Mental Health Month is celebrated each year in the month of October in NSW. This awareness month encourages all of us to think about our mental health and well being, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not. This month also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviors when needed.
This year the theme for Mental Health Month is Share the Journey.
The message is important – isolation has a huge impact on the well being of people whose mental health isn’t as great as they’d like it to be. We can all share the journey to make things a little easier, to make communities as supportive as possible; to make good mental health a bit more accessible for everyone.
The message is important – isolation has a huge impact on the well being of people whose mental health isn’t as great as they’d like it to be. We can all share the journey to make things a little easier, to make communities as supportive as possible; to make good mental health a bit more accessible for everyone.
Connecting with others is important for all aspects of our health and well being. Research tells us that feeling connected with others gives us a sense of security, support, purpose and happiness. Close connections and good relationships with others help us enjoy good times in our lives as well as cope with difficult experiences. Many of us report feeling lonely and believe loneliness is increasing in Australia. For those experiencing or living with mental illness, loneliness can have an even bigger impact, especially when you factor in the added experiences of social exclusion and stigma.
Share the Journey is all about ways we can connect with others, both for our own health and well being, as well as theirs.
Sharing the journey can mean many things:
- Telling your loved ones about both your successes and difficulties
- Reaching out to people who might be withdrawing from others
- Working with someone to find and access services or support
- Asking for help with day-to-day things when you need it
- Getting involved in group activities, like sports or book club
- Sharing a cuppa with a mate
Whether you reach out to someone who might be feeling a bit lost or find a way to connect with others when you need some help,
building positive social connection is something we can all try and do.
