Hey Woofa’s,

While it was recently ‘R U OK?’ Day, I feel it’s important to be asking this everyday right now!

We are being bombarded with enormous amounts of Covid19 news every day and night.

We can only take so much!   Especially when authorities continuously focus on how many deaths there have been!

One can easily fall down the rabbit hole and never come back.

If you’re not too careful, it can become downright depressing.

Each day at 11am I use to sit and watch what was being reported!!  Until I started yelling back at what was being said!!

Yes, because, to me, what they were saying, what we were being told to do AND what was being mandated to us, no longer made sense.

Suddenly, what was ok for some people in some areas to do, wasn’t ALLOWED to be done by other people in other areas.

And the latter still exists today!!

I’m currently STILL in lockdown in my area and have harsh restrictions!   However take a 3 minute drive down the road and it’s like normal, go figure!

Anyway, my point here is things can easily get you down with the state of the world right now.

But, alas, there are ways we can make our way out of the information overload.

One of which has four legs and a beating heart full of love!

DOGS ARE GREAT FOR MENTAL HEALTH!

I know when I start to go down the negative covid19 rabbit hole, Billy is right there to help drag me back.

It’s so easy to get bombarded with negative thoughts right now.

Whether it’s effecting you directly or you’re worried for loved ones, or for yourself, whatever it is, it’s very easy to be dragged into a world of negativity.

If you have a dog, I ask you, when you feel overwhelmed, to stop and spend direct time with your dog.

Whether it’s going out to play in the yard, taking them for a walk, giving them a bath, brushing them, goofing around with them, take pics of them, take pics with them, do all that!

JUST BE WITH YOUR DOG!

Turn off the devices and be in the moment with your dog.  Talk to your dog, they’re great listeners!

Dogs can be goofy, they make you smile without even trying.  They give you unconditional love ALWAYS.

Unconditional love is what we all need right now, especially when authorities are trying to segregate areas and people within those areas!

Do yourself and your dog a favour and just hang with your dog.

This action alone will make your heart sing, which in turn will make your thoughts sing!

OTHER WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IN CHECK RIGHT NOW?

1. Your Dog/Pets – as stated above, if you’re lucky enough to have a dog or any pets, they can help your mental health.  Just spending time with your dog/pets helps to calm you down.  Dogs are really good at being in the moment, they’ll goof around, lay on you, need you to look after them.  Basically, dogs love you unconditionally and can tell when you’re ‘not ok’, they’ll look after you.  Billy lays beside me and just patting him helps me to refocus!
2. Turn off the information source – with technology today, we can get information 24/7 every second and that’s way, way too much.  We can easily fall down the rabbit hole and never come back.  It’s okay to turn off the information source!   We don’t need to be focussed on the negativity that’s being projected at us ALL THE TIME!   Instead of watching the news, I’ll read it online, ONCE a day, just to get the highlights.  This way I’m in control by what I read and how long I spend reading it.  The stories I read are the ones I’m interested in.  I no longer want to be dictated to through my TV.
3. Get Outside – on a bright sunny day, for me, the sun nourishes my soul.  I love being outside on a warm/hot spring/summer’s day.  Whether it’s going for a walk, walking your dog/pet, being out in your garden, sitting in the park (if you’re permitted to), watching the ducks in the duck pond, or admiring beautiful flowers in a garden.  Getting outside is good for the soul, even if you’re a winter lover and walking in the brisk winter air, whatever it is that nourishes your soul, DO THAT!
4. While Inside – I’m a reader, I love to read so I’m enjoying reading books while in lockdown.  There’s plenty of positive things to keep us occupied while inside: read, write, draw, paint, cook, clean out cupboards, organise cupboards and draws, spring clean, binge watch shows, binge watch movies, Nanna naps, meditate, exercise, play games, you get the idea.  The only limit here is your imagination!  The good thing too is, your dog will be by your side while you do all those things.  I’ve done them and Billy is right by my side each time.  I mean right now as I type this he’s laying on his bed practically under my chair!
5. Talk to Someone else – While I’m in lockdown with Dean, sometimes we get on each others nerves!  We don’t fight but being in the same space for 9 weeks without a break, can test things.  I find calling a friend and catching up with what they’re up to etc can really help freshen things.  I find actually hearing a friend’s voice is much better than texting, FaceTime works a treat too.  Whatever works for you, call that person who helps you to smile again.  If you feel there’s no-one, call Lifeline 131114 or Beyond Blue, there are many services out there to help those in need.
6. Go for that walk in fresh air– I think not only getting outside helps but going for a walk even if it’s around the block, to the shop, beach, park etc.  We currently aren’t allowed to leave our house without a mask on, so if it’s just Dean, Billy and I, I put my mask under my chin so I can actually breathe in fresh air.  However, if we see people about to pass, I put it on properly.  Breathing in fresh air is important not only for the body but for the mind and soul as well.
7. Go for a drive – you don’t have to have a destination in mind but sometimes just getting out helps.  We’re currently not allowed to go further than 5kms from our house, so Dean will take Billy for a drive to our local fast food places.  Thankfully they’re within our 5km radius!
8. Be kind to yourself – for a few weeks there day after day I would tell myself off for not being productive and just laying on the lounge watching shows.  Or for laying around and reading all day instead of doing something productive.  I’ve now realised that that was me being productive, productive towards my mental health.  If I needed to do nothing then I did nothing, if I wanted to do something productive I did that too.  It’s okay, just do what feels right for you!
9. Start with a New Routine – when lockdown first began and I could no longer run my Dog Grooming Salon (still can’t) I think I felt a bit lost.  Hence the laying around watching shows and reading books (with Billy by my side of course).  Something was happening in the world that had never happened in my lifetime before.  Why was I so hard on myself when it was so new, no-one seemed to know what to do!  Now I make the effort to get up, make the bed, dress and then I decide what I’m going to do and I’m okay with whatever it is.
10. Stop, breath and say ‘ We Will Get Through This’! – when it all gets too overwhelming you’ve got to remember to just stop in that moment and breathe.  It’s simple but it’s very effective.

These are just a few simple things to get you started on your way to keeping your mental health in check.

If you find you are struggling – reach out to organisations that can help you.

REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

The world is in a crazy state right now and if we’re not careful it can drag us right down that negative rabbit hole.

DOGS (pets) can help us out of that negative journey just by being themselves.

Be sure to take care of yourself and those around you as much as you can right now.

Don’t focus on the negativity – FIND What makes your heart sing and do more of that!!

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING?