In the midst of the referendum, in fact the day after, I organised to have lunch with my kids at a cafe in Brisbane – the Corgi Garden Cafe.
I didn’t know it when I booked, but it was exactly what I needed.
I found the lead up to the referendum stressful. I’m not even going to discuss it with you, except to say as a privileged white person it was stressful, so I can’t imagine what it was like for Indigenous people.
It brought back memories of the time around the same-sex marriage plebiscite where friends in the LGBTIQ community had disgusting anonymous notes left on their car by cowardly people.
Back to Corgi-land. This was exactly what was needed. Cute dogs, good food, lovely company.
They say a change is as good as a holiday and sometimes it pays to step away from reality for a while.
I know it might seem a bit avoidant, but I think as a stress relief strategy just being away from home for a bit is not a bad option.
Of course my other option at the moment is the garden, where I am currently wheelbarrowing about 10 cubic metres of mulch from my driveway.
This is also doing me the world of good – physically and mentally.
Relaxing isn’t high on my agenda at the moment, but it is something we all need to do.
For those feeling stressed or sad, try to find some small way of giving yourself some joy. Whether it is in the garden, a park or a chat with a friend, we all need something to look forward to.
