the power of 'no'!

photos from yesterday's huge Day of Action (12.9.12) at Parliament House. 

I don't work for the Public Service, but I supported it yesterday after 14,000 jobs were shed in the Queensland State Budget. The theme of this march was to say 'no, we won't accept this without a fight'. 

incidentally, the Rufus May 'Hearing Voices' workshop I wrote about two weeks ago had an activity based on saying 'no', to increase assertiveness and self-efficacy. 

And on the same theme: an excerpt from my placement blog post on resilience and self care:

For me, the topic of resilence and self-care is related to the concept of work-life balance, and being able to say 'no' instead of over-committing myself. I find it much easier to have a work-life balance when I am in a regular routine, so new situations (such as studying and being on placement) are definitely a challenge.

The great thing about being on placement is having many opportunities for learning and experiencing new things, which sees me starting with great enthusiasm and then collapsing exhausted in a heap a few weeks later. After going from one extreme to another, I find I can usually pick myself up again, establish some more realistic boundaries, and equilibrium is restored. This is where I am at at the moment. The last couple of weeks were stressful, with a sick child, an evening group to facilitate for my work, a Saturday workshop, and limited time for relaxation and self-care activities. I had a sick day on Thursday, and that has given me the breathing space I needed to recover, 'keep calm, and carry on'.

Ironically, I am facilitating an art therapy workshop on the theme of 'Self-care and Recovery' at A Place to Belong's Recovery Day this Saturday. I am really looking forward to this, and I am hoping that I can bring some honesty and authenticity to the workshop, based on my recent experience. I am planning to explore the barriers to self care as well as help participants identify positive ideas and strategies for their own well-being. My favourite self-care activity is going to the gym on Monday nights and doing a Body Combat class, followed by Flow Yoga. I then like to sit in my PJ's and watch 4 Corners, Media Watch and Q & A. Bliss!