Shining a spotlight on mental health

Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) is an annual awareness week that aims to shine a spotlight on individual and community mental health and wellbeing.

This year’s QMHW will be held from October 9 to 17 with the theme “Take time – for mental health”.

The theme recognises the importance of taking time to engage in activities that boost our mental health and encourages help-seeking behaviours, when needed.

Research shows there are six simple actions we can take to improve our moods, build resilience, and boost wellbeing:

• Get healthy— being active and eating well is good for your mind as well as your body
• Keep learning — learning new things can make you more confident as well as being fun
• Show kindness — practising small acts of kindness, volunteering time, or simply helping a friend in need can help you feel more satisfied with life
• Connect — spending time with other people is important to everyone’s mental wellbeing
• Take notice — paying more attention to the present and the world around you helps relieve stress and enjoy the moment
• Embrace nature — connecting with the outdoors and taking care of the planet is the best recipe for world wellbeing.

Regularly practicing these simple actions is beneficial for everyone.

QMHW encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have lived an experience with mental illness or not.

The week also gives us all the opportunity to understand the importance of mental health in our everyday lives. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Cooloola Coast Residents and Friends Inc is raising awareness of QMHW by hosting an event on World Mental Health Day, which is Sunday October 10.  Join them in the park near Woolworths in Cooloola Cove 8-10am where they will be yarn-bombing trees blue.

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If you or anyone you know needs support these services are available 24/7:

• Lifeline – 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 46 36 beyondblue.org.au
• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 kidshelpline.com.au
• Alcohol & Drug Info Services (ADIS) – 1800 177 833 adis.health.gov.qld.au
• Queensland Health – 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) health.qld.gov.au