Well-being – Page 5 – Living Well

Staying connected to people has a positive effect on our general well-being. Feelings of depression can thrive on isolation and loneliness (which is different from ‘alone time’).

Knowing that other people are there and care about you can make it easier to care for yourself.

Try to make time to catch up with people and avoid being isolated. Mobile phones and the web are useful tools for staying connected when meeting people face-to-face isn’t possible.

It is helpful to have a range of people in your life that you share different levels and kinds of connections with. Relationships help build a sense of belonging and self-worth. There’s also evidence that well-being can be passed on through relationships, so that being around people with strong mental well-being can improve your own mental well-being.

Take time to nurture relationships and connections:

Go for a coffee or drink with someone
Do something fun or relaxing with a friend
Join a social group
Take up a team sport or activity
Engage in random acts of kindness
Check the local paper for what is going on in your community
Write a letter to a friend
Say hello to people walking in your neighbourhood
Visit your local library
Make time each day to spend with family or friends. This might include “family time” that is fixed each day, or time that you find around other commitments.
Arrange a day out with friends you haven’t seen for a while.
Switch off the TV tonight and play a game with the children, or just talk.
Speak to someone new today.
Have lunch with a colleague.
Visit a friend or family member who needs support or company.

Remember, that not everyone in your life has to know everything about you. It might be worth making that extra effort to connect with supportive people who give you energy and taking a break from relationships that seem draining at the moment.

While ideally there may be a few people you would trust to talk to about problems related to sexual abuse, there are probably other people in your life as well who it might be good to just connect and spend time with.

We all benefit from maps of life’s territories

Many of the people we live and work with have faced challenges and difficulties in their lives. Too often, these difficulties have been a result of abuse, hurt and betrayal by those in positions of responsibility (including: childhood sexual abuse and assault, family violence, removal from home, country and culture). This can leave us and our family, friends and colleagues struggling, feeling lost and uncertain which way to go.

Maps help ground and orient us.

Maps help us to identify and be aware of places, people and habits that are good for us, where we can draw sustenance and energy, as well as those that produce stress and distress.

Maps can help us find our way through difficult terrain.

Maps help us to connect, share and draw upon the experience and knowledge of community and those who have come before.

Every person and community can benefit from developing maps of life’s territories. We invite you to make use of the ‘No Straight Lines’ painting to help identify and name different patterns and influences in your life. Consider:

Where and from whom do you draw strength and sustenance from?
Where is a place of safety and sanctuary for you?
Where can you rest and replenish resources?
How do you know when a person, place or pathway is not good for you?
What are signs of discomfort and distress?
What resources can help you to overcome difficulties?
Who will assist and encourage you on this journey or part of a journey?
Who or what activities bring good energy into your life?
Who around you or in your community knows this terrain and can provide guidance?