The WOW Factor: Participant Lin Shares Her Story

“It’s a great way to get out of your mind, into your body and into nature.”

Words: Amelia Polinelli 

Lin, a 32-year-old dentist and sustainability student, joined a WOW Program in March 2022.

Lin found out about WOW through a friend and signed up because she felt somewhat isolated due to COVID-19. She hoped the program would help her become more connected within her community and develop her surfing, of which she has just started to learn. Lin was able to do this, as well as address her mental health. 

“I learnt that I was not as mentally “together” as I thought I was. It helped bring to light issues that I was struggling with, but failing to recognise.”

The conversations in the group had a flow-on effect in other areas of her life. In particular, Lin was able to effectively communicate with her partner. 

“(I was) able to open up that discussion about mental health with my partner a little more as we both participated in the program. I’ve been able to open up more about things that are building up stress. Acknowledging and talking it through with someone helps to alleviate my stress.”

Although it wasn’t easy at first, Lin was soon able to open up and share with other participants.

“I often get shy when I have to share my internal thoughts so it was challenging to have confidence to open up during group discussions.”

She was most surprised that she was able to relate with people from all different walks of life through shared challenges. She also discovered that our mental health journey is an ongoing one. 

“We all go through periods of our mental health being good and being not so good and that’s okay and normal. We also learnt strategies to try to cope with some of the more common mental health challenges.”

Lin thoroughly enjoyed having the programs at the beach, as it is her happy place. She said the fresh air and the sound of the waves is a great way to relax and decompress. 

“It’s a great way to get out of your mind, into your body and into nature whilst connecting with others and learning about mental health.”

Moving forward, Lin hopes to put aside more time to stop and reflect.  

“I will also communicate more regularly with my partner for little mental health ‘check-ins’. Giving that time to stop and consider how the week has been and how you are feeling, is something we tend to forget about when we get too busy.”

Lin is also keen to continue her surfing journey as well as participate in other activities such as learning Spanish and keeping up her Japanese skills!

We’re all about bringing the WOW factor to mental health, so keep an eye out for these magic case studies in the future as we dive deep into what makes people tick, and the essence of their experience with WOW. If you'd like to share your story, drop us a line!