Personally, I have always had so much gratitude for Melbourne, the place where I have lived most of my life.
Safe, secure, mostly kind and with a sense of community. This time of year is a favourite of mine.
The instant blooming of the blossoms, the smell of spring in the air, the unbridled optimism of Melbournians who flock to the bay beaches on the first day the temp hits 20 degrees, even though it is still too cold to swim.
September kicks off a chain of exciting events. The AFL Grand final, Aussie barbies, Spring Carnival, Myer Chrissie Windows and the Aus Open.
A time of connection, getting together, having a laugh. All things that are precious to us and good for the soul.
The air feels different this year, and the protests of the last few days have been tough for all.
At the moment in our extended lockdown, with unrest in the streets and many of our nearest and dearest struggling, it is hard to muster up that unbridled optimism and sense of safety and security many of us have been blessed to have living in this fine state.
So the question is, are we anywhere near OK at the moment? Organisations like Beyond Blue and R U OK are experiencing alarmingly high call rates. Many of our clients with customer facing teams are experiencing aggressive behaviour, threats of self harm, and stories of struggle and hardship. This is all hard to take and even the most optimistic of us are finding it tough going.
We will be running a series of Mental Health Workshops on 8th October, leading up to World Mental Health Day (details below) with all proceeds going back to RUOK.
We will also offer a weekly discussion group on Zoom called “MIND your MENTAL HEALTH” for organisations to join in and share strategies, and discuss how they are managing this pandemic at this time.
We hope this offers some support, and would encourage those of you struggling to reach out and the attend the sessions on the 8th of October, or jump onto the weekly discussion group. Alternatively make sure those around you know there are plenty of places to seek support at this time.
