The essentials of stress management
Social supports
- Seek and accept support
- Speak up, state your needs and ask for help
- Know your social supports – family, friends, teachers, Year advisors, Counsellors
- Choose your friends wisely – people who bring out the best in you and those who accept you for who you are
Exercise
- At least 30-45 minutes per day – possibly a walk outside
Effort
- Keep up with your work
- Avoid avoidance – learn to limit procrastinating
- Organise study plans and assessment tasks
- Plan ahead
Diet
- Eat and maintain a healthy balanced diet
- Always eat breakfast
- Try to eat three healthy meals a day
- Drink plenty of water
Sleep
- Develop good sleep routine
- 8-9 hours of sleep per night
- Set regular sleep time and getting up time – will help you set a routine
- Avoid social media/smart phones at least an hour before sleep
Tips to help with an anxiety attack from ReachOut
- Track your thoughts: Write them down or use a phone app like MindShift, to figure out which thoughts are making you anxious.
- Challenge your thinking: Ask yourself how realistic your anxiety-causing thoughts really are, by weighing up the evidence for and against. What would you say to a friend who was having these thoughts?
- Avoid avoidance: By always dodging situations that make you anxious, you never get a chance to see that they might not be that bad. Instead, let yourself experience these feared situations, a little bit at a time.
- Be mindful: Mindfulness practice helps you pay attention to the present moment, and not get caught up in thoughts about the past or worry about the future.
- Problem-solve: Not every problem can be solved, but there's usually something you can do. Work out your goals, brainstorm possible solutions, and put these into practice.
- Lifestyle matters: Eating well can make a difference to your energy levels, and exercise is a natural anxiety buster. Sleep also has a huge effect on physical and emotional health.
- Time-out: Try to make sure you do at least one thing you enjoy each day. Here's some tips on how to relax. Go for a walk outside, spend some time with a pet, learn to do something new.
- Talk to someone you trust: Talking to a friend or family member is a great for expressing how you feel, and also to get an outsider's perspective on what's going on.
Statistics from beyondblue
- One in 16 young Australians is currently experiencing depression
Breakdown: 6.3% of Australians aged 16 to 24 have experienced an affective disorder in the last 12 months. This is equivalent to 180,000 young people today. - One in six young Australians is currently experiencing an anxiety condition
Breakdown: 15.4% of Australians aged 16 to 24 have experienced an anxiety disorder in the last 12 months. This is equivalent to 440,000 young people today. - One in four young Australians currently has a mental health condition
Breakdown: 26.4% of Australians aged 16 to 24 currently have experienced a mental health disorder in the last 12 months. This figure includes young people with a substance use disorder. This is equivalent to 750,000 young people today.
- Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car accidents
Breakdown: 324 Australians (10.5 per 100,000) aged 15-24 dying by suicide in 2012. This compares to 198 (6.4 per 100,000) who died in car accidents (the second highest killer).
Our school's counsellors are:
Amye Pagett - School Psychologist(Monday & Tuesday)
Raquel Malaxos - School Counsellor (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)