How is your mental health?
October is mental health month - an opportunity to check in on your mental health and those around us.
As well as my day job as a Lifeline manager, I have the great privilege of being one of Lifeline's volunteer crisis supporters.
We're the people on the end of Lifeline's 13 11 14 phone, text and webchat services.
My crisis supporter training has taught me some valuable things people can do to "self-care".
It also helped me to better understand how to help others - including what may get in the way of doing so.
Understandably, many of us feel scared or ill-equipped to ask about someone's mental health. We think we're not qualified to respond if someone is struggling or may make the situation worse.
Just sitting with someone, hearing their pain is crucial. This can be challenging, but it is the epitome of compassion - which literally means "suffering together".
But doing nothing is worse. We all have it in us to help each other. All we need is care, compassion and connection.
Caring to ask someone how they are is the first step. When someone calls Lifeline, they aren't necessarily looking for someone to solve their issues.
People need to find their own answers to the "mud" they may be stuck in, and this may take time.
As family members and friends our natural reaction is to try to pull someone out of the mud.
But for a person in crisis, the importance of someone acknowledging their feelings, without judgement, is most helpful.
Just sitting with someone, hearing their pain is crucial.
This can be challenging, but it is the epitome of compassion - which literally means "suffering together."
The opposite of compassion is to dismiss feelings with a statement such as "don't worry, everything will be fine".
Listening means staying with someone who may not be able to exactly tell you what they're feeling, and assuring them that they're the most important person in your life at that moment.
If they need it, you can help connect them to others in the community such as Lifeline, their GP or other services.
It can sometimes be an unexpected life event that can tip people into crisis, particularly if their self-care or mental health is poor.
One of our local advocates is Grant Sheather. A divorce, the death of his mother and father and becoming a single parent to his two daughters, took him down a dark path to thoughts of suicide.
Grant now devotes time to helping others in crisis - connecting them to Lifeline and others.
He says it was Lifeline and a community of caring and compassionate people that helped him to walk through his issues and come out the other side.
Community is important for mental health. COVID-19 has had big impacts on people's mental health. And while we are more connected digitally, paradoxically, many feel more isolated than ever.
This month Lifeline in the Hunter is challenging you to do something positive for your mental health and others.
We know that looking after both our body and mind is good for mental health.
Come up with your own challenge.
It might be to cut back on coffee, sugar or social media, to exercise more, take up a hobby, or read more.
For Grant, it will be walking more.
If you wish, you can ask others in your community to sponsor you to raise funds for Lifeline to help others who are struggling or in crisis.
Lifeline is facing its own challenges in being able to respond to the record demand for its services.
Calls are up 25 per cent. We're training more crisis supporters for our Newcastle centre right now.
While they are volunteers, it costs us $3500 to train and support each person.
With our shops closed and fund-raising events cancelled due to lockdowns, our revenue is down.
While we get some government funding, local Lifeline centres rely on community support to keep our free, life-saving, services running.
To register for our Challenge for Mental Health or support someone taking up the challenge, visit the Lifeline Hunter facebook page or website or call 1300 152 854.
Please, take at least one action this month to improve your mental health and check in with one person whom you think may be struggling.
And, if you can, help us to help others who are struggling.
