Managing manawa pā / triggered thoughts and emotions

Feeling mānukanuka or anxious is a common reaction to stressful situations. It’s our body’s way of telling us that we are threatened, and it can leave us feeling pōuri/upset and exhausted.

You can manage mānukanuka/worries by:

• Setting an intention or goal for each day. Your intention might be to call a friend or whānau member, to cook kai or simply to show yourself more aroha or kindness. When things feel overwhelming, returning to this intention can make things feel more manageable.
• Rating worries or mānukanuka on a scale between one and 10. Your worries might be really insistent and make you feel as if you have to act on them all right away, but have a think about how urgent they really are. Try writing them down and giving each a number, where one is not important and 10 is very important. This will help things feel more manageable and give some perspective.
• Writing worries down. Writing or drawing can help you get out of the rabbit hole of negativity and work through how you’re feeling. Writing down what you’re grateful for can also provide some balance and perspective. Write with aroha and kindness to your mānukanuka/worries and aim to accept all your feelings as valid.
• Trying your best to eat and sleep well. Eating healthy kai and sleeping well are easier said than done, but they can make a big difference. Try this guide on sleeping and this guide on eating on for size.

Feeling mataku/afraid is completely understandable. You might be feeling afraid of losing your job, facing problems in your relationship, or you may be re-experiencing past traumas as a result of sudden changes we’ve been through.

If you’re feeling fear as a result of tūkino/violence, click here for support.

You can manage your mataku/fears by:

• Staying connected with whānau and friends. Loneliness can feed fear and drive negative thinking, so meeting up or having a phone call with someone you trust can really help. If you’re not sure who to reach out to, try free-texting or calling 1737 to speak with a trained counsellor.
• Creating a safe space just for yourself. Having a space of your own can help to regain balance and distract you from mataku/fear. Your safe space could be a cosy corner of a room with all your favourite things; a quiet, uninterrupted place to reflect; or, if short on space, simply a container holding things you enjoy the feel, smell, sight and sound of, such as aromatherapy oil for a mirimiri/massage. See more self-soothing ideas you can use to ignite your senses.
• Watch a movie or video that makes you katakata/laugh – a comedy, recordings of Billy T James’ old stand-ups or old videos of the whānau. Laughing can dispel fear quickly, especially if we can share our laughter with others.

Obsessive thoughts and compulsions can be really tricky to manage, especially if we’ve been spending a lot of time at home.

You can manage your obsessions and compulsions by:

• Trying to sit with mānukanuka/anxious feelings that would normally lead to a compulsive action, without taking that kōkiritanga/action. This exercise aims to make your uncomfortable thoughts and feelings more comfortable and helps you to gain power over them in the future. This can be done with the help of a psychologist, or alongside a friend or whānau member who has helped you with something similar in the past.
• Creating a routine that takes your mind off obsessive thoughts and includes activities you enjoy. You could include new things that you’re interested in, such as learning Te Reo Māori or takingtaking up a new hobby, or focus on the little things like brushing your teeth and washing your hair.
• Practising mindfulness or reciting karakia/prayer. Mindfulness can really help us to let go of troubling thoughts and ground us in the here and now! You could try the free app Headspace, which offers free mindfulness and meditation videos, watch this guide to mindfulness resources or try to start and end each day with a karakia/prayer that speaks to you in a soothing way.

These sage pieces of advice or mātauranga are from people who’ve “been there, done that” – people who have lived and are successfully managing their way through mental distress and trauma.

“Be honest with others if you’re struggling, rather than just deflecting their enquiry with a stock answer like 'fine.'”

“The hard times pass... the feelings pass... new growth is just around the corner.”

Hurihia tō aroaro ki te rā, tukuna tō ātārangi kia taka ki muri i a koe.
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.