Gruesome fact. Six Australian men choose to end their lives every day. It goes without saying, modern life is hard. The feeling of overwhelm disguises options. Focusing on your mental and physical health EVERY DAY helps you combat what life dishes out.
If you find it hard to get excited about your day or worse, wake with a feeling of dread, maybe it is time to do a bit of a life stocktake.
A great place to start is to ask, “what do I enjoy?”
A hobby, club or regular social gathering can be considered a “third place”. A third place is something outside of work or home – ideally something with social interaction, most of all something that gives you pleasure. Even if you are content with work and home, there are very real benefits from taking time away from both.
Visiting your third place should be scheduled until it becomes a habit. Every Wednesday morning for 4 hours I play golf with the same group of men. It took some work to form this habit, it probably took 12 months for it to be the guilt free pleasure it now is. Family, work and customers all know this time is mine. My father-in-law catches up with his mates at a shed where they drink coffee, eat biscuits and talk shit. Like me, their families know this is a non-negotiable part of their week.
If you don’t have a third place, find one. It may take some time to find the right escape and work it into your other commitments and for those around you to appreciate the importance. Commit, plan and develop the habit.
If you ever need to chat to someone call Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 https://www.beyondblue.org.au