62. The Soul
This special edition of The Soul is focused on Pastoral Care - looking after ourselves and looking after others. In times of crisis, it is so important to maintain our own personal health and well being so that we are best able to serve others. We are instructed by airline attendants before a flight “In the event of an emergency, put your own oxygen mask on first, before helping others.” Opportunities to serve have been clear and obvious in recent weeks and our continuing efforts will be needed long into the extended recovery phase.
'There are times in life where, on either side of a difficult season, you're either asking, "How am I going to get through this?” or you're on the other side looking back in amazement saying, "How did I get through this?". And that's where I find that the most sincere, real, authentic prayers get prayed. Whether you're praying out of desperation or gratitude, take a pick. When you find out what your support structure looks like: friends, family, loved ones; people who come around you, hold you up with the words they say, the things they do. They become real signposts for the face of Jesus. But what about those who have no one? What does Jesus have to say to them? He says, “I no longer call you strangers, I call you friends.” This is what I find so compelling about the friendship of God and the message of Christianity… that life is not a stacked tower of personal achievement, pride, ego, success, vanity; like you're trying to build a rocket ship to heaven all by yourself. Rather, it's just extending to others what Jesus says in the scriptures. In this world, you will have trouble but you're not alone and you can put your weight on me.'
Communities are impacted in a variety of ways when a natural disaster occurs.
It is important for staff to look after themselves and each other while providing student support.
You will be faced with many challenges following a natural disaster, and it can be difficult to continue your role of providing a safe, secure environment for students while also managing your own wellbeing.
Below are some resources that you may find useful during this time.
Recovery is different for everyone and certain events can cause distress, long after the event.
Here are some tips for looking after yourself:
- Maintain routines that work for you – eat well and sleep well. Your physical health impacts your emotional health.
- Know who your supports are and spend time with them – this might be friends, family or someone else at work.
- Know your limits – supporting others can be tough, so know when to step back.
- Debrief with others at work – this can be informal with friends or formal with a counsellor or leader.
- Connect with support outside of the learning environment.
- Make time for activities that give you joy and energy.
One of the best things we can do for ourselves following a traumatic experience is to spend time with people who care about us and to experience the support of friends, family and the community.
Give yourself time to adjust. Resilience is the norm, but it can take a while to bounce back. Keep reminding yourself that things will get better, and you do have the ability to manage.
Source: APS Recovering from Floods
There is no right or wrong way to feel after a traumatic experience. Your colleagues may or may not want to talk about their experiences or feelings. This is OK. It’s important not to force people to confront the event or their reactions before they are ready.
Listening is very important, but it can sometimes be hard to know what to say. Don’t worry about having to say the right thing. Some tips:
- Don’t interrupt. Don’t offer examples from your own life.
- Avoid offering simple reassurances such as, “I know how you feel”, or “You’ll be OK”.
- Acknowledge their distress with statements like, “It’s really tough to go through something like this”, “This is such a tough time for you”, or “Sometimes it’s hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel”.
- Ask leading questions like, “Would it be helpful to talk about (the event)?” or “You’ve had a rough time, how are you going?” You might also ask how the event has impacted on other people ... “How’s Sarah going?”
- Show that you understand by re-phrasing the information they give you. Try starting with something like, “You seem really...”, “It sounds like...”, “Did I understand correctly that you...”, “No wonder you feel...”.
- If they don’t want to talk, you can still show your support by spending time with them, and talking about other things.
There are many wellbeing Apps and websites that could be used to support wellbeing. Simply exploring them can be a useful process for ourselves and others. Here are some examples:
- Stop, Think, Breathe
- Headspace (meditation website and App)
- Head to Health (use the Head to Health website to search for specific information, advice and links to free and low-cost phone and online mental health services)
- Fit2Teach App
- Examen App Apple / Google
- Mindspot Online courses to help adults manage anxiety and depression symptoms
- myCompass A free online tool that can help you identify unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and learn strategies to deal with them
- eCouch A free, evidence-based online treatment program for young people. It offers various styles of therapy, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), physical activity and relaxation.
- HeadGear A free, easy-to-use smartphone App that guides you through a 30–day mental fitness challenge designed to build resilience and wellbeing and prevent things like depression and anxiety.
- WellMob Social, emotional and cultural wellbeing online resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
- eFriend A free service that allows people who are feeling low, lonely or isolated to access virtual peer support sessions via video, phone or online chat. Our peer workers can offer insight, provide hope, and empathise from their own lived experience – whether you’re looking for support or just want someone to chat to.
- MindGuage Allows you to track your wellbeing.
- 7 Minute Workout Daily exercises with no equipment.
- Experiencing natural disasters like the recent floods certainly produces significant hardships and challenges for us to tackle but they can also bring into sharper focus just how precious our family and our loved ones are to us. During these times, it is so important to prioritise our own well-being and that of our family. Reactions to these events, whether you experienced them personally, or your extended family or friends have been impacted, or your family experienced them via media exposure, can be very varied. This factsheet provides some information to help you nurture the well-being of your family. You may also want to share this with your parent community.
- Praying with your family at times like these can also inject some much needed space for peace and calm into an otherwise turbulent world. You might like to use this prayer with your family or share it with your parent community.
- Formed in Prayer is a reflection on the forthcoming Sunday Gospel developed by the Catholic Leaders Formation Network (CLFN).
- Leaning (Matt Maher) - A prayer of surrender in the everlasting arms of Jesus. Newly released last week, this anthemic worship song could have been written specifically for the Diocese of Lismore at this moment in time.
- Reason (Unspoken) - For some, this year may feel like four seasons of winter. God’s love continues to put fire into our souls and hunger in our hearts to reach out to one another during this season of Lent.
- Holy Family Primary School and Xavier Catholic College, Evacuation Centre - This video posted to the Xavier Ministry Facebook page gives us a glimpse into the experience at Skennars Head during the flood. A fine example of service and justice. Well done to all at Holy Family and Xavier!
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