Preventive Health SA - self care strategies (2024)

Take time to take good care of yourself and engage in a range of self care activities to protect your mental wellbeing. Do something you love, find a new hobby or revive an old one. Engage in healthy activities that you enjoy and find relaxing.

Jane Borda shares her self care strategies during a time of uncertainty. Jane has lived experience of mental health issues, and feels her planning and self care in times of increased stress may also be able to help others.

• Connecting with others

Keep to your daily routines as much as you can – exercise, eat nourishing meals, get plenty of sleep.

When we feel distressed, repetitive creative motions like knitting, drawing, or writing contribute to our wellbeing by helping us feel calm and focused – much like mindfulness or meditation. Creating art can help us to manage our emotions and express our experiences that we might find too difficult to put into spoken words.

At mindshare you will find artwork, short stories, poetry, photography, original music recordings, mini documentaries, digital stories and blogs submitted by people with lived experience of a mental health challenge or illness, as well as their carers, sector workers, family and friends.

Grief is a major issue determining people’s wellbeing and is a major risk factor for both physical and mental illness, and suicide.  The impact of grief is often underestimated so it can be hard to know what is ‘normal’ and what people can do to cope.

GriefLink is a South Australian based website which provides information for people who are dealing with grief and loss, and for those who are supporting them. GriefLink can help people to find information about different experiences of grief, the feelings and reactions people might be experiencing, and things that can help.

You do not need to be an expert to help someone you care about if they tell you they are struggling or if you notice they are distressed. You can offer support and care by:

• Letting them know you care – you might like to ask:
  • You don’t seem yourself, what’s going on?
  • I noticed that… (observations of signs, changes, patterns)
• Listening to them without judgement – minimise distractions and try not to “fix” things for that person.

You’ll be amazed at how often just listening to someone gives them the space to find their own solutions. However, if solutions don’t emerge or you're still concerned, ask if it’s OK to connect the person with other helpful resources, including the contacts listed above.