What a year it has been?! From raging bushfires and drought to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently Australia being in the midst of a recession. Many of you will have found ways to get through this challenging year, most of you will have experienced some ups and downs, some of you may have been through absolute, unrelenting hell.

The good news is that, as human beings we all have the potential to bounce back and return to a healthy level of functioning, but oftentimes it requires effort, change, guidance (we are here to guide you - so hold our hand and come on the journey with us). Sure, this might be harder for some than others, but we ALL have the potential to adapt and overcome adversity, but if you change NOTHING, then NOTHING will change.

If you feel like your bucket is getting full, don’t let it overflow and stain the carpet. Even if you feel like you are coping okay, there is always room for improvement. Take control of your own mental health and practice self-care regularly.

Self-care, self-care, self-care – you get the point, we hope!

Self-care, as you will read below, is at the heart of Mental Health Week with LIVIN. Are you ready for this? STRAP IN! By following LIVIN over the course of Mental Health Week, we believe you will learn things that could alter your life for the better. Let us help you  to become the best version of YOU as possible!

From Monday 12^th to Friday 16^th October, LIVIN will be giving YOU the chance to learn about and start implementing some self-care strategies into your life. Delivered daily to your inbox will be an article from our LIVIN psychologist with daily challenges for you to complete!

Learning to look after yourself, this much talked about thing known as ‘self-care’, will help you give out positive vibes, help you to support the people around you more effectively and help you to become the best version of yourself.

Given how important we all at LIVIN consider self-care – trust us, as a team we prioritise self-care every day – we are encouraging everyone, everywhere to get involved in LIVIN’s Mental Health Week Self-Care Challenge. Five days where we will help guide you through a range of different self-care strategies so you can not only start LIVIN’ but start THRIVIN’.

A few important points to set the tone for next week.

• Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all with regards to self-care. What works for one person might not be what works for you. Therefore, over the course of Mental Health Week, we will be introducing you to a few different self-care strategies. Some you may already know, some you will find beneficial, others less so, but all we ask is that you have a solid crack at the daily challenges. Because, after all, IT AIN’T WEAK TO…have a crack!
• Scrap the thought that setting time aside for YOU is selfish – it isn’t. Prioritising YOU time will not only benefit YOU but will also make you more effective at helping the people around you who might be struggling. A good friend once told us, “it’s hard to pour from an empty cup”. We know that we all get so busy, and that time for yourself is what you give up first, but if you can take the time to check your Facebook, your Instagram feed, the latest news headlines… you can set aside some time for self-care too.
• Once the week has concluded, we are hoping you will have learnt a self-care strategy or two that works well for YOU – something that helps you to relax, unwind, de-stress. You can then begin to prioritise doing the thing/ things that work for YOU (not your mum, your dad, your best friend – YOU) every day, even if only for 10-15 minutes per day.

Self-care is number one care... and this is your opportunity to find what works for you! Head to LIVIN's Mental Health Week.