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Mental Health Awareness Week will be held from Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th September 2024. This year's theme is "Community is... what we create together".
There’s no denying that the past few years have been challenging for Aotearoa, with extreme weather events, rising costs, and political divides affecting us all. Mental Health Foundation research to understand how weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle impacted wellbeing revealed that community is the key to getting through tough times.
Community looks different for everyone - that's the beauty of it. It’s about connecting with others to create something together. So the Mental Health Foundation is encouraging the people of Aotearoa to define, build, and celebrate their communities.
Connection is the ngākau/heart of our wellbeing. It weaves us together, making us feel seen, heard, and understood. When we nurture meaningful connections with others, we fuel our own happiness. Strong social connections are essential for our life satisfaction and overall health, which is why being part of a community can provide us with a sense of belonging, purpose and connectedness.
Here are some active ways to connect with your community:
- Join a local club, sports team, gym or exercise class to get active and meet new people.
- Connect with the whenua/land and others by getting into the great outdoors - such as going on a bush walk, surfing or mountain biking.
- Take a family walk after dinner or on the weekend. You could even have a family dance-off!
- Create a team to participate in a fun run/walk raising money for charity.
- Start or join a walking bus for school children.
- Organise a sports match or tournament in your workplace.
- Get involved with a local community garden.
Find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week, including how to register for updates and ways you can get involved.