The COVID-19 situation has seen an increase in young people seeking mental health support through headspace Bathurst to help cope with the uncertain period.
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With visible changes to societal functions, young people have had to adapt to significant changes to their education and job situation.
And headspace Bathurst's senior youth care coordinator Sarah Dowler said there's been a notable rise in consultations the service regarding increased levels of stress.
"We've seen a lot of young people express uncertainty about their futures, as well as disconnect from their identities in the face of social disruptions," Ms Dowler said.
"With so much uncertainty and persistent developments around COVID-19, it can be quite overwhelming for young people who are still in the process of finding their own place in the world."
Ms Dowler said while headspace has had to make their own adjustments to COVID-19, it hasn't caused significant complications to the way they offer services.
"The only thing that has really changed is the move towards telehealth services, which has allowed us to continue consultations via phone and video conferencing," she said.
Ms Dowler said the service has implemented a series of beneficial strategies to ensure young people maintain a healthy state of mind through prolonged periods of uncertainty.
"We strongly encourage young people to maintain a regular routine of productive and enjoyable activities to alleviated inactive periods where possible," she said.
"In addition, it's important for young people to stick to a regular sleep pattern, maintain a healthy diet and keep up a tailored exercise regime."
"We also focus on mindfulness and meditation, and there's a series of helpful mobile phone apps out there, such as Smiling Mind and ReachOut Breathe, to assist with these exercises."
Ms Dowler said it's also important for parents and carers to be open and honest with young people regarding COVID-19 without causing unnecessary alarm.
"It's normal to express concern at the moment, which is why it's important to include young people in the conversation to ensure they have someone trustworthy to air their worries to," she said.
For more information on headspace Bathurst's services, visit https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/bathurst/.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
