By Cr Michael Clarke
As a local government councillor and through insights gained as a mental health occupational therapist, I am extremely aware of the personal and social consequences of the pandemic.
More than anything else, the issue we continue to struggle with in a post-COVID world centres on mental health and well-being, recognising the relationship between our own personal state and that of the broader community.
Before COVID, we here in Maribyrnong were keen to see a reduction in children’s screen time – television, smart phones, gaming and tablets.
Though we also now appreciate that the cyber world provided a welcome relief for many (particularly during isolation periods).
As a species, we are gregarious in nature.
Socialising is key to our existence.
What few people fully appreciated was the impact on the psychological wellbeing of individuals and the community with the reduced capacity and opportunity for these important interactions, especially during lockdown.
I can speak with first-hand experience working in the mental health field of the number of children suffering school refusal, panic attacks and behavioural issues emanating from this ‘phenomenon’ – which is not unique to us, our state or our nation, or indeed the world.
What this means for our community is we have to re-engage – and beyond just going to school or work.
Participation in sport and team sports particularly, or in the arts, can play a major role in supporting our psychological and emotional wellbeing.
Activities like going for a walk in our local parks, conversing with strangers we may meet, showing care for another person also help re-establish our own personal mental health and well-being.
We need to embark on a conscious pathway of social connectedness – and not just as individuals.
Schools, employers and decision-makers also need to be conscious of the needs of those in their care.
For too long, we have taken it for granted that we are going to be okay – whatever comes our way.
If we learn one thing from COVID, it is that we need to look after ourselves and each other.
Let us not shirk from that responsibility.
