Be Kind To Yourself

It is Mental Health week and Carers week and to my mind these two issues are very much a combination that needs to be high lighted in our community. Mental health – once a taboo subject- is now very much a part of our societal construct – we check in with others, we have strategies in place when problems appear and we think on our own mental health status. And so we should because depression, anxiety etc are very common issues that many people will face during their lifetime. And being a carer – whether paid or unpaid, whether caring for an aging loved one or working in the aged care industry, it is a mammoth responsibility and comes with highs and with lows. Those lows must be looked at, hence to me having Mental Health week cross over into Carers week makes perfect sense and is a great way to raise awareness of being kind to ourselves- to the carers, the helpers, the family member watching over a loved one and the paid worker in the aged care industry. Because we are all just human, most of us doing the best we can for the people around us. Time out is needed for our own benefit when you are caring for others, and the age old eat well, get enough sleep, get some exercise, do something you love, connect to supportive others, avoiding overuse of alcohol/other drugs and seeing your GP if you aren’t feeling so great are all important. And thankyou for what you do, the world needs more people like you.