Recognise and respond
Estimated reading time: 10 minutesOverview
Our social and emotional wellbeing matters and impacts our sense of self (how we think, feel, and act) and relationships. When we’re emotionally healthy we’re able to engage well in our relationships and community, cope and adapt to life challenges and lean into our full potential.
Learning the signs that someone might be struggling with their social and emotional wellbeing could make all the difference.
The Brisbane North Safe Space Network believes we all need a compassionate village, and we all have a part to play.
The following 9 signs are helpful in understanding when someone might not seem ok while accessing your Safe Place:
Feeling anxious or worried
Feeling depressed or unhappy
Emotional outbursts
Sleep problems
Weight or appetite changes
Quiet or withdrawn
Substance abuse
Feeling guilty or worthless
Changes in behaviour or feelings
Mental health continuum
Like our physical health, our social and emotional wellbeing encompasses us as the whole person. It can change over time with periods of excelling to finding ourselves in crisis.
The continuum model shows this in greater detail across 5 areas. It is important to note these areas are flexible and cover a range of behaviours, moods and emotions. As social beings, we all experience these differences in our own way, and can be more, or less impacted depending on our personal life circumstances, support networks, connection to community and relationship to self.
“We might start to feel unsettled but move back to feeling healthy in a few days. Or we might move from feeling unsettled to really struggling. This is when we may need to seek professional support”.
(What is mental health - Beyond Blue)
Mental health continuum model:
- very anxious
- very low mood
- absenteeism
- exhausted
- very poor sleep
- weight fluctuation
- anxious
- depressed
- tired
- poor performance
- poor sleep
- poor appetite
- worried
- nervous
- irritable
- sad
- trouble sleeping
- distracted
- withdrawn
- positive
- calm
- performing
- sleeping well
- eating normally
- normal social activity
- cheerful
- joyful
- energetic
- high performance
- flow
- fully realising potential
“Many of us will experience a mental health crisis in our lives, but we don't stay in crisis. We'll move beyond the crisis into a period of healing and then another healthy period when we've recovered.”
(What is mental health - Beyond Blue)
Safety planning
For some people, a period of distress can stay around for a while leaving the person feeling unsettled, stressed, and unsafe within themselves. During these times it's important to check in with the person to understand how best to keep them safe for now and what safety looks and feels like for them.
Safety planning can aid in the reduction of distress and associated feelings and offers the person an increased ability to cope by understanding their thoughts, behaviours and triggers, identifying supports, hope and reasons to live. We’ll now show you through safety planning.
Nic's experience with safety planning
Please watch the video about safety planning.
Create your Beyond Now safety plan online:
Safety planning apps
Beyond Now - ‘a suicide safety planning app to keep you safe through tough times’ :
Useful links
More information about Safe Space Network supports and other materials can be found at:
Mental health helplines, information, support resources and self-support toolkit:
Safety plan apps – keeping yourself safe during times of crisis: