R U OK in these trying times??

With the current COVID-19 Restrictions implemented on and around the border, it can be a very trying time for the majority of us. Where we were promised that we could go about our daily lives as part of our border community, recent changes to the restrictions have caused no end of angst and anxiety for people needing to work or bring their children to school across the border. Whilst we hope the situation improves as our cases decrease in the metropolitan centers, there is no better time than the present to check in on our friends and family.

Some of the alarming statistics revolve around mental health and the impacts of the current restrictions. An example of this is a 33% increase in emergency department presentations for acute mental health care in persons under the age of 18. With a greater number of people seeking assistance through local emergency departments, general practitioners and through the services offered via telephone (e.g. lifeline, beyond blue, black dog institute), it is apparent that social contact is important for our daily lives.

Some examples of how we can best help each other include accessing free services like zoom, Microsoft teams, video messaging and WebEx two gather your friends together for a social gathering online. Here is Enhance Physiotherapy, all three of our clinics got together last Friday night to welcome Georgia to the team and celebrate Dave’s two year anniversary. It was very simple to set up and a good way for our team to keep in contact with each other despite the distances and hurdles between the clinics.

Here are some links to some free Video conferencing services that you can use to keep in contact with each other:

Zoom: https://zoom.us/download
Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software
Messenger:https://www.messenger.com/

If you are in need of support, please make no hesitation in contacting the following organizations, or discussing your concerns or the concerns of your loved ones with your local GP. It’s okay to be not okay – as long as you have the support to help you through.