Mental Health Awareness Week 2021: Take time to kōrero
How do you connect with others? Let’s start the conversation today.
This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 is Take time to kōrero/mā te kōrero, ka ora - a little chat can go a long way.
Mental Health Awareness Week is all about using everyday conversations as a tool to check in with the people around us.
Technology has kept us connected in many different ways, whether it be via video chat, text message or phone call, staying connected with people and having just a small chat every day has proven to make a big difference to our mental health.
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, stressed or anxious right now, as we navigate the ongoing challenges of living in a world of Covid-19.
So, this week we’ll be hosting daily live kōrero with a line-up of incredible experts and speakers, to chat about all things related to mental health and wellbeing.
Whether you’re tuning in from New Zealand or Australia, we’ve got something exciting for everyone. Grab a bite to eat or a coffee, make time to learn something new, and squeeze in some inspiration during your lunch break.
From conversations about movement and connection, to sleep and doing the things you love, we have a chat lined up each day that will lift your spirits and keep you inspired.
Why connection makes us feel good
Not only does social connection trigger oxytocin, the feel-good ‘bonding hormone’, but it’s been linked with better physical health and longevity, and has also been shown to contribute to lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Being connected to others is not just about how many social events you have in your diary, it’s the feeling of belonging that you get when you have close relationships with the important people in your life.
Social connection is something that we need to prioritise so that we can feel well supported as we go through life.
Here are 6 simple ideas for building bonds and connecting with others. Learn some of these descriptions and then take time to have a korero (talk) with the people in your world and begin to share your feelings.
How to get involved this week
Rāhina / Monday: MOVE with Nats Levi
Join fitness guru Nats Levi and Sir JK as they chat about the importance of creating movement in our day to get those feel-good hormones moving through our body. Adding just a little bit of movement into our routine each day can make a big difference to how we feel. There’s nothing quite like those post-workout endorphins!
Rātū / Tuesday: CONNECT with Jazz Thornton
Covid-19 has been tough on all of us, but making time to connect with the people in our lives can really make a huge difference to our mental wellbeing. Join young New Zealander of the year and Voice of Mentemia, Jazz Thornton, as she has a kōrero with Sir JK about the importance of connection and sharing ways to connect during lockdowns and alert level changes.
Rāapa / Wednesday: CHILL with Dr Tony Fernando
Sit back and relax during this fantastic session that tackles what it means to chill, with Dr. Tony Fernando and Sir JK, where they chat about different ways to relax, how to properly unwind from stress, and what tips and tricks we can use for embedding more chill techniques into our day.
Rāpare / Thursday: ENJOY with The Eggplant Boys
Instagram duo, Charlie and Seymore AKA The Eggplant Boys, hang out with Sir JK to share how they use the kitchen to express their love and passion for cooking and the different ways they use kai as their secret ingredient to bring people together. A kōrero packed full of goodness, and not to be missed!
Rāmare / Friday: DO with Jase Te Patu
Join the kōrero with Mental Health Advocate, Jase Te Patu, as he joins Sir JK to share some tools and strategies to deal with the stress and challenges of life, and how learning simple mindfulness, breath and visualisation tools can help to improve our emotional and mental wellbeing.
