AM I OK?
Explore Your Mental Health Concerns
Today!
How are you feeling today? A little sad, blue, anxious, or depressed? Perhaps the stress of everyday life has left you feeling exhausted, fatigued, or even burned out.
Chronic stress can play havoc on our bodies. Often, we put so much pressure on ourselves to achieve our goals that the stress compounds. At first, you may just feel that something is a little bit “out of whack” — you can’t quite put your finger on it. So, you keep pushing through until eventually you feel the full force of burnout, fatigue, and exhaustion.
The Impact of Stress and Burnout
In a world filled with chaos, where we are trying to survive, thrive, and evolve by actively pursuing our goals. But in doing so, we push ourselves to the limit. One day we wake up, and it feels like an emotional avalanche has occurred — and it feels nearly impossible to escape.
In real life, this might look like wanting to do an activity, but only being able to manage five minutes before you feel completely exhausted. You then need to sit or lie down for 30 minutes (or more) to recover because your body simply does not have the energy reserves to continue. Your body needs rest and time to recover.
While this is a more extreme example, the truth is that when we keep our “heads down and bottoms up” for too long, without allowing ourselves ample time to rest, rejuvenate, or recover, our bodies eventually respond and start to shut down. If we ignore these signs and symptoms, burnout is inevitable.
Asking Yourself: Am I OK?
Today, I encourage you to take five minutes out of your day and ask yourself: “Am I OK?” Then, listen to your internal response.
If there’s an area of concern, explore your mental health by asking yourself:
• What have I done in the past to help myself when I felt like this?
• What worked, and what didn’t work for me?
• Can I bring any of these strategies back into my life now?
• What can I do today to create a baseline and support my recovery moving forward?
Why Baselines Matter
As I discuss in my Self-Care Workbook and Self-Care Card Set, establishing baselines is an essential step in recovery. Baselines help you identify your current position and plan your strategy for moving forward.
They also give you a reference point. You can reflect on your progress after a week, a month, a quarter, or even a year — and clearly see how far you’ve come from your starting point.
So, what is one positive and free thing you can do for yourself right now to check in and see how you’re feeling?
Free Tools You Can Try
A couple of free tools that I personally use (and also mention in my workbook) are the DASS-21 and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory.
• The DASS-21
This is a short, non-clinical survey that looks at your signs and symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress over the past two weeks. It doesn’t provide a diagnosis, but it does show where your results fall — from normal to extremely severe.
• The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory
This is another non-clinical tool that focuses specifically on burnout, including exhaustion and disengagement. Again, it won’t diagnose you, but it can highlight areas of concern and help you reflect on your well-being.
Together, these two tools can provide valuable insights into your current state and help you answer the question: “Am I OK?” Based on your results, you can then make meaningful and informed decisions. For example, whether to reach out to your GP or a qualified mental health professional right now, or whether you feel confident trying some self-care strategies for the time being and reassessing your situation later.
Final Thoughts
In my Self-Care Workbook, I also share a range of Australian and international resources to support you in finding guidance and support close to you.
Remember: asking for help is not a sign of weakness — it is a sign of courage and strength!
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical or mental health advice. Please seek guidance from a qualified professional for your own circumstances. Links are provided as references only and do not imply endorsement. No liability is accepted for actions taken based on this content.
Katherine Foster is the Author of “Self-Care Awareness, Action and Planning Workbook” and “Self-Care Awareness, Action and Planning Card Deck”. A highly experienced nationally registered Australian Counsellor and Career Development Specialist in private practice (Blu Ripples pronounced Blue Ripples).
Drawing on her rich blend of professional and lived with experiences, Katherine provide practical, authentic, empathetic, down to earth and meaningful insights in her publications, and videos. Currently pursuing a Master of Rehabilitation Counselling Degree with Griffith University, her publishing goals are to empower and support others through periods of stress, crisis and transition and to build a community of like minded individuals whom engage and support each other in a positive and meaningful way thereby transforming the challenges of life into a positive legacy.
