It was wonderful seeing so much support given to R U OK? Day yesterday. The number of inspiring stories shared would have most likely amazed Gavin Larkin, the founder of RU OK? Day who passed away only 3 years after he initiated this national day of action, less than a decade ago.
I thought alot yesterday about the plight of people who struggle with anxiety and depression quite often feeling isolated and alone in their thoughts. The importance of asking for help cannot be under-estimated, nor can the simple gesture of being a shoulder to lean on in times of distress.
As well as asking the R U OK question yesterday, I contemplated the question of Am I OK? Very rarely do we stop and ask ourselves that simple yet powerful question. Too often caught up in the demands of work and family life we rarely reflect on our own well being and happiness. My main time for reflection is over the Christmas holiday when I look back on the year that was. Once a year is not nearly often enough to be taking stock of our own mental health.
As a personal injuries lawyer my day is focused on listening to my client’s struggles and offering legal support to ease their burdens. In recent years the legal profession has ranked very high among the professions in which mental illness is rising. Public dialogue about mental health, not only in my profession but in the community at large, is much more acceptable than it was even a decade ago. There is no magic answer to battling the prevalence of anxiety in the community but a continued discussion about the issue and days like yesterday help reinforce the importance of looking after one another and ourselves.
Each and every day should be one in which we ask, RU OK? and Am I OK? Today I am happy to say “yes I am OK.”
