Feeling Extraordinary with Huzzy Rodriguez
This month, #FeelExtraordinary was launched as an initiative focusing on enhancing physical, mental and emotional wellbeing through highlighting music that evokes positivity. The initiative by A Day for The Beaches, and supported by One Eighty ambassadors Ocean Alley, will raise necessary funds for three charities including One Eighty, Cerebral Palsy Alliance and Red Dust.
The One Eighty family felt inspired by the #FeelExtraordinary campaign and therefore as part of Mental Health month this October, we hope to raise awareness of help seeking behaviours, by sharing the extraordinary stories of people who have reached out for help or who have supported others in their moment of need.
Huzzy Rodriguez, 28, volunteers with One Eighty as an Open Up facilitator and also produces a podcast about wellbeing for Barrenjoey High School. We believe Huzzy is doing something extraordinary to help others, so we asked him some questions about his role and why he got involved.
Hi Huzzy! Can you introduce yourself to our wonderful One Eighty community and explain how you got involved with One Eighty?
My name’s Huzzy. I’m a 28 year old who grew up in Avalon from the age of 4, originally from Mexico. I got involved with One Eighty after I saw the front page of the Manly Daily back in October 2017 featuring Paris and some of the One Eighty crew. After reading the article, I sent an email and asked how I could get involved!
What made you want to get involved with One Eighty?
Like so many others who have grown up on the Northern Beaches and specifically in Avalon, I have felt and seen the impact of losing young lives to suicide. It was awful to know that so many brilliant and talented young lives were being cut tragically short and it felt like it was happening quite frequently. I thought that as both a young person and a counsellor in the community, I could channel my energy and experience into making a positive impact on the situation. One Eighty’s vision and approach sparked my interest as it really encompassed just what our little corner of the world needed.
What are your experiences as an Open Up facilitator with One Eighty?
I really enjoy being a facilitator. It’s always humbling to share the space with other people who bring their unique life experiences with them. It's also great to see participants so intent on listening, supporting and empathising with one another. I feel it is quite a unique experience. I find it difficult to convey what an Open Up session feels like to someone who's never done one, especially because each session has its own flavour to it depending on who’s there, what we talk about and the style of the facilitator.
There have been intense sessions at times, but good intense! It is clear that some people just need to be heard and I’m grateful that we can offer people the chance to have that! It can be hard to come by for many people.
For me, one of the most amazing parts is the journey participants go through. In my experience, I have observed a common journey:
Participants start as shy, nervous first-timers, who may just be there because someone really encouraged them to attend. I know I certainly felt that way.
Participants start to understand what Open Up is all about and demonstrate that they can be open, honest and confident sharers who use the space and time to offload and heal.
Participants want to give back - I think of this as the Graduate stage. Their focus of turning up has shifted to more of a support role for others. It’s a beautiful cycle! To me, it shows that One Eighty and Open Up are effective in our community.
Another thing to note, to anyone who’s never been…its called Open Up, but you don’t actually have to say a thing! Lots of participants have taken so much from the session just by sitting there and listening. I think the magic of Open Up comes with connection and being able to relate to others, which can just as easily be achieved by listening quietly.
Would you mind explaining a little bit about the podcast you did while in COVID-19 lockdown and what your tips are on staying happy and healthy during the pandemic?
This year I was fortunate enough to land a 2 day per week position at Barrenjoey High School (where I graduated in 2010) as the student wellbeing officer.
When COVID hit I was unsure of how the role would fit in when schools were closed. I pitched the idea to Sarah Saunders, the head teacher of wellbeing, about doing a wellbeing podcast for students. I'd done a podcast before so I was comfortable getting one off the ground. I wanted to make it a short, fun, sometimes silly but informative resource on general wellbeing during a pandemic for school students or anyone really who wanted to listen. Sarah liked my idea and so I made a handful of episodes throughout the period when schools were closed.
The podcast has three segments:
'Huzzy's thought of the week' which is self-explanatory
'Super Cool Red Hot Tip' where I ask a member of the community who works with young people to share their COVID wellbeing tips
'Close your eyes adventure' where I use sounds and music to take listeners on a journey through their mind! This was definitely the most fun to make.
My first COVID-19 wellbeing tip is to stay in touch with people. Say ‘hey’ to someone you haven’t spoken to in years! People always love hearing from an old friend. It’s such a nice feeling for both of you and we all need to maintain some connection throughout this time. I would also say that it’s important to take care of yourself and your body. Eat healthily, exercise and do something that makes you happy each day. Isn’t that what life is about?
Have you ever reached out for help when you needed it? What made it hard or what stopped you from doing it sooner?
Yeah, I’ve reached out for help. Plenty of times. But it took a while for me to feel comfortable doing so. It’s not something that we’re taught in schools and not every family encourages so we don’t all get the chance to learn how to do it, which makes it hard for a lot of people.
When I didn’t feel comfortable reaching out for help, I think that I lacked the true understanding of my own emotions and the ability and confidence to express them to others.
How did you overcome this and what was the outcome?
Playing music really helped. During my teens, I forced myself out of the comfort zone quite a bit by getting up on stage to perform because I could focus on my love for the music rather than the worry and stress of what others would think. Though this seems unrelated, having an experience of successfully conquering my fears reminds me to be more confident about reaching out and talking about my emotions and the way I feel when I need to.
In my professional life, I’ve also realised that learning the language of reaching out for help is critically important. I can now be explicit about my needs, “I just need some time by myself to think for a while” and feelings, “I’m feeling quite anxious about speaking to that person” for example. This did feel quite unnatural to start with but after a while it got easier because people understood me better and appreciated that I was being honest and open with them. In my experience, having a few people I can trust to really listen has been very helpful.
What advice would you give someone who is afraid of speaking up and asking for help?
I would ask them to try to understand what it is that is making them afraid to speak up. Do they think others would judge them? Do they think that their situation is not really a big deal? Do they think others won’t understand? A common reason for not seeking help (formally or informally) is not wanting to feel like a burden. Everyone loves to help others, but when it comes to helping ourselves, it doesn’t come as naturally. I’d remind people that it’s important to treat ourselves the same way we support someone we really care for. Switching your perspective can make you feel like less of a burden in these situations. Finding the right person to talk to is also key in all of this. It can be anyone: a friend, family member, colleague, teacher etc.
What would you recommend doing if you’re someone who wants to be able to help others when they're struggling?
I think the most important thing is to check in with yourself and make sure you are in a good place to be able to help others. You know how on planes they recommend that you put on your own oxygen mask and THEN you help others put on theirs? I think that’s the perfect analogy to help others in ANY capacity.
From there, I think it’s important to have lots of patience. This can be a delicate process and you definitely don’t want to rush someone through it! Listening is super important too. Sometimes that’s all people need, so prioritise listening over talking when helping someone out.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask the person what you can do to help them. This empowers the person and gives them some control of the situation. Don’t assume that you know what others need in that moment. Let them guide you towards effective ways of helping. It’s okay to not know what to do to help, you can both figure that out together.
Interview by Maddie Walsh
Edited by Ella Garbett
Any information on this blog is not a substitute for professional advice. It is written from personal experience and research only. If you are in crisis, go to your nearest emergency room, call lifeline on 13 11 14 or dial 000.