Hello!
Happy New Year! Hoping the Christmas season was all you hoped. Since then, the bushfires have been very much on our minds, and the trauma associated with such disaster. It has been heartening to see offers of financial and emotional assistance coming from all over the world. It seems that when help is needed, the goodness in people is seen. As we collect ourselves ready for another year of working with refugee background kids in HEAL, it is time to once again be thankful for the goodness of our many supporters for assisting this small but effective charity.
The new year also seems to be a good time to remember the importance of self care. Whether you are a parent, or a carer of a parent, or a caring friend or sibling, or a responsible employer or employee, or just someone trying to make sense of the world, you need to ensure that you are steady and feeling confident in yourself and your own coping. Teaching about self care is one of the tasks of HEAL therapists. Refugee background people often neglect self-care, through necessity, and we remind them of its importance. Here’s a reminder for you too:
What Does Self-Care Look Like?
Engaging in activities and practices that give you energy, lower your stress and contribute to your wellbeing (e.g. exercising regularly, eating well and fostering positive relationships). Self-care activities will be different for everyone.
Doing these activities regularly before the crisis hits.
Noticing when your stress is manageable, and your physical and emotional wellbeing is enhanced.
Making a commitment to your health and wellbeing for today and into the future.
Reachout.com
What would you include on your Emergency Care Wall, for if/when anxiety or depression hits?
Taking care of oneself is a crucial personal and professional development activity, and one which enables resiliency in the cognitive, physical and emotional domains. Positive psychology combined with creative arts therapy provide a plethora of ideas about building up one’s own resources to enable the continued successful care of others, while ensuring good well-being. Such strategies are best practiced with a creative arts therapist or psychologist but there are many creative ideas which you can use alone or with others to ensure you are taking care of yourself.
Suggested readings include “Flourish” by Martin Seligman and “Mind Set” by Carol Dweck.
Useful websites abound on the internet, for example: reachout.com; smilingmind.com.au; mindfulness.org.au
The FHEAL Report will be available on our website soon, and it will detail the great work our therapists have been doing across five Brisbane schools. 2019 was a satisfying year, in which we assisted hundreds of young people to recover from hard times, from refugee camp trauma, and the sadness of losing friends, family and home. We rebuilt confidence, facilitated creativity, and coached emotional regulation in new Australians in schools. This is important work and we were assisted by our many Friends including the Commonwealth Bank, Transurban, the English Foundation, QPAC, and the Ashirwad Foundation.
QPAC Songs of Hope and Healing 2020 Save the Date.
The FHEAL Report will be available on our website soon, and it will detail the great work our therapists have been doing across five Brisbane schools. 2019 was a satisfying year, in which we assisted hundreds of young people to recover from hard times, from refugee camp trauma, and the sadness of losing friends, family and home. We rebuilt confidence, facilitated creativity, and coached emotional regulation in new Australians in schools. This is important work and we were assisted by our many Friends including the Commonwealth Bank, Transurban, the English Foundation, QPAC, and the Ashirwad Foundation.
Please make a diary note: QPAC is presenting Songs of Hope and Healing, a benefit concert for FHEAL, on 6 May 2020.
Always enjoyable, this show offers a variety of musical styles, and a great night out. More details re tickets, stars, etc will appear on FHEAL Facebook as we get closer to May (facebook.com/2heal.com).
Hoping to see you there.
As always, thanks.
Jane (on behalf of the FHEAL Board)
www.healqld.com.au
