Happy household: How to improve your wellbeing as a family
by Kat Rowe | June 30, 2023
Life ebbs and flows. And the same can happen in a family dynamic.
If you’re a leader and decision maker of the family, you can be the glue that holds it all together. If someone you love is going through a tough time, or if you’re the one needing a little extra support with your own mental health, we have some tools that can help you.
At Stride we aim to provide support to people as they need us throughout various stages of their life. To do this we have a range of mental health services that are tailored to help every member of your family – young and old, individually or as a family unit.
Helping our young people
Growing up comes with its challenges. Figuring out your place in the world as a young person is not easy, but when it feels like it’s getting harder than it should be, the best thing to do is reach out.
Reaching out can look and feel different for everyone. Confiding in a family member or friend you trust could be the best way forward. Or sometimes an understanding and non-judgemental stranger can be the most comforting option.
There is no right or wrong way to seek help. Stride has an array of mental health services that address your mental health concerns alongside your chosen family members and/or with the help of Stride’s mental health professionals.
The Take 2 Cultural Program works alongside families with kids and teens who may be at risk of developing mental health issues in the future.
We meet your family and work to set goals, provide practical support, mentoring and referrals to other mental health professionals to get the support they need.
You can be referred to the Take 2 program through school referrals, doctor or counsellor referrals, enquiries from parents/carers or self-referrals.
Stride operates four headspace centres that offer the headspace Work and Study Program (Geelong, Meadowbrook and Townsville) to help when you’re ready to take that first big step towards finding employment.
The headspace Work and Study Program brings together an integrated team of clinical professionals including social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other mental health professionals to support you in achieving your employment and education goals.
Youth Residential Rehabilitation Service
Supervised short to longer-term accommodation for young people aged 16-21 years old needing assistance and support with day to day living and have severe or complex mental health concerns.
Our highly trained support workers provide residents with 24/7 assistance, ensuring access to a caring and passionate mental health professional whenever needed. They are there to support you to perform day-to-day tasks, helping you start the day on the right foot and end it feeling accomplished and purposeful.
Moving forward as a team
The experience of a mental health condition not only affects the individual, but those closest to them.
At Stride, our carer and family mental health support services are designed to help carers and families across the full spectrum of mental health. From giving your child a head start in life, to starting a conversation with an anxious teen – all the way through to supporting individuals living with a psychosocial disability.
Caring for the carers
If your focus is on someone else’s wellbeing, it’s sometimes easy to forget you could do with a bit of extra support too. If you’re a family member or carer, you might be experiencing a range of emotions – including fear, isolation or even guilt.
Whatever you’re feeling is completely okay. But you don’t have to manage it alone. Talking with a professional, discussing problems you’re having, and seeking extra support can help ease some of the pressure.
With Family & Carers support, you can learn skills that support your own mental health, and the people you care for.
General tips for a happy and healthy home life
Outside the professional and community help available, there are things you can do with your family that can set positive habits and outcomes in motion
Calm and quiet times
Prioritise quiet periods to wind down from the day. Either individually or as a family, set aside your stress, dim the lights and be present. This can include:
- Deciding on a movie or TV show to watch together
- Listen to calming music or a podcast (alone or together)
- Play a board game together
- Read a book
- Talk about each other’s days and plans for the next day
Family outings and outdoor adventures
Exercising, especially outdoors, is proven to deliver higher levels of vitality and enthusiasm and lower levels of tension and fatigue. It’s also an opportunity to work together as a team, socialise outside the normalities of the household and simply have fun.
Implement family meal times
Good nutrition is known to be beneficial for mental health, but good food always works for bringing people together. There’s nothing like sitting around the dining room table with the ones you love, sharing a meal, stories and quality time together.
Family meal times also create a sense of routine, which can be comforting and something everyone in the family can look forward to.
You’ll never stride alone
Whether you’re experiencing the impacts of your mental health concerns, or if you’re worried about the ones you love – always remember that you don’t have to manage it alone.
Stride has a range of services available to help the entire family at any point along their mental health journey. Browse our website for the support that suits you and your family at this time.