Managing your mental health before, during, and after a natural disaster
Extreme weather takes a toll on more than just our homes and communities - it also affects our emotional wellbeing. Following events like floods, bushfires, and heatwaves, 73% of people report feeling anxious while 49% of people report depression symptoms.*
As part of their Help Nation initiative, we've partnered with NRMA Insurance to create online resilience resources within the Support Toolkit to help you and the people you care about build resilience, manage stress, and reduce the emotional impact of future natural disasters.
NRMA Insurance is on a mission to ensure Australian communities know their local risks and are educated on how to prepare for extreme weather. To do this they have created Help Nation – an initiative that unites people, communities, and organisations across Australia to get prepared.
Visit the Support Toolkit to learn:
1. Ways you might feel before, during, and after a natural disaster
2. Practical strategies to manage stress and cope with uncertainty
3. What to do if things are getting to be too much
4. Where to find tools, apps, and support services to help you move forward.
For over 60 years, Lifeline has existed so that no person has to face their toughest moments alone. While we can't always predict extreme weather, we can assure you that Lifeline's crisis support and suicide prevention service is there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone (13 11 14), text, and chat.
*Sources: "Summary of Results From National Study of the Impact of Climate-Fuelled Disasters on the Mental Health of Australians" by the Climate Council, 2022; and “Community Recovery, Handbook 2" by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, 2018.