North Canterbury News: September 23, 2021

NEWS
26 North Canterbury News, September 23, 2021
Be kind to yourself says advocate
By DAVID HILL
ARangiora­based mental
health advocate is
encouraging people to be
kind to themselves in atime
of uncertainty.
Next week(September 27
to October 3) is Mental
Health Awareness Week
andDepression Support
Network facilitator Bryon
Cope says the week is
opportunity for peopletake
stock of where they are at as
we waitfor morecertainty
around Covid­19 alert
levels.
‘‘For me every day is
mental health awareness
week when I’m working,’’ he
says.
‘‘Iguess for me it’s around
just rememberingtobe
gentletoyourself and think
about what’s important to
you.’’
TheMentalHealth
Foundation’s‘‘Five Waysto
Wellbeing’’, of connect, be
active, keep learning,give
andtake notice, provide a
good basis for ahealthy life.
Bryon encouragespeople
to make surethey are eating
andsleeping well,getting
plenty of exerciseand good
communication is
important.
‘‘It’s about goingback to
thebasics,ifyou are
struggling to think about
what you like doing.
‘‘Ithink we can losesight
of what makesusfeel real.
Whether it’s reading abook,
getting you hands into soil
or doing apuzzle, you just
need to get backtowhat you
feel happy doing.
‘‘Duetothe dominant
narrative, we thinkwehave
to do bigthings to change
our world, but it’s just about
getting back to whatfeeds
our soul.’’
Some times ‘‘doing
nothing’’ canbejust as
important for your
wellbeing as accomplishing
goals.
Drawing on the Olympic
Gamesand the Paralympics
whichwere recentlyonour
television screens, Bryon
says eliteathletes ‘‘do not
trainatthe same intensity
everyday’’ and the same
applies to us.
As one commentator said
during the Olympic Games,
rest is an undervalued, but
important partof
preparation.
Beingkind to yourself
doesn’t necessarily mean
giving up your habits in
favour of being healthy,
Bryonsays.
‘‘When it comesto
drinking, it may meanone
beer as opposed to five, or
instead of buyingadozen,
buy asix­packand put two
in the fridgeatatime.
‘‘People thinkit’s all or
nothing, but it doesn’t need
to be.’’
If you havenot been to the
doctor in awhile, now is a
Be kind ... Bryon Cope has some mental health tips.
goodtime for acheck up, he
says.
And with anxiety around
the Covid­19 vaccine, Bryon
saysseek advice.
‘‘Ifyou are OK with it, do
it, and if youare
uncomfortable do your
researchand seek advise
fromyour GP.’’
PHOTO:FILE
Springisalso atime to
reset,hesays.
‘‘It’scominginto spring,
it’s not 12 months of the
year and nor is our mental
health, it goes through
changes too.
‘‘It’sabout whatyou feel
comfortabledoing at the
level you are at.’’
SPORTS RESULTS
Sailing
An easterly wind maderacing funatthe
Pleasant Point YachtClub’101st season
openingheldlastSaturday at South
Brighton.
About50members and guests joined in
the opening ceremony before 17 crewsand
theiryachts tackled theblustery conditions
in an assortment of multi­hulls,trailer,
sunburst and sailqube yachts.
Club official Nigel Humphrey said itwas
agreatturnout forthe startofthe season as
the yachtstooktheir turn at lining up for
the Mark Foy handicap formatted race,
wherethe slowest starts first forthe hour
andahalf racearound the estuaryatSouth
Brighton.
In the multi­hullrace for the Eric Orange
trophy,Ian Douglas andSimonThompson
won aboard Iznerz,aWetatrimaran, from
James Cains in Neva Weta, while in thePet
CupNoémiGulliver andGraeme Hore
werefirstaboardTafua(Sunburstclass).
In theNinaMandertrophy Dan
O’Sullivan in Humbug (Firebug) was first
from Arthur MahoninAphid (Firebug).
AmberleyGolf Club
Women’s championship: BPettigrew
beatSLee,JBrownbtAWilshire, J
Cumming bt BScott,SPratt bt JYates.
WomenLGU: SPratt61, KPercy 71, L
Robertson 71. Men: BYates 70, GSmith 71,
RWilshire 73,GDunlop 73, BMills74, R
Hornblow74, SDalkie 74, BFitzgerald 74.
MidWeek Men: KRayner 42,JWigley 39, D
Smith 37,SJohns37. MidWeekWomen: S
Pratt 65, JBrown70, BPettigrew 71, K
Percy71. 9­Holers: OPatchett22, HKemp
20,LEdwards20.
Waimakariri Gorge Women’sGolf
ThirdChampionship Qualifying
18­Holes:Silver:N.Weavers, 88, 1.
Intermediate: LPatton92, 1;JBlatch 97,L
Steele, 97,equal 2; LSmith98, 3. Junior: S
Gillespie, 110,1;KBush,112, 2; PRivers,
114,3.9Holes: VMcKenzie, 59,RRoy, 59
equal1;VMcKenzie 59, RRoy 59 equal 2;
JDeans60, 3.