When Aladdin and Jasmine sang “A Whole New World”, do you think they had a global pandemic set in the year 2021 in mind?
Things feel a little odd, uncertain and at times, overwhelming. There hasn’t been anything close to the level of COVID-19 in recent history, so it is certainly a new phenomenon to be dealing with.
On top of the uncertainty in the world, maybe you haven’t seen family and friends in well over a year, or perhaps you lost your job and you’re looking to study a Diploma of Mental Health to help others.
With so much going on, now is a great time to focus on self-care and mental health – the team at TrainSmart Australia have pulled together some tips to help you take care of yourself in the new-normal world.
Reach Out and Reconnect
As friends, families, work colleagues, sports clubs, and other social groups spend time physically apart, it’s more important than ever for everyone to stay connected with others.
Zoom, Facetime & Skype
Whether you find yourself back in lockdown or you want to catch up with friends and family overseas, technology has made staying in touch much easier.
Why not set up a regular dinner catch up with family over Zoom or organise a quiz night, movie night, game night or ‘cocktail class’ with friends from afar over Skype?
WhatsApp & Messaging Apps
Start a group chat with your friends or family to send the best meme you’ve seen that week, a terrible pun or just to chat about what is going on.
Speak to a Mental Health Professional
A counsellor, psychologist or mental health worker is there to help you work through how you’re thinking and feeling, and help you to implement some coping strategies to get through the hard times.
There are several organisations dedicated to providing mental health support. Head to Mental Health Australia for a comprehensive list of resources.
If helping others in this way is something that interests you, studying a Diploma of Mental Health with TrainSmart could be your first step to a new career.
Work on Some Helpful Coping Strategies
There are things you can do to make coping with such uncertainty a little more manageable.
Self-Care
Looking after yourself with a regular self-care routine can help you to cope with ongoing changes due to COVID-19.
Self-care looks different to everyone; for some, it might mean taking time to be creative through music or starting a new hobby, or it might look like facials, going to the gym
Limit Your Access to Misinformation
Sometimes posts on social media and articles from so-called ‘news’ sites can put you into a panic, with misinformation often spread like wildfire and headlines designed to make people click on the article
With COVID-19 already causing such uncertainty, it is important to focus on only getting news and updates from reputable sources, rather than listening to something your friend posted, which they heard from their cousin’s friend’s, workmate’s, great aunt who works in the government.
Limiting or avoiding this kind of information can help you to avoid being overcome by uncertainty and anxious thoughts.
Be Kind to Yourself
One thing to remember in all of this is that you need to be kind to yourself.
A world of lockdowns and overriding uncertainty can leave you feeling lost, so take the time to remind yourself that you are doing your best.
Study a Diploma of Mental Health with TrainSmart Australia
At TrainSmart, you can study a Diploma of Mental Health over 12 months, either face-to-face or online.
This course is designed to give you specialist knowledge in providing wellness plans to your clients, as well as provide you with the understanding and knowledge to support, counsel, refer and advocate positive mental health outcomes for individual clients and communities.
Get in touch with TrainSmart Australia today to make a difference to others in the new-normal world.
