Hello Forums Community,
It has been really encouraging to see the way you have continued to support one another over the last few weeks.
We know that things have been difficult, on top of everything else you have already been going through.
There have been many stories of hope and support shared, thank you for continuing to make this a supportive and caring place.
Community Voices: What are people talking about?
Experiencing Poor Sleep / Insomnia
“I honestly don't know what to do because trying to sleep at night makes me anxious but i want to spend more time with my family but i have a better chance at sleeping in the morning because i've done it that way for 10 years but then miss out on doing stuff with family and i feel generally bored and miserable in the middle of the night. it's complicated i know but i didn't really know what else to do” - Walto17 (Read more here)
“I can relate to you in so many ways! My sleep used to be horrendous but I’m kind of back on track now. I have a weighted blanket that I love! But I’ve also had to create a ‘sleep routine’ and when I stick to it I am sleeping better! I’ve also been doing this free online course and the resources and activities have been great! I hope you get some sleep soon!
https://thiswayup.org.au/how-we-can-help/courses/managing-insomnia/ ”
– Slipperyfish (Read more here)
“Listening to music (especially something soothing) at night is great. However, I sometimes find it's not quite stimulating enough to distract me, so over the past few years I've gotten really into podcasts and audiobooks. Most phones now have a sleep timer feature so you can set it to shut off after a while. I usually find that thinking about whatever the spoken word content is helps me make the transition from wakefulness to sleep without giving me time to let my mind wander.”
– uncut_gems (Read more here)
Managing Anxiety
“Even though lockdown has been okay for my family (for which I’m very grateful) my anxiety ramped up about two weeks ago, especially the physical symptoms like chest pain and racing heart, breathlessness, lumpy throat, and insomnia. Night time is the worst. It’s been awful. I’m mostly fine to get through the day (or at least ignore it) with my kids and partner and working from home, but as soon as it’s almost bedtime, it kicks into major overdrive.” - Snowfall (Read more here)
“…I feel like I've spent so much time alone these past few months I don't even know how to go back to normal. Some of my friends wanted to play games online with me today and I feel so much more anxious about it than I did before….” – Missberri (Read more here)
“I get breathing difficulties when I get anxious too. What helps for me is to consciously relax my shoulders and facial muscles, shut my eyes and take deep breathes for a few minutes while listening to some calming music. I love using the music by a band called Buddha Sounds, it's a mix of upbeat and calming (I lose focus easily so the beats helps me focus on my breathing). Try breathing through your stomach rather than your chest when you do this (that is, if you place a hand on your stomach as you breathe, it should rise and fall more than your chest does). And it also helps for me to repeatedly remind myself that what I'm feeling is just anxiety and not a physical health concern.”
– Emmen (Read more here)
Coping With Unhelpful Thoughts
“I wonder if maybe trying to reframe social distancing from the mindset that it is an act of love and protection for people that we care about, rather than thinking of it in terms of threats, might help a little?
Perhaps maybe think of it as an opportunity to get creative about how you can connect with your colleagues and students e.g. friendly waves instead of high fives, etc. I know it’s not the same, and of course it’s all very strange and stressful, but I think maybe now is about trying to adapt to a new way of doing things?” – Peppermintbach (Read more here)
“Trying to suppress your thoughts often has the opposite effect, we're not very good at choosing not to think about something and in thinking about *not* thinking about something we are still thinking about it.
If you have a google, something along the lines of "intrusive thoughts worksheet" or "thought suppression and intrusive thoughts" you should be able to find some self-help resources, I've used some myself (I don't remember the exact one, sorry) and it helped a lot.” - GimZim (Read more here)
“When I think of it, I guess I can't assume what's going on in everyone else's lives and their story. So using that as a way of thinking could help me 🙂
Just from the community here,I can see that gratitude is a positive theme that can help with overcoming these thoughts, so it's worth a shot 🙂 . My psychologist has also suggested this idea of challenging of my thoughts before taking it as gospel and starting that negative spin cycle. So I think that should be a place for me to start.” - G.P (Read more here: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/can't-stop-negatively-comparing-myse...)
Valued Contributor Award
Our Valued Contributor for the month of May is ecomama!
Ecomama has recently joined the forums and continues to demonstrate enthusiasm as well as a genuine concern for others while supporting members of our community – not to mention often adding in some humour to brighten someones day 🙂
To read more about what a Valued Contributor is and how you can nominate a fellow community member, please refer to our thread Nominate a Valued Contributor here
Introducing Doz86, Rumples and Emmen!
Doz86, Rumples and Emmen have joined our team of Community Champions this month!
To read more about their journeys feel free to have a look at our thread. ‘Introducing...the community champions’.
BB News
If you haven’t already, checkout Beyond Blue’s latest podcasts series ‘Not Alone’!
Episode 5: Purpose: How do I find it again? just went live today. In this episode, BB Speaker Noel shares his story of rediscovering his purpose.
Beyond Blue’s Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service also has frequent updated resources. Check out the latest additions below:
Focus on forums: Coping during coronavirus video
Back to work: how to manage reopening your business
Strategies for transitioning back into the workplace after coronavirus
Managing your child’s transition back to school
How to recognise anxiety in your child
How educators can help students adapt to change during the coronavirus
Telehealth – a useful way to access support
Avoid news overload with the SIFT technique
