Mental wellbeing

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how we interact with others, go about our lives, our work, study and many other aspects of our lives. The combination of stress and uncertainty can have significant and wide-reaching impacts on the mental wellbeing of all people in New Zealand.

Information and tools to support your mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 response are available on the Ministry of Health Website: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-general-public/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources.

Some of these tools are also valuable in everyday life when COVID is not around.

Keep yourself and your family safe

Anyone living or working in rural areas knows that life can be satisfying – but it can sometimes be stressful and often dangerous. Keeping yourself, your family and your friends physically, emotionally and mentally safe even during hard times and risky activities is really important.  But how does anyone manage to cope when traumatic  events happen?
The best way is to be kind on yourself and to try and build up and access support for you as an individual, a family and as a community.

Waikato DHB Mental Health and Addictions service are here to provide support and advice.  Because Waikato is such a rural and farming region, our health professionals are very aware of the impact things like milk prices, seasonal pressures ( including the current difficulty of sufficient grass for the animals), the ongoing impacts of M-Bovis and other stock illness and weather patterns can have on the wellbeing of rural people.

Then there are physical dangers like accidents on rural roads, animal-related injuries, quad bike and forestry accidents, and falls.  Here are some practical tips from our accident and trauma team, and some things to look out for from our mental health and addictions team.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF UNHEALTHY STRESS OR DEPRESSION?

• Having a low mood that you can’t seem to shake off.
• Having little or no interest in doing things that you used to enjoy.
• Being grumpy and irritable.
• Lack of energy and feeling tired most of the time.
• Changes in sleep and eating patterns.
• Problems with concentrating and staying focused.
• Low self-esteem and loss of libido.
• Feeling empty, lonely and isolated.
• Increased use of alcohol or other forms of self-medicating.
• Feeling embarrassed or ashamed about not being able to cope.
• Feeling overwhelmed by tasks/events/ expectations that normally would be easy to handle.

WHERE TO GET ADVICE AND SUPPORT

Asking for help is okay.
Get it off your chest.
Don’t under-estimate the willingness of family and friends to listen and provide support.

Share how you are feeling, physically and emotionally, with those you feel close to – but if this is difficult or you don’t feel any better talk to your GP.  Your GP can provide a lot more than just pills and potions.
Many rural areas have a farmer-to-farmer networks and rural support trusts that can provide support.

• Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
• Phone or Text 1737 – phone any time day or night and talk to a trained health professional
• Depression Helpline 0800 111 757
• Alcohol Drug Helpline 0800 787 797

Full list of helplines

Good websites:

• farmstrong.co.nz
• depression.org.nz (John Kirwan)
• rural-support.org.nz
• mentalhealth.org.nz (Mental Health Foundation of NZ)
• justathought.co.nz
• mentemia.com

IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 111

BE AWARE AND BE SAFE

• Fatigue causes accidents – early hours of the morning and middle of the afternoon are peak times for fatigue accidents.
• If you are over the legal alcohol limit late at night you may still be over when you drive to work in the morning.
• Use safety gear – and use it the way it was intended.
• Keep kids safe – farming equipment are tools not toys.  Kids learn from watching so tell them about safety and practise what you preach.
• Keep your gear up to scratch with regular equipment checks and maintenance.
• Personal health checks and keeping yourself well and safe means you are around to care for others.
• Know your limits – injuries occur when boundaries are pushed.
• Make safety part of everything you do on your farm or around your rural property.

Things that can contribute to our wellbeing are:

• Positive emotions: how happy we feel
• Engagement: taking an interest in your work and activities
• Relationships: having people in your life that you care for and who care about you
• Meaning and purpose: feeling that what you do in life is valuable and worthwhile
• Accomplishment: feeling that what you do gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes you feel competent
• Emotional stability: feeling calm and peaceful
• Optimism: feeling positive about your life and your future
• Resilience: being able to bounce back when things get tough
• Self-esteem: feeling positive about yourself
• Vitality: feeling energetic

Sometimes when we are struggling we find it difficult to feel good about ourselves and don’t want to be around people.

• Having a low mood that you can’t seem to shake off.
• Having little or no interest in doing things that you used to enjoy.
• Being grumpy and irritable.
• Lack of energy and feeling tired most of the time.
• Changes in sleep and eating patterns.
• Problems with concentrating and staying focused.
• Feeling empty, lonely and isolated.
• Feeling on edge, not being able to control your worry
• Feeling fearful
• Increased use of alcohol or other forms of selfmedicating.
• Feeling overwhelmed by tasks/events/ expectations that normally would be easy to handle.

 Increase wellbeing – build resilience

• Connect, me whakawhanaunga
• Give, tukua
• Take notice, me aro tonu
• Keep learning, me ako tonu
• Be active, me kori tonu

You can introduce any of these actions into your life, any time, and you will begin to feel the benefits. Whakatōkia ngā rautaki māmā nei ki tō ao kia rongo ai koe i ngā painga.

Read more at www.mentalhealth.org.nz

Learn to relax and do things you enjoy

Having something to look forward to promotes positive mental health and wellbeing.  Everyone is different, so find out what works for you. Relaxing activities may include:

• listening to music
• watching TV
• playing video games
• practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or tai-chi
• mindfulness techniques are helpful to manage anxiety and negative or intrusive thoughts
• gardening
• catching up with a friend
• play with pets.

Get moving

Do whatever you enjoy doing that gets you active, for example:

• ride a bike
• go for a walk (or run)
• go for a swim at the beach or a pool
• kick a football with friends
• try something different like yoga or a martial art
• but don’t try too much at first if you are not fit, just build it up, focusing on what you are doing and enjoying it.

Eat healthy

Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet, as it will make you feel calmer.

• Eating regular meals will give you energy and will regulate your blood sugar levels.
• Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables will make you feel healthier.
• Reducing your sugar intake will help even out highs and lows.
• Avoid alcohol and other drugs as they can make depression and other mental health problems worse.

Get enough sleep

• If you are tired, you are more likely to feel stressed and worried.
• Aim for around 8 hours per night to avoid feeling tired.
• Get into a good bedtime routine: wind down by drinking a glass of milk or cup of herbal tea, do things that relax you – it might be reading a book, listening to music, doing a crossword. Avoid screens (computers, mobile phones).
• Try going to sleep and getting up at the same time each day.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks (e.g. coffee, high energy drinks) after lunch time.
• If you are wakeful, don’t just lie there worrying. Get up and repeat your bedtime routine – e.g. cleaning your teeth, doing some gentle stretches, reading for a short time, then settle to sleep again.

Stay connected and keep in touch with families and friends

Feeling connected to people is an important part of staying well. It can help you feel confident and valued, and it can support you during difficult times. A lack of contact with others makes people feel lonely and disconnected.

• Even if you are not contributing to conversations, stay around people.
• Spend time on relationships you are interested in.
• Care and support other people.
• Talk to family and friends and discuss your experiences, worries and feelings.
• Visit your GP if you have any physical or mental health concerns.

Get involved

Join a local community group in something that interests you. This will also allow you to meet people who have similar interests, for example:

• find a self–help group, as talking to people who have similar feelings can be a huge support
• join a craft group
• join a meditation or relaxation group
• learn a new hobby through an adult education course
• join a sporting team. 

Problem solving

Learn to anticipate problems before they arise, as it will help reduce worry and stress. You can do this by:

• learning to understand your own thoughts and feelings
• planning in advance what you might do in situations that cause you stress
• identifying at least two people who can help you when you come across a problem in your life
• planning for a crisis and tell people what you want to happen if you become unwell.

Set goals

It is important to introduce a regular routine and structure to your days.  Setting and achieving goals can help to organise your time, and can give you a sense of purpose in life. They can be a mix of smaller, achievable goals, and bigger goals that help you move in the right direction. Goals can be related to:

• work
• study
• exercise
• eating healthy
• joining in on social activities.