Burnout, stress & how to feel better

6 Sept

From Mia, RA for Wellbeing 2023:

In 2021, I sat in the Dining Hall, amongst what felt like thousands of yellow t-shirt-wearing Freshers, and heard one of the many speakers mention, "Everybody carries their own invisible backpack." Those words have not left my brain since, & I remind myself of the analogy every day (so I am going to share it with you guys).

I like to envision that inside everybody's invisible backpack, are a bunch of different rocks. Some rocks are big, some are small; some may feel light, and some may feel heavy. And that is okay.

Many of us carry rocks that we don't share nor speak about. Sometimes, we may even try to pretend that these particular rocks don't even exist; we procrastinate. I hope you win the war you tell no one about.

These rocks include, but aren't limited to:

Exams/uni life
College life
Work & financials
Mental & physical health status
Relationships (platonic & romantic)
Family

Everyone, every day, carries their invisible backpack with them. However, regardless of the weight of your invisible backpack and its contents, how you feel is how you feel (& thoughts aren't real).

When you speak to the right person, it actually feels really good when someone listens to you & sits with you, and validates how you feel. Your RA's, Mim, and Sally Stott (who comes in for drop-in sessions on Mondays!) are here to listen; we care a lot about you. Reaching out to us can feel daunting, but I promise we know the feeling - we were all new here at some point. If I think about the several times I have had to ask for help, I remember I was terrified, and really did not want to message the person (and/or people), however, I don't remember a single moment, during nor after having a chat, where I regretted sending that message or knocking on that door.

Burnout season is here, and I know this because this is my 5th encounter with the "end of semester" stress. You aren't alone if you're feeling it too, and I want to remind you, friends, that everything is temporary, and you will grow and get through this. I wanted to share some things I do for myself when life starts getting a bit hectic, and a bit frazzled.

Get up & get out of my room
Take a shower and reset (turn the water to cold when you need the push to get out of the shower)
Ask someone for a hug
Download the Smiling Mind app (it's a not-for-profit organisation so they don’t make you pay)
Read Beyond Blue's personal stories (they can help you feel less alone when you aren't ready to talk just yet)

Look after yourselves, & look after your mates - feeling connected to others plays a major role in your mental health & wellbeing. I hope you all have a slay day, but hey, if not, remember it is okay not to slay.

RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE & ANYONE:

If you don’t know what to do for Angels and Mortals Week, this link has a few lovely suggestions: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/.../10-ways-to-be-there-for...

Beyond Blue's personal stories:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/.../pillar/supporting-yourself

RESOURCES FOR UWA STUDENTS:

https://www.uwa.edu.au/.../Mental-health-and-wellbeing

https://www.uwa.edu.au/.../Support-services/The-Living-Room

https://www.uwa.edu.au/.../Support-services/Medical-Centre

RESOURCES FOR CURTIN STUDENTS:

https://www.curtin.edu.au/.../respectfu.../support-services/

https://www.curtin.edu.au/.../counselling.../wellbeing/

https://www.curtin.edu.au/.../counselling.../counselling/...

https://www.curtin.edu.au/.../pers.../health/medical-centre/

RESOURCES FOR MURDOCH STUDENTS: