about Australia that runs a chill up and down ya backWhen we stroll along the rivers where the colonial whips would crack And those same chills would come and go like bushies about to wedLikely the sandy foundations of a shingled hut, where a family use to tread So it's not just a stroll but a magic left behindAnd the ancient owners hunting ground where the river forever windsFor there's that depth of green and gold and the need to build and settleAnd the colonial wife with grit beside a steaming kettle We didn't just build our shacks nor conquer every rocky craggWe plough virgin land behind a determined draughty nagAnd the miners cottages sprang up where Eureka found its wayAnd the swaggies filled every wagon track without a map nor means to pay For this great land of Aussie pride is a gem we embrace with lustLet's remember the gold diggers that dug but only found the dust There's something about Australia that runs a chill up and down your backWhen we stroll along the rivers where the colonial whips would crack TonyWK But we're not all poets. What I'm eluding to could include merely appreciating one breath of air, valuing the sun on your face, and steak on a campfire or the absence of humans those that don't contribute towards your well being "Staying well" also should include "seeking ideal conditions to enable you to be as well as possible then staying well" which is governed by the frequency of your vacations. Sometimes we need to feed our minds to guide it to what is an individuals ultimate peace. What is your method? Do you relate? TonyWK

TrueSeeker Good food for better mood
  • replies: 2

Hello everyone, I think that we all experienced how a good feed can make us feel better but we do need to keep it in healthy levels and that can spoil the good feeling. I'd like to share my experience with food and how we managed to get that great fe... View more

Hello everyone, I think that we all experienced how a good feed can make us feel better but we do need to keep it in healthy levels and that can spoil the good feeling. I'd like to share my experience with food and how we managed to get that great feeling of full stomach from hearty food while keeping our weight under control. Some time ago we started putting on weight due to health issues and just purely from getting old. I've never used to have weight problems while my partner has struggled all his life that by the way never ever bothered me. But I didn't like myself putting on weight and was worried that it could get out of hand and the earlier I'll deal with it, the easier it'll be. So we did some research on how to lose weight while still being able to get a good fix that we both love. We came across intermittent fasting and it sounded really good to us so we thought we give a gowhile adjusting it a little bit to our liking. We needed to lose weight first so had to go a bit hard on it to start with. Our target was one kilo a month, we thought that it was sustainable and not too painful. We didn't want to put ourselves off dieting. So we decided to have one big hearty meal every two days. Anything in between just to have tiny small bites just when the hunger gets too much, it could be anything. We just have a little bit of cheese, some nuts, piece of fruit, slice of bread and sometimes even a glass of water can take the edge of hunger away. It took us a year to get to the weight we were comfortable with. I lost 8 kilos, my partner lost 12 kilos. He always has to be better at everything! haha Now, we just keep our target weight, we do one hearty meal every day and have tiny meals the rest of the day to manage the hunger. When our weight goes up, we have a day off and go back to tiny meals and the weight goes down again. I love how we are able to have a good feed and get that comfortable feeling that everything is ok while keeping our weight under control. Here's couple of more tips:We bought a proper scale and got into habit of weighing ourselves every morning so we can see what food does what. One kilo fluctuation is ok but anything more than that needs to be fixed. We hunted for recipes for food that we really like. Now with the internet it is very easy to find recipes for food that we missed from childhood or anything we felt like eating. We still like our takeaway now and then but not as much as we used to. I think it would be great for everyone to share our stories, food or recipes that make us feel better. PS Please try to watch the weight as it can spoil the fun.

Sooty09 Where to go for help?
  • replies: 3

HiI am in my 50’s and struggling with health issues and my mental health has raised its ugly head again. I need more support to get through a challenging time, I asked 4 weeks ago for a mental health admission. Refused acute care, and only offered a ... View more

HiI am in my 50’s and struggling with health issues and my mental health has raised its ugly head again. I need more support to get through a challenging time, I asked 4 weeks ago for a mental health admission. Refused acute care, and only offered a day programme. I did this a couple of years ago and felt like I was an outsider and didn’t belong there. The organisers didn’t ask how I was doing, and the clients ignored me. I asked again this week as I feel like I am at rock bottom, only offered the day programme again. I contacted Lifeline this week and I got very confused with the conservation. I don’t understand why I am being ignored. Sooty

AndrewP Overcoming Social Anxiety and Developing Self-Love
  • replies: 13

In this western world we live in there comes a lot of social pressures. What you should wear, how you should act, what job you should have, what you should study, where you should be life, and even views that you should have. All of these SHOULDS hav... View more

In this western world we live in there comes a lot of social pressures. What you should wear, how you should act, what job you should have, what you should study, where you should be life, and even views that you should have. All of these SHOULDS have a massive impact on us, so much so that they can take us away from who we really are in essence and create a whole lot of anxiety along the way. Have the courage to take yourself away from the SHOULDS and do what you WANT to do, be who you WANT to be, in fact more to the point be WHO YOU ARE. We have fears which drive our beliefs and affect our behaviours. There are 3 UNIVERSAL FEARS. FEAR OF NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH/BEING FOUND OUT FEAR OF NOT BELONGING FEAR OF NOT BEING LOVED The fear that comes with being WHO YOU ARE goes something like; "If I were to simply be myself, would I beloved, would I belong, would I be accepted? I can tell you that the answer is YES! When we meet someone who is living authentically and being true to themselves we find that we are drawn to these people because they give off such an energy of certainty if self and confidence. They don't turn it up for anyone or turn it down for anyone, they simply be who they are and are loved for that. One of the main reasons why we are drawn to such people is because it takes courage to put yourself out there and be who you are. I can tell you that once you experience embracing the vulnerability of being who you are you will have significant changes in your life. Some steps to take in moving forward. Ask yourself some great questions like: Who is it that I THINK I NEED to be in this world to be loved, belong and accepted? When I get anxious what is it that I'm actually worried about? (Get specific) Who do I want to be in this world? Who am I? What qualities do I love about others? (you will find you posses some of these qualities yourself) When asking these questions it is important to be 100% honest with yourself, even if you don't like the answer. Don't answer how you'd like it to sound, how you think it should sound, or how you want it to be.. answer it HOW IT IS! Develop Self-Love - look at all the positive qualities about yourself and really love them. Show yourself some compassion and give yourself a break. We are all perfectly imperfect in this world. Develop Self-Trust - Trust who you are and know that you will live true to yourself I have so much more so share guys so please ask questions

Janey_beyond Feeling drained from work
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone.I want to reach out on here and see if anyone is feeling the same way in regards to working full time and sometimes feeling almost ‘burnt out’ on the weekends. I finished school last year and started working full time. The first job I got... View more

Hi everyone.I want to reach out on here and see if anyone is feeling the same way in regards to working full time and sometimes feeling almost ‘burnt out’ on the weekends. I finished school last year and started working full time. The first job I got I was super excited and wanted to use it as an opportunity to gain experience. However, after a few months I really started to hate it and was crying at work, hiding in the bathroom, etc. I started a new job again recently, thinking it would be better, and although in most aspects it is, I think it’s just ‘working’ in general. Neither of these jobs have been necessarily emotionally or physically demanding, but I find on the weekend I am exhausted and depressed.Does anyone else feel like this and if so, how do you cope? It makes me worried about my future career pathway because I’ve realised I hate working a 9-5 ‘corporate’ job and it makes me second guess going to Uni just to enter into a corporate industry. I have also realised when I start to dislike something or when the excitment ends from starting something new, I feel bored and want to jump to the next big thing (this has happened in other areas of my life besides jobs).How do I stay resilient and allow myself to take on feedback from others instead of running the second I feel a problem coming?Any advice or thoughts are appreciated!

Love Seeking answers
  • replies: 2

Anyone felt like you stuck in life? Doubt yourself? Felt you are useless and worthless? Don’t know what to do? Where to go? Failing in relationships failing in career failing in self improvement? I’m scared of being lost?

Anyone felt like you stuck in life? Doubt yourself? Felt you are useless and worthless? Don’t know what to do? Where to go? Failing in relationships failing in career failing in self improvement? I’m scared of being lost?