‘Pep Talk’ timely amid pandemic
When a Marlborough woman set about creating a magazine to promote resilience late last year, she had no idea how important it would end up being.
The quarterly magazine Pep Talk, created by mental health campaigner Nadine Hickman, promotes positive psychology and wellbeing with tips and tricks straight from the experts.
When the magazine launch, scheduled for Thursday, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hickman felt it was a timely reminder to use the resilience skills she was promoting.
‘‘We were obviously really excited about this launch we had organised, but now ... We just have to roll with it and try and find other ways to try and get this in the hands of people that really need it.’’
The launch was to include a talk from guest speaker and resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone.
Hickman found herself drawing on Hone’s advice in recent days. ‘‘One of Lucy Hone’s strategies I’ve been focusing on, especially after the event being cancelled the other night, is ‘focus on the good’,’’ she said.
‘‘In terrible situations, good can come out of it . . . When it’s the hardest to find things to be grateful for, that’s when it’s the most important to do it.’’
Hone, who was already completing a PHD on resilience when her 12-year-old daughter was suddenly killed in a car accident, said last month that navigating traumatic events was actually quite an ‘‘ordinary magic’’.
After the launch was cancelled, Hone put together some advice about how to cope in the times ahead, including tips such as seeking out supportive relationships, focusing on what you could control and helping others.
Hickman said Pep Talk would be a great starting point for people feeling anxious or overwhelmed by current events.
Based on her own experiences with mental health and wellbeing, Hickman said she knew it was possible for people to make themselves feel better, even in the darkest times.
‘‘You can pluck yourself out of anything; you can make yourself feel better,’’ she said. ‘‘Now is the time more than ever to learn, remind ourselves and effectively apply those strategies.’’
It was a two-in-one magazine, with the first three-quarters devoted to adults and the back cover focused on teenagers’ wellbeing, in the hope that parents could buy it for their own reading and leave it out for their children.
The autumn edition of Pep Talk, featuring Marlborough youth voices George Glover and Tommy Hyland, is available from Paper Plus. A free copy is available to ticket holders from Thursday’s cancelled launch. The magazine is also available in the form of a yearly subscription.
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