With many regular activities coming to a halt for the holiday break, ward off any loneliness by taking part in the many local activities on offer!
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
The convenors of your regular bridge club, mah-jong, book club, garden club or exercise classes are about to take their holiday break.
If the prospect of four to six weeks of no planned activities for January to mid-February is daunting for you or for a loved one, I have put together some ideas on getting out and about to be with people.
Singing one of our favourite Australian health campaigns lines: Be in it today, live more of your life! Yes remember, Life, Be in it![1]
While “What’s On” listings hosted on local Council websites tend to focus on school holiday activities for kids, most do host activities for their wider community.
Look up your local Council’s website and see what community activities are on offer, particular on the celebration days of:
New Year’s Eve: This is the night for fireworks, with a display filling the skies at the more reasonable hour of 9 pm. Some Councils in regional areas make the big effort of hosting a party - a bush dance, family-orientated concert, outdoor film night or the like. So pull on the dancing shoes or dust down the picnic blanket and try a new entry to the new year!
New Year’s Day: Look out for some community sport activities, particularly if the weather forecast is looking good. While you may not be up to fielding cricket balls on the boundary line, spectating can certainly be fun! You could just walk down to your local oval and see if an additional player or scorer is required in a family match or clap from the sidelines as a spectator. I’m sure you’d be welcomed with open arms.
Australia Day: It’s almost guaranteed that there’ll be an event in your local community celebrating Australia Day. Take a look at the national Australia Day website[2] listing the breakfasts, BBQs, Fun Days and Festivals being organised across the country.
Councils and their libraries, particularly in regional areas, have listings of activities for seniors during the January period. Again, go and explore their websites.
While such associations may seem a thing of the past, there are some very active ones bubbling with activity.
Simply do a web search of “Senior Citizens” and your suburb, town or city and you may be surprised to find an organisation with a lively calendar of events featuring a colourful range of activities - line, hula, tap, and square dancing through to less strenuous handicrafts or regular lunch gatherings.
While visiting your local gallery or museum may be a more solo activity, consider looking up their calendar of events to see if any group tours, public lectures, or hands-on creative activities are on offer.
Given these institutions often have a thriving volunteer base, why not call them up and ask if a volunteer might be available to give you a tour. That’s a nice way of striking up a conversation, learning something new, and sharing a mutual cultural interest.
With the place slowing down and everyone having more time, the holiday season is a good one for striking up conversations with new people. Go on, live more of your life!
This can be a busy time for DR Care Solutions, but I am hoping to ‘down tools’ if I can and pick up a book. The books have piled up beside my bed this year, so I anticipate ploughing through those, spending time with my friends and family, continuing with my Pilates and walking.
Need help caring for a loved one? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
[1] Life Be In It
[2] Australia Day: Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.