blog: finding the light by gabby

How to Deal (during COVID): Finding the Light

By Gabby (headspace Adelaide Community Engagement Officer)

Hello there! I’m Gabby (can be seen in a little square above!) and I’m a part of the Community Engagement Team at headspace Adelaide.

Welcome to my first blog of a series I like to call How to Deal (during COVID).

No one is denying it’s a scary and unknown period, basically for everyone all around the world. This is a stressful and overwhelming time, with the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) like nothing we have faced before.

We can all be affected differently - you may be affected by school, uni or your workplace temporarily closing, or you may have a loved one who is directly affected by the virus. I’m currently working part time and studying all from the same room I sleep in every night. These are things we can’t control, along with the media, deaths or even the weather! What we can control is finding a way to make the best of this situation by some helpful tips like practicing gratitude and appreciating the good in our lives.

Let’s find your light, during this storm.

Find joy in the little things that we often take for granted like going for a walk out in the sunshine, chatting to friends, finishing a puzzle you’ve been working on or making your household a beautiful meal to enjoy. Just last week I made home-made pasta for the first time, not only did I love the process but also had an end product that was delicious! (Please see impressive photos of my pasta below).

In this ever-changing situation, there is a lot that we can do. Our tips for a healthy headspace provide simple guidance to help you get into life. Eating well, getting enough sleep, cutting back on alcohol or other drugs, or staying connected with loved ones online can be a few good places to start. Now is the time to try some new hobbies or explore new skills like drawing, going for a run, learning a language or an instrument. I’m personally loving going for a run as an excuse to get out of the house and have some me time!

Tips to maintain a healthy headspace during this time:

• Be mindful of exposure to information through stories, traditional and social media. It can be helpful to take a break from the 24-hour news cycle.
• Do things that make you feel physically and emotionally safe, and be with those who are helpful to your wellbeing.
• Engage in activities that promote a sense of calm and feeling grounded (use of alcohol and other drugs can be counterproductive with this).
• Our 7 tips for a healthy headspace demonstrate simple and effective things that can help people to create and maintain and healthy headspace, irrespective of whether they have been affected by COVID-19 or not.
• It can be helpful to talk to a trusted adult if it all feels a bit too much.

If you start to notice that you are experiencing things like fear and anxiety, anger, frustration and confusion, sadness, or denial, it is important to remember that these are normal reactions to a not normal time. During this time, it is important as best as possible to keep engaged with the activities that support your wellbeing. You might need to get creative in how you continue to do them.

Find light in the little things, particularly those you might not have considered beautiful before, like a daily walk in the sunshine or baking up a storm in the kitchen. All these moments feel so normal, they seem almost mundane but it is important to appreciate these positives during a harder time.

We often believe we can’t do much to control our happiness, no matter how hard we chase it. But we can train our eyes to find the light. We can look for the flicker of a flame and hold our eyes there for a little while, until its shine really takes hold.

I’m going to be adding to this blog series How to Deal (during COVID) on the weekly, with different topics and tips on how to get yourself and the ones you love through this not so normal time.

Stay tuned….

When should I get help?

If you ever feel unable to cope because of overwhelming or intense emotions, or if you have any thoughts of harming yourself, then ask for help immediately.

National 24/7 crisis services

Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice.org.au

beyondblue: 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au

Additional youth support services 

headspace: visit headspace.org.au to find your nearest centre or call headspace on 1800 650 890

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au

ReachOut: reachout.com.au

SANE Australia: 1800 187 263 or sane.org