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Media Release: 17 November 2020
As the one-year anniversary of the Black Summer bushfires approaches, SANE is encouraging New South Wales South Coast residents to focus on their mental wellbeing as part of their bushfire recovery, especially those with pre-existing mental health conditions, and has developed a new online resource called Life After Bushfires to help them do so.
Existing mental health issues can make recovery from natural disasters more complex. Community connections, extended community support services and good self-care can all help as you manage this difficult time.
Self-care is an important part of supporting recovery from trauma. It helps to take time for yourself, make healthy lifestyle choices and keep up community connections.
During and after a disaster, it’s important to treat yourself with kindness. Research shows that being compassionate towards ourselves and others helps build our confidence, increases resilience and promotes good mental health.1
You may be trying to cope with a whole range of feelings. Even on good days, practicing self-care can build you up for the times when it’s not so easy. Your feelings are valid. Acknowledge that you’ve been through an extraordinary time and it’s normal to have hard moments as you recover.
When we’re feeling distressed, we tend to take shallow breaths that make us light-headed and tense. It seems superficial, but slow, deliberate breathing can really make a difference to our overall wellbeing.
If you like the way it feels and want to take the next step, mindfulness will help you to focus on the present and bring you fully into your body.
Being with people we care about is good for our mental health. It gives us more energy, helps us relax and can even help us live longer. During disaster recovery, your community might feel more important than ever. There may be a need to reach out to support others and find support yourself.
Self-care can cover big and small techniques. Sometimes you might need serious time out to meditate and reflect, while other times might call for a soothing massage.
There are all sorts of practical tips you can introduce into your routine.
Even when we know what helps, it can be hard to stick to it. Having a routine helps for many reasons. Knowing what to expect reduces stress. Predictability is calming. Trauma can make it hard to look ahead and focus.
Self-care doesn’t always go to plan, but when we’re clear about what to do, it’s easier to adapt. We recommend:
We’ve put together a helpful selection of apps for managing your personal health, time, finances, food and more.
If you’re concerned about how you’re feeling, speak to your existing mental health professional, or contact SANE's free counselling support on 1800 187 263 for information, advice and referral. You can also connect with others who have been through similar experiences and understand what you’re going through via our online, moderated, anonymous forums.