Solo Karaoke in Sydney
I’ve decided to kick off the series of blog posts titled Mental Health around the World in my own city Sydney, Australia. Sydney’s a great city, most famous for its iconic Harbour bridge and Opera house which come alive with fireworks at New Year’s Eve. Sydney also known for its fabulous beaches such as the Northern Beaches, Bondi Beach in the east and Cronulla beach in the South. Stretching a little further out of Sydney to the West are the Blue Mountains, The Southern Highlands and the Hunter Valley wine country. There’s lots to do in Sydney, but what constitutes good mental health and wellbeing here? I decided to ask some of my friends and here are some of the responses I received:
“I find sport helps with my mental health. The smell of wet dewy evening grass at social sport is very refreshing and the physical sensations of smell, touch and sight are a sharp contrast to being in front of a computer for 8-9 hours per day.”
“I’m an advocate for spacing out at the beach”.
“Playing musical instruments help me switch off from work mode, it’s a fun and creative outlet- I’m currently re-learning piano which is a fun challenge. This helps me because my attention is focused entirely on something so as I don’t ruminate on stressors”.
“I find giving my dogs big bear hugs helps me”.
“I enjoy board games because they use the brain in a different way and facilitate conversation and connection with other people”.
“Fishing is a different kind of contribution- it’s a spacing out type of vibe that helps me think about things slowly. It’s a bit like prayer”.
“I love solo karaoke in the car!”
As for me, a Sydneysider, what contributes positively to my mental health? – having such wise and inspiring friends!