It is RUOK? Day this Thursday. The overarching theme this year is ‘Are they really OK?’
Connection and checking in on the people in our lives has taken on additional meaning over the past 18 months, as restrictions due to COVID-19 keep many people apart.
Being available to those you care about and being willing to have meaningful conversations about how they are doing/ you are doing, is something we all can do, and RUOK? Day is a good reminder of this.
Even the most socially gifted of us don’t always necessarily feel confident about how to initiate such conversations with friends and family, so the RUOK? Day website has become almost like a mini training ground for offering support to others. There are videos and posters and instruction guides on how to ask someone if they are OK and how to respond if they aren’t.
If the message of RUOK? Day resonates with you, there are many ways to interact with the brand.
First, they have a newsletter and many social media channels. Do a quick search in your social media of choice and you are sure to find them.
Second, they provide resource packs for workplaces, schools, community settings, sports clubs, rural and remote, motor trades, LGBTQI+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. You might decide that you want to run events or distribute resources within a community that you interact with. You’ll likely find the site provides the resources to do so.
What is happening at Flinders?
We’ll be marking RUOK? Day at Flinders with a range of activities.
First, Oasis and FUSA are hosting an RUOK day event from 11am to 2pm at the Student Hub and Plaza at Bedford Park. There will be merch, giveaways, food and coffee vouchers, live music and more. If you are on that campus on the day, we’d love to see you.
Second, Oasis Wellbeing Ambassadors will be at Bedford park and Sturt campuses promoting the day and handing out goodies. You’ll recognise them because they’ll be wearing yellow RUOK t-shirts. Stop and have a chat with one of them about how your day is going. I know they’d love to meet you.
Third, all the various following social media channels at Flinders will be posting content throughout the day and in the days leading up to and afterwards. There will be competitions, information posts, excerpts from interviews with Flinders people about RUOK? Day and more.
I am particularly excited to see snippets of some interviews that Oasis organised with some staff and students from around Flinders on what the day means to them 📺 Stay tuned to social media for those.
If you don’t already follow these channels, I recommend adding them:
A chance for self-reflection….
On the morning of RUOK? Day I’ll be giving a talk over at CSE on “Intellectual, reflective and contemplative life”. The focus will be the individual internal journey we each take to find happiness and satisfaction and peace.
On RUOK? Day we tend to focus on asking how others are doing. I also think it is a good day to ask that question of ourselves.
Am I OK?
If you are, that’s very cool 😎 Take a moment to reflect on what you think is contributing to that, and how you can preserve that state.
If you aren’t doing OK 😥, then know its alright to admit it, and start your journey back by perusing the range of services and supports available to students – https://students.flinders.edu.au/support – we just updated the Health and Wellbeing ones so there is a lot on offer.
A community of students and staff interested in wellbeing….
Over the last few months, I have been making changes to Oasis Online. It is a FLO topic for staff and students that talks about the many wellbeing-focused programs and services that can be found at Flinders.
Come join us there! We’ll be making more updates this year and into 2022 to really build a community of students and staff at Flinders who are interested in, and actively taking steps to work on their wellbeing. It is a place to keep exploring this stuff when the activities of RUOK? Day ease off.
Help us build it, by joining and providing feedback as we build new features.
Take care everyone
Dr G