I wonder who hasn’t heard the voice of Niva Retimanu? Niva is an award-winning newsreader frequently heard on Newstalk ZB. For many years, Niva was a real party girl – drinking, smoking, not eating properly, and socialising non-stop. But then her life came to a crashing halt. Diagnosed with depression, Niva had been using her unhealthy lifestyle to cover up her grief at the loss of her parents. Niva bravely shared her story late last year. Over time, Niva has managed to rebuild her life on realistic foundations through achieving a proper work-life balance through self-care.
Mental illness is a lot more common than you’d think. Half of us will have to live with mental illness at some time during our lives. As anyone who has experienced mental illness will tell you, there’s a big difference between being strong and being resilient. It’s only through taking off our masks and admitting to our vulnerability whilst journeying through life’s toughest challenges that we learn resilience.
JANZ will always find ways to support the resilience of judges and our families. The relentless nature of the work, the emotional demands that are made of judges, and the stress of this year must have taken its toll on you. We should not take for granted the health and well-being of or our brother and sister judges. It is essential we have some very honest conversations with each other about just how challenging our role is. A good place to start might be the podcast series Just Listen. This seven-part series explores how to support a person in serious, and ongoing, mental distress.
There are also simple steps you and your family can take to be resilient and protect your mental health. The New Zealand Mental Health Foundation gave this advice for coping with Covid stress and beyond:
Find ways to connect
Connecting with others is so important for our wellbeing and helps to make us feel safer, less stressed, and less anxious. We can and must support each other.
Find ways to take notice
Make a list of what you’re grateful for. Take the time to thank someone for how they make you feel.
Find ways to be active
Walk, run, stretch, or swim.
Find ways to give
Give compliments. Think about a skill you have you could share to let people know you’re there.
Find ways to keep learning
Staying curious and engaging with the world around you is a great way to uplift your wellbeing.
JANZ recommences its outreach this month with an invitation to all Wellington-based judges to reconnect and share some hospitality, after work, upstairs, in the Georges room at the Thistle Inn, Mulgrave Street, on the 16th July. Please join us. Email “yes” to judge.winter@justice.govt.nz.