07/09/2026
Hello Yellow Share Chair Project followers !💛
We attended another workshop last Friday!!🥳
“Self-care and Mental Well Being — Level 2” by CORES Australia.
As usual, here is our sharing from our team lovers :
Catherine :
“Once again I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop offered by Cores Australia. The workshop on self-care and mental wellbeing - Level 2, built beautifully on Level 1.
From doing the revision bingo where we looked at self care through physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual means I realised I need to focus more on my physical and perhaps social needs.
I also saw that I need to stop ‘should-ing’ on myself, and look more how I ‘could’ do things if they work with my own self care.
Mostly I could see that over the years I have developed good self care strategies but there is always room for improvement. The bottom line is that my health and wellbeing starts with me and whatever supports I put in place. That’s not to say that community can’t support each other but I believe we each have to put the work into ourselves and then each other. I highly recommend doing these workshops.”
Suz :
“My take home:
As Cat mentioned, the volunteers for the Yellow Share-Chair attended part two of a workshop on self-care, through CORES.
Some part of me thinks this self-care conversation should be obvious, yet it seems that the others in the room that day — and myself especially, as a woman — can become very focused on being sensitive to other people and their needs.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, there’s often a belief that other people’s needs are more important than my own, and I believe that comes down to good old socialisation as a female.
And perhaps, from that “training”, also comes my interest in looking good and not looking bad in the eyes of others.
So, I’ll get to myself once everyone else is “okay” — according to my assessment.
The workshop was a good reminder that self-care isn’t about focusing on myself to the exclusion of others, nor is it something I earn once everything else is done. I see it more now as part of how I stay able to show up for the people and communities I care about — and, importantly, as part of how I show that I value myself, to myself!
It’s hard to teach this old dog new tricks, and something being conceptually wise can be very different from actually living it! Thus, the great reminder in attending a workshop specifically on this topic.
Catching myself putting time aside and enjoying something simply for my own pleasure takes a little practice and a bit of managing.
The awareness, tools and skills from Friday’s workshop helped me both validate and implement this as a valuable aspect of my relationship with myself — and of how I want to live.”
Melissa :
“Last Friday, during our second Self-Care and Mental Wellbeing workshop with CORES, I was reminded that sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer someone is not a positive affirmation, but simply our presence. Instead of saying 'good vibes only,' we can say, 'I'm here with you,' 'you're not alone,' or simply allow someone to cry without needing to change what they're experiencing. I noticed I often smile when I'm uncomfortable, and I wondered, what if I didn't? What if I just be with what's here? That was a small but powerful realisation. This workshop reinforced for me that connection, self-care, and well-being are not things we simply learn once, but are possibilities we keep practicing, one small moment at a time.”
I'm deeply grateful to CORES for creating such a safe and open space for exploration, where we could pause, reflect, and create new possibilities for ourselves and the way we connect with others.🙏🏽💛
