Te Hau Toka update: Looking after for your mental wellbeing Feb 2022

Kia ora koutou katoa,

As the impacts of COVID-19 hit home, things are changing fast and it's OK to be feeling a bit all over the place. But we're all in this together. It's even more important now that we prioritise looking after ourselves and each other and stay connected as a community. 

Now’s a good time to do what you can to support your own wellbeing and check in with your whānau, neighbours, friends and colleagues to see how they are. We all need a bit of extra support every now and again so if you, or someone you know, is struggling, help is available.   

Common signs of mental/emotional distress to look out for in yourself and others:

• Changes to sleep – Sleeping more than usual or have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
• Unexplained physical symptoms – Things like headaches, stomach problems, dizziness or chronic pain can be a physical symptom of mental or emotional distress.
• Difficulty controlling your emotions – It’s normal to feel heightened emotions in stressful times but it’s important to be aware of how these can affect you/others.  If unresolved, it can lead to relationship or friendship conflict, issues at work or school, self-medicating, or physical or emotional outbursts.
• Changes in weight/eating patterns – Losing or gaining a significant amount of weight or being preoccupied with food, weight or body image.
• Obsessive/compulsive behaviours – Constant hand-washing for no logical reason or constantly worrying that something bad is going to happen.
• Feeling tired all the time – Extreme tiredness and fatigue can occur when your body can’t handle emotional overload and simply shuts down.
• Memory problems – Forgetfulness can sometimes be a sign of tiredness or distress.
• Not socialising – Feeling like you don’t want to go out or connect with people.

Getting help is key

• If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of harm, call 111 straight away.
• If an immediate response isn’t required but you need crisis mental health emergency treatment, assistance and information, contact Southern District Health Board crisis line (emergency psychiatric team) on 0800 467 846. Press 1 for Southland (includes Queenstown) or 2 for Otago.
• If you’re worried about how you’re feeling emotionally or physically, create a support system. Reach out to people you trust to have a chat and contact your GP or other healthcare providers for advice. Or free call/text 1737 anytime to talk to a trained counsellor.
• For support services in the Southern Lakes region and some self-help tools to help you stay on track, check out our ‘Traffic Light Guide: Looking After Your Mental Wellbeing’.  There’s also a great summary of COVID-19 wellbeing resources here.
• Heard the phrase “Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others”? Do what helps you feel better and make some ‘me time’ every day (even if it’s 10 minutes) for self-care. It could be exercising, getting outside, quality time with loved ones, reading, doing Wordle or crafts, or having a nana nap. 
• Take a screen break. Avoid doomscrolling (keep up to date with the news but limit it to certain times of the day) and snooze social media for a while.

Most of all, don’t be too hard on yourself or others – we’re all just doing the best we can at the moment. But we will get through this.

Some helpful advice to listen to:

• Dr Lucy Hone’s 15-minute TedTalk (Top 20 in the world in 2020) on 3 simple tactics she’s used to get through her darkest days.
• Dr Sarb Johal on Finding Calm (12 mins).

Working Well

Feeling fatigued or burned out? – People often find it helpful to share their worries with someone they don’t know who’s trained to listen and help. A free counselling service has just been extended to all staff members of small to medium (SME) businesses in the Queenstown Lakes District to help them support their mental wellbeing. Staff, including owners, can access the Take Stock service from today and will receive 3 free completely confidential sessions by phone or video call as soon as the same day if needed. Employers will not be made aware if their employee takes up the service.

The Take Stock service is a Southern Lakes Business Recovery Group initiative in partnership with leading Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider Benestar. It’s specific to SME businesses because many smaller companies can’t afford EAP for their staff, whereas most larger businesses have their own.

To book, call 0800 360 364 and ask for Take Stock; or email counsellingsupportnz@benestar.com and quote the Take stock programme; or visit www.benestar.com.

Help our healthcare workers - A new initiative, Southern Heroes, is rallying businesses, community organisations and anyone who’s able to help out to support the southern health system and those on the front lines of the outbreak.  Helpers may be called on to do a range of jobs, like delivering food and supplies, supporting DHB staff child-care facilities and handling call centres.  If you’d like to help, sign up here.

More support for Fiordland

• We’re delighted to be partnering with Great South to establish a Community Wellbeing Coordinator for Fiordland. The successful applicant will be working with us and a range of others to help support wellbeing in the community through the coming months.
• WellSouth has added extra resource to its Te Anau-based Mental Health Brief Intervention Service (BIS). BIS provides counselling to people 20+ years in need of short-term mental wellbeing support.  This includes dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, and concerns about drugs and alcohol. Access is via GP referral with up to 5 free counselling sessions face-to-face, by phone or video call. The same service is also offered in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago.  More details here.
• Spaces are still available for the free Addiction 101 workshop on 14 March in Te Anau.  Traffic Light Red settings apply with scanning in, vaccine pass, mask wearing, and physical distancing. Register here.

Creating social connections

Wellbeing livestreams for 12-24 year-olds – Grab your friends and whānau and join Thrive! Wellbeing Coaches online every Monday and Wednesday @4.30pm and every Tuesday and Thursday @1pm for 30-minute wellbeing livestreams focusing on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, and learning and practicing new skills.

Connecting Communities funding – Our next funding round opens on 28 Feb and closes 11 March so if you have ideas for activities/events in Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell, or Te Anau/Fiordland that improve community mental wellbeing, please apply!  Up to $1,000 available per eligible applicant.  Details here.

Neighbours Day - Next month is Neighbours Day Aotearoa (actually it’s a whole week from 18-27 March) and is themed Kai Connections – how food brings people together, whether it’s growing, sharing or eating it!  Have a think about how you can get to know your neighbours better over some kai… maybe a BBQ, crop swap, sharing food or recipes, experiencing food from different cultures, or helping people in their garden. More info and ideas here.

Caring for the carers – Are you a social worker? Or a family member or support worker looking after someone else?  Come along to weekly afternoon tea in the Happiness House garden every Thursday, 2-3pm. Weather dependent, COVID protection requirements apply. 

Kia kaha,

Find out more about the Te Hau Toka Southern Lakes Wellbeing Group and follow us on Facebook for regional health/wellbeing news and tips.