Despite the announced Government relief packages and assistance for victims of the natural disasters that have impacted rural NSW in recent years, many of us are still left dealing with the aftermath of the trauma.
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The damages bill ran into the hundreds of millions so we're well aware of the financial stress facing many, however the emotional cost of dealing with a natural disaster can also be high.
This strain, along with isolation and lack of access to support, is a big challenge for many people in the western plains of NSW.
Resilience is a word you may have heard thrown around; it's commonly described as "the capacity to cope with change and challenge and bounce back during difficult times".
There's been a lot of talk about teaching our kids resilience to stand up to potential bullies and the challenges of growing up. But what about teaching ourselves resilience?
This article provides some practical tips for building your resilience, and developing coping mechanisms in the face of some of the challenges of living in rural NSW including drought, fire and flood.
1. Building coping mechanisms: Understanding strategies to cope and openness to learning new coping mechanisms are part of resilience. These strategies might include meditation or different types of exercise.
Tolerance and openness are central to building resilience, not only personally, but also in your community.
Everyone has different life experiences and resources available to them, so try not to judge other people (or yourself) on the time it takes to bounce back from a difficult or traumatic event.
2. Seeking help: Sometimes we just need to talk to somebody. Your local doctor, counselor or mental health professional can be great to talk to after a stressful event.
They’ll be able to suggest some coping strategies that you may not have considered.
If distance is an issue there’s many online programs and apps, created by some of Australia’s leading health organisations that can help with self care techniques such as monitoring your moods and stress management.
Find out more at: www.mindhealthconnect.org.au/
3. Support networks: Stay connected. Reach out to friends and family for support, including those who have shared your experience and those that haven’t. Feelings of loneliness and isolation only heighten stress and trauma, so sticking together is key to developing resilience as an individual and as a community.
4. Optimism and future planning: Optimism is not pretending you’re fine when you’re not. It’s about trying to look objectively at a situation and consciously focusing on the good. There are a number of techniques that might increase your optimism including:
- Setting goals and celebrating when you achieve them
- Positive self talk: try boosting your self-confidence rather than beating yourself up
- Practicing mindfulness: focusing on the ‘right now’ rather than worrying about the past or future
While building resilience may take some work, it will improve your ability to bounce back after the next challenge life throws your way. Don’t let geography stand in the way of looking after your mental health; find out more about resilience and other mental health topics, services and programs by visiting the mindhealthconnect website.
The mindhealthconnect service is a national initiative managed by Healthdirect Australia, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government as part of the national, E-Mental Health Strategy.
Healthdirect Australia is a publicly funded, COAG (Council of Australian Governments) company responsible for identifying, procuring and contract managing publically funded telephone and online health information and advice services including mindhealthconnect.
References:
1. MindMatters, Enhancing Resilience, http://www.mindmatters.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources-archive/enhancing-resilience-ii,
2. ReachOut.com, Recovering from a Disaster, http://au.reachout.com/Recovering-from-a-disaster,
3. Beyondblue, Research Project: Building Children’s resilience in fire affected communities, http://www.beyondblue.org.au/resources/research/research-projects/research-projects/building-children's-resilience-in-fire-affected-communities,
4. Reachout.com, Building better coping skills http://au.reachout.com/Building-better-coping-skills,
5. Kids helpline, Building resilience http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-info/hot-topics/being-resilient.php,
6. Royal Australian & NZ College of Psychiatrists, Mind Games: are you fit to battle in the modern world? Published Dominion Post NZ, 1.3.14 https://www.ranzcp.org/Files/Publications/psyche/March-2014/Mind-games-Are-you-fit-to-do-battle-in-the-modern.aspx