R U OK? – feeling supported during your fertility journey

It’s easy to become distracted by the hustle and bustle of daily life, to the extent that you may forget to regularly check in with your loved ones. R U OK? Day promotes awareness of the importance of community and connection for mental wellbeing. It encourages you to slow down and pay attention to the cues and behaviours of people around you who may not be in a healthy headspace. Additionally, R U OK? Day can inspire you to connect with others in a more meaningful way, building social bonds and healthy relationships.

It’s OK to not feel ‘OK’

Experiencing a spectrum of emotions is part of your basic human nature. Despite this, society often imposes restrictive views about emotional health. It’s common for feelings such as anger or sadness to be viewed with negativity, while joy or contentment are seen as ‘healthy’.

Your emotional responses have an important use, providing you with information about your lived experiences – both past and present. For instance, emotions can be a signal that you’re overextended and need support, or they can help you identify when something in your life needs to change. Recognising this is an important part of self-reflection and personal development. Therefore, remind yourself that it’s OK to not feel ‘OK’ from time to time.

Got a feeling that someone you know is struggling?

Start a conversation – encourage your friends, family and colleagues to talk about their situation. Ask them questions such as ‘how are you going?’ or ‘what’s been happening?’ If someone speaks openly about the emotional hardships they are experiencing, including sadness, depression or anxiety, listen to them with an open mind, free of judgement. Sometimes, providing an empathetic ear is more beneficial than being solution-focused, as this acknowledges and validates how the person is feeling.

You may also consider asking if there is anything you can do to help. However, be mindful that some conversations are too big for family and friends to take on alone. In instances such as these, where the person appears to be at risk, encourage them to contact a health professional – or offer your help to find the right person for them to talk to.

Our support network is here to help

For many of us, the answer to ‘R U OK?’ is neither yes nor no, but rather ‘sometimes.’ For people undergoing fertility treatment, feeling anger and sadness is often as much a part of the journey as experiencing hope and resilience. All of this is OK.

Remember that our counsellors are here to support you, so please reach out to the team if you would like to talk. Whatever you are feeling in the lead-up to this day, we are thinking of you and sending our best wishes.