When did you last experience awe?

Was it while standing under the black mantle of a starry night gazing at the Milky Way?

Was it on a holiday where you visited a well-known monument – the Taj Mahal or La Familia Segrada in Barcelona?

Was it when you got to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon or to hear exquisite music being played at the Sydney Opera House?

The magic of awe is only now starting to be better understood.

It is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast, transcending our existing understanding of the world. It is a complex emotion. When gazing out into space it can make us feel small and insignificant compared to the vastness of the Universe. Our concerns and worries feel less important as we gain greater perspective of what’s really important to us.

Awe is important to our physiological, psychological and social wellbeing.
How do you experience awe in your life?

If you like me are experiencing pandemic fatigue. It’s OK.

I yearn for the day when the morning news will be no news about the coronavirus pandemic because it’s over.
I hanker for more of those small things that brought me some small relief from the daily stress, anxiety and disillusionment with the world.
I’m deeply grateful for the one thing that saved my life.

Grief, loss, sadness are the emotions we feel when dealing with adversity or tragedy and that’s normal. It is only by using the power of all our emotions that we can reconnect to what makes us feel happy. They allow us to reconnect with what’s truly important to us, our values and beliefs.

The one thing that changed my course was curiosity.
What’s yours?

It’s awkward right?
You’re having a conversation with a colleague, a friend or your partner and they share with you that things are not going well.

They’re worried, tired beyond tired, unsure they can keep going for much longer and feeling very depressed.

How do you respond?

Do you nod wisely and say “that sounds tough” before changing the subject?
Do you raise your hands in horror and say “OMG, you’re not going to do anything STUPID are you?”
Do you sit in panic wondering “what’s the right thing to do here?”

As 2020 draws to a close, are you hearing a collective sigh of relief?
It’s been a challenging year on so many levels and we’re not in the clear yet.
The thing I worry most about beyond these things is this. We are in a mental health crisis, the extent and severity of which has never been experienced before.

The World Health Organisation recently released a report that shared how in 130 countries surveyed, 93% reported mental health services had either been disrupted or halted as a result of the global pandemic – at a time when those services are needed more than ever.

Which is why I believe the time has come to REIMAGINE mental health and what that might look like.

For too long we’ve ignored the obvious. Our mental health system has been chronically underfunded and failing badly in providing timely and adequate mental health services to those in need.

Throwing more money into a broken system won’t fix it.

It’s time for a new approach.

Our approach to mental health is outdated and ineffective. In the face of a second epidemic of mental health challenges secondary to the global pandemic, we have an opportunity to step up and do things differently.

By making mental wellbeing the norm.

It’s R U OK? Day on September 10th, an important date that reminds us of the importance of looking out for each other, especially in the realm of mental wellbeing.
And it’s even more critical today because of the global pandemic which has resulted in a rapid increase in the level of psychological distress, anxiety and depression being reported.
With 45% of the adult Australian population experiencing some form of mental health problem at some point in their lives, it’s essential to look for ways of lowering the risk, managing mental distress more effectively and the reducing the cost of poor mental health to the individual, their families and the economy.

Early intervention is key.