Although the term ‘social distancing’ has already become a part of the lexicon, maintaining social contact, albeit from a distance, has never been more important to people’s mental health. This is a time of stress and great uncertainty and each individual deals with these pressures differently.

Maintaining contact with friends and loved ones is an important part of maintaining good mental health and helping others to deal with their own individual situations, which are as diverse as we are.

Although providing a warm hug or a literal shoulder is off limits for now, thanks to the many means of electronic communication available to most of us, it is still easy to maintain contact and stay in regular touch with friends, family and colleagues.

Audi Foundation partner, R U OK? is calling on all of us to stay connected, lend an ear and provide support to those who need it as we navigate these challenging times. In addition to providing each other with much needed support, it is also important to look out for signs that others might not be ‘doing ok’ and if you’re worried about someone you can find conversation tips and information about available support services at RU OK? 

While we are all in this together, each of us has a different set of circumstances to deal with, and each of us have very different ways of dealing with the day to pressures and concerns. Certainly the present situation facing the world is unlike anything any of us have experienced before, but the human spirit is such that it has an ability to rise to face and overcome every challenge. It’s more important than ever to be there for others and lend support wherever needed. 

If you need immediate support Lifeline are available 24/7 on 13 11 14 and other supports and services can be found at www.ruok.org.au/findhelp