2022 Theme | Mental Health Awareness Week. 18 - 24 SEPTEMBER 2023

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In 2022, Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) will be held on 26 September - 2 October.

MHAW is run annually by the Mental Health Foundation and has been since 1993. MHAW is endorsed by the World Federation for Mental Health and is marked in over 150 countries at different times of the year.

This year's theme is Reconnect - with the people and places that lift you up, hei pikinga waiora.

The past couple of years have been tough and it's easy to feel disconnected from the people and places that are important to us.

Whether it's reaching out to someone you have lost contact with, visiting a place that's special to you or getting outside in nature, we hope you'll join us this MHAW to reconnect with the people and places that lift you up to enhance your wellbeing - hei pikinga waiora.

To help you activate the theme for yourself, your whānau, school, workplace or community, check out the MHAW 2022 Guide for daily activity ideas.

Mā te whakarongo, ka mōhio
through listening, comes knowledge

Mā te mōhio, ka mārama,
through knowledge, comes understanding

Mā te mārama, ka matau,
through understanding, comes wisdom

Mā te matau, ka ora
through wisdom, comes wellbeing

Rāhina / Monday

Reconnect with yourself

Connecting with yourself is a skill. To start the week, begin by taking a moment to check in with yourself, acknowledge how you’re feeling and how the last few years of turbulence affected you and your connection with others and the world around you. This is a good time to think about the people you have lost contact with who you might want to reach out to, or the special places you haven’t visited in a while, and set some whāinga/goals for the week ahead.

At the end of the week, you can reflect on how you felt at the start and how reconnecting with the people and places that are special to you has lifted you up.

A few ideas for reconnecting with yourself:

Take a moment to ask yourself, ‘how am I feeling today?’ Try speaking out loud to yourself. Hearing your thoughts out loud can help you to clarify what’s going on inside.
Grab a pen and paper and write down three things you are grateful for. Taking time to notice and reflect on the things we are thankful for helps us to experience more positive emotions.
Get out for a walk, do some yoga or another a physical activity that you enjoy. Moving your body can help calm your mind.
Grab a cuppa, sit outside and listen to the sounds around you. Notice how taking a quiet moment for yourself makes you feel.
Take a moment for your wairua by trying these Māori mindful breathing exercises.
Be present in the moment and let your creative juices flow with our mindful colouring activity. Tamariki can enter our colouring competition for a chance to win an awesome prize!
For tamariki in the classroom, try this ‘How Am I Doing?’ activity by Sparklers to encourage them to think about how they can support their own wellbeing. Tamariki can also use the My Pepeha activity in the classroom or at home to get them thinking about the people and places that are important to them.

Rātū/ Tuesday

Reconnect with a friend or loved one

We know life can get busy, but feeling connected to the people that are important to us can make a big difference to our mental health. Connection brings purpose and belonging to our lives and makes us feel happier and more secure. Today is about reconnecting with the people in our lives – it could be someone special who you have lost touch with or just wish you caught up with more often.

A few ideas for reconnecting with a friend or loved one:

Reach out to someone you would like to reconnect with. Call your whānau, send a message to a mate or catch up kanohi ki te kanohi/face to face if you can. We bet it will give both of you a boost.
Organise a potluck dinner, barbeque or shared lunch with your whānau, friends or hoamahi.
Look back through your photos and share a happy memory to reconnect with someone you’ve lost touch with.
Get to know your hoamahi a little better by using our kōrero card set.
At the end of the day ask a friend, your whānau or hoamahi what the best thing about their day was and listen with interest when they respond.
Help tamariki to connect with the people who are special to them with the Sparklers Whānau Poster activity in the classroom and at home. For a fun game, check out the classroom and at home versions of the Can’t Do it Without You activity.
Have a think about whether there is someone in your life who may be going through a tough time. Reach out and ask them how they are, empathise and listen. You can find more support for how to have a safe and supportive kōrero on page 16 of the MHAW 2022 Guide.

Rāapa / Wednesday

Reconnect with a special place

The places and spaces we spend our time in have a huge impact on how we feel. Most of us have places we can go that calm, inspire or uplift us. Today, make time to go to a place that is special to you and take notice of how you feel when you are there. For some of us, the special place that comes to mind might be out of reach - perhaps it’s overseas, or too far away to get to. Even if we can’t get there right now, there are ways that we can reconnect with the places that lift us up.

A few ideas for reconnecting with a special place:

Take some time away from your work environment and have your lunch at a place that makes you feel calm and uplifted. This might be your favourite café or a nearby park.
Grab your whānau, some friends or hoamahi and take them to a spot that lifts you up. Head to the beach, a nearby awa/river or climb up your local maunga/ mountain.
Close your eyes and think about a place that is important to you. Even if you can’t be there right now, taking a moment to remember can help you reconnect with a place that is important to you. If you’re feeling creative, have a go at drawing the place on the following page.
Play a song, read a book or change your screensaver to a photo that reminds you of that special place. We bet it will transport you right back there.
Is there a meal that reminds you of a place that is important to you? Try recreating it at home, the familiar tastes and smells might help you to reconnect with a special place.
For tamariki in the classroom try the Kimihia Te Mātauranga O Neherā and Favourite Spaces activities from Sparklers to help them learn more about the places that are important to them. Tamariki at home can try this version of the Favourite Spaces activity.

Rāpare / Thursday

Reconnect with your community.

Today is about reconnecting with your hapori whānui/wider community. It’s the perfect time to sign up to be a volunteer or join a local community group, but it could also be as simple as making the effort to reconnect with the people you interact with every day. Today is all about savouring the little hononga/connections that make us human.

A few ideas for reconnecting with your community:

Volunteer your time to others in need – join a community group, pick up someone’s groceries or simply drop off a hot meal to someone who could do with a helping hand. Not only will it create a moment to reconnect, but it will also give you both a feel-good boost.
Take a moment to stop and kōrero with your neighbour, bus driver or the checkout assistant at the supermarket. Ask ‘how are you/kei te pēhea koe?’ and really listen. It might make all the difference to their day.
Visit a friend, neighbour or family member who could do with some company or tautoko.
Make a hoamahi a cup of tea or bring in some biscuits and create a moment to reconnect in the lunchroom – look for opportunities to put a smile on someone’s face.
Introduce yourself to a new parent at your child’s school, new hoamahi at your workplace or a new neighbour in your community. Ask them if there’s anything you can do to help them settle in.
For tamariki in the classroom, check out this Compliment Posters activity from Sparklers, or for tamariki at home, try the Give a Bunch of Kindness and Everyday Kindness activities.

Rāmere / Friday

Reconnect with nature

To round out the week, we’re asking you to reconnect with the beautiful taonga that is te taiao/the natural environment. Studies show exposure to nature not only makes us feel better emotionally, it contributes to our physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. All the more reason to spend at least a small moment today outside - breathing in some fresh air and noticing the world around you.

A few ideas for reconnecting with nature:

Have your lunch outside with a friend or hoamahi, take notice of the nature around you. Even if you work outdoors, it’s great to take a break and spend some quality time together outside of your workspace.
Get into the great outdoors - go on a bush walk, breathe in the salty fresh air of the moana/ocean or walk up your local maunga.
Try these outdoor activities with tamariki, or head out on a nature walk and get them to point out the things they see, smell and hear. Ask them how being in nature makes them feel. At kura/school, pop out onto the field and try the Favourites in the Natural World activity or the tummy breathing Sleeping Statues activity by Sparklers.
Create a green space in your home or office where you could grow a few small plants, such as herbs, on a windowsill.
Volunteer at an organised beach or river clean-up or create your own. It’s a great way to spend time outside and keep Aotearoa beautiful! Check out the Department of Conservation website for more ideas.
Go outdoors, snap a photo of some nature that catches your eye and send it to someone to brighten their day.