Kia ora Friend,

After spending so long in our bubbles, it's completely understandable to be finding the switch back to 'normal' a little tāmomi/overwhelming. Even changes for the better can be disruptive to our wellbeing and can feel whakamataku/scary at times.

Whether you're trying to get back into your pre-noho rāhui / lockdown routine, or you're grappling with a new one - it's okay to be feeling however you're feeling. We're all experiencing this time differently, and we're all adjusting at our own pace.

If you or someone you know would like some information around coping with mixed emotions due to changing levels, head to this page on our website.

Sending aroha to you and your whānau,

Shaun Robinson

Chief Executive

Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand

Welcoming Matariki: A time to reflect and re-set

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in mid-winter and heralds the start of a new year.

It is a great opportunity to reflect on the past, be present in the moment and plan for the future.

Our friends at Sparklers at Home have an awesome suite of Matariki activities planned - have a look at their website for more information. If you would like to learn more about the origins and significance of Matariki, the whetū / stars and what they represent, and the importance of Maramataka - the Māori lunar calendar, check out this Sparklers at Home article.

Hapū māmā takes lockdown in her stride

Noho rāhui/lockdown came as a shock to hapū/pregnant māmā, Saba Khan-Hunt. She says it was the fear of the unknown and lack of control that made her feel uneasy in the early days of the country's move to alert level four.

During noho rāhui, Saba hunkered down at home, and made the most of the extra time she could spend with her family. Now in alert level one and her third trimester, Saba is easing back into life outside her bubble, with added caution around where and what she does.

"I think it is really normal to feel nervous and anxious about going back into public spaces. I think the best thing to do is talk through your worries with someone who can help you out."

Saba has a message for those who come across a hapū māmā in public, too.

"Just be mindful of the person... although you're feeling safe about the environment, they might not be. Just give them space."

Read Saba's full story here. If you'd like some advice around wellbeing for parents and whānau during this time, head to this page on our website.

Boost your wellbeing with these Five Ways

None of us can predict how long Covid-19 is going to be in our lives – the virus is out of our control and that's difficult for a lot of us. Though this lack of control may make us feel anxious or scared, it's crucial we focus on the things in our lives that we can control – such as doing the things we know boost our wellbeing.

Wellbeing is different for everyone, and right now, looking after our wellbeing is essential. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are proven simple actions that, when incorporated into our daily lives, can have a huge positive impact on our mental health. Learn more about them, find out what works for you – and try your best to keep at it.

For further wellbeing tips, head to this page on our website.

Hearing from Third Culture Minds: Episode two

"Not only can you not talk about it [mental health] but it's so stigmatised that people don't even know that they have it, man. There's a lot of migrant kids walking around that are depressed, anxious, and they don't even know what they're going through.

"All these stories of migrant kids not doing well in school, getting in trouble – man you dig deeper they're depressed, there's some sort of psychiatric disorder, there's some sort of anxiety. You don't even know, it's not something that's ever talked about".

For many migrant kids in Aotearoa, belonging means everything. It means home, it means thriving.

But, as presenter Guled Mire asks, how do you hold on to a sense of belonging when it's so often assaulted by everyday racism?

Funded by a special MHF grant, the second episode in the Third Culture Minds series talks with Black New Zealanders and hip hop artists Mazbou Q, JessB and Mo Muse about how their art, race and mental health intersect. You can watch this episode, alongside others, here. 

NZ Post on getting through Covid-19

For the essential workers of NZ Post, the challenges of Covid-19 were so varied that "riding the coronacoaster" has been their world for the past 2.5 months.

Lisa Fawcett, Senior Leadership & Culture Consultant at NZ Post in Christchurch, has always believed that promoting the idea of maintaining mental health, in the same way that we do physical health, is extremely important.

As an essential service, NZ Post found the noho rāhui / lockdown experience difficult at times for their staff. When Covid-19 began, Lisa reached out to the Getting Through Together team to order wellbeing posters for their postal delivery sites and processing centres.

"When the posters become part of the wallpaper and people are seeing them all the time, they become part of your frame of reference," she says. "It's become part of our language and the key message that came out of our Prime Minister's mouth and then out of many other people's mouth: be kind. Just be kind."

Many of NZ Post's operational sites still have the posters on display; as the Christchurch community knows all too well, it can be a long path after tough times to feeling okay again.

"I'm looking forward to seeing where the posters end up," Lisa says. "They're really good messages for everybody – all the time."

Read the full NZ Post story here. To order our latest Getting Through Together posters for your workplace, school or home, head here.

Have your say on our living wall

Whether it's enjoying kai with your whānau, reconnecting with nature on a bushwalk, or getting lost in a good book, we all have things that we know make us feel good. Share your wellbeing tips, or a message of aroha or gratitude on our Getting Through Together living wall to inspire others - you might find yourself a little inspired, too.

It's okay to reach out if you need to

Kia kaha, arohanui, mauri tū, mauri ora. 

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