Food personality and chef. julie goodwin it has a complicated long-term relationship with mental well-being.
“I would describe mental wellness as my dance partner,” Goodwin tells SBS. “I have to focus on my dance partner and hold them well. Not too tight, but I shouldn’t let it loose either.
“Sometimes we’re out of sync and sometimes I lose the rhythm completely and have to go back to class to relearn the steps. Sometimes my dance partner gets mad because I have two left feet. They leave the building and I have to convince them to come back doing all the things that make me a better dancer.”
Goodwin’s analogy is insightful. He describes the fragile control we all have over mental wellbeing and the changing nature of mental health. For her, mental health problems cannot be expressed in generalized terms, since they are not simplistic concepts. Mental health is complex, circumstantial and variable.
Mental health is also quite personal. For Goodwin, who first came into the public eye during the inaugural season of master chef spain In 2009, living with depression has been a constant battle. His first hospitalization for treatment, which lasted six weeks, was in 2020 and there have been more since then.
“Depression doesn’t really have a starting or ending point. It is not a linear path. It’s a continuous process to be well.”
Goodwin mentions that during previous depressive episodes, she “lost her joy in everything,” including the joy she felt in food and cooking that is usually so visible when you see the star on television.
“Depression doesn’t really have a starting or ending point. It is not a linear path. It’s a continuous process to be well.”
However, the cook reports that she has since regained a sense of mental well-being. They are together once more and dancing again.
“I really don’t know how to explain ‘how’ I started to get that feeling back. [of wellness], only it wasn’t the flick of a switch. It was more of a process that involved a lot of different things: professional medical care, medication, time in nature, time with family, and a reassessment of my work life.
“Basically, it was a number of things that worked together to bring me back to a life of joy and purpose.”
Cooking food for loved ones was one of those elements of life that Goodwin has always enjoyed. So when her mental wellness dance partner returned, she was inspired to cook again.
“For those who find a creative outlet in the kitchen, it may be one of the self-care activities that can be so important to your mental well-being. For me, being able to tap into the things that once brought me joy, like cooking, music, and art, was a sign of healing.”
“We can support each other through the difficult days instead of having to endure them alone.”
Source: Photo by Tony Gough
Why it’s important to talk, talk, talk
These days, Goodwin can often be found in her home kitchen cooking a delicious meal for her loving family, or sitting at the dining room table sharing food and chatting about mental wellness.
“Whenever [I sit] around the table together with my family, each of us has to share our highlight of the day. In recent years, largely because of what happened to me, we’ve also added the question ‘how’s your head?’
“That resulted in some pretty enlightening table conversations, but it also means my adult children know it’s not a topic they should keep to themselves.”
“In recent years, largely because of what happened with me, we’ve also added the question ‘how’s your head?'”
As a result, the matriarch believes her children can talk about mental health with her, their father, their partners and each other “without the slightest shadow of fear or stigma around them.”
“We can support each other during the difficult days instead of having to endure them alone. We all understand that there doesn’t have to be a specific reason for a day to be difficult. We don’t have to rush into solutions; we can simply listen to each other and extend our arms. I absolutely credit this candor on this difficult subject, with a candid discussion in the non-threatening arena of the dinner table.”
It’s this kind of open and honest conversation about mental health issues that Beyond Blue and Goodwin want to see replicated at dining tables across the country. The organization estimates that around 45 percent of people in Australia will face a mental health condition in their lifetime. So there are plenty of honest, Goodwin-style table talks yet to come.
Goodwin, who is an ambassador for the charity, has recently supported the Beyond Blue campaign. Big Blue Table. Throughout October, the fundraising initiative encourages people to host a potluck and talk about mental health with other diners.
Her hope is that by gathering for a meal, people can begin to normalize the topic of mental health as a natural part of tabletop conversation. Once this happens, people can also feel much freer to talk about their own well-being and seek help when they need it. “That would be, to me, the best outcome of all,” she says.
Of course, some people may find mental health to be a confrontational topic to talk about or listen to. But, Goodwin explains, if there’s someone in your life who’s hurting, simply listening to them without judgment “can be a safe place for them to land.”
“If you yourself are suffering, speak up, speak up, speak up. Shine a light in those dark corners. Fear, shame and despair will move away from the light.
“Conversations save lives.”
For more information on Beyond Blue’s ‘Big Blue Table’ event, visit bigbluetable.com.au. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact beyond the blue at 1300 225 636, Life line on 13 11 14 or Helpline for children 1800 55 1800.
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