The Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey wants people to check-in with friends and family this Mental Health Awareness Week. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Check in with your mates, your family and your friends - that's the message from Matt Doocey for Mental Health Awareness Week.
New Zealand's first minister for mental health said the awareness week - which runs from Monday to Sunday - was a great opportunity to connect with friends and family "to see how they're going".
It was part of the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, he said.
The 2025 theme was Top Up Together and focused on the five ways of wellbeing - connect/me whakawhanaunga, give back/tukua, be active/me kori tonu, take notice/me aro tonu, and keep learning/me ako tonu.
"The five ways of wellbeing is an evidence-based initiative whereby implementing the five ways of wellbeing in your life daily can actually improve your mental wellbeing," Doocey said.
Monday's connect theme was about making social connections and having a sense of feeling connected, loved or belonging, according to the Mental Health Foundation website.
On Tuesday the theme was "give" which was about kindness, altruism or generosity including carrying out acts of kindness to bring happiness and satisfaction.
Being active, Wednesday's theme, was not only important for physical wellbeing, but was also a powerful mood booster, the website said.
Taking notice, on Thursday, referred to the practice of mindfulness, being receptive and aware.
And on Friday, the keep learning theme was about "exercising our mind".
"Learning something new together with friends or whānau can boost motivation, enhance understanding and offer a sense of shared growth and discovery," the website said.
Doocey encouraged people to try implementing the five ways of wellbeing in their life every day this Mental Health Awareness Week.
He said it was very "mportant to acknowledge" Mental Health Awareness Week and he was keen to "really showcase the great work that the community is doing".
"I'd encourage everyone to head to the Mental Health Foundation website and look for Mental Health Awareness Week initiatives in their local community to either participate in, or people might like to think about setting up their own Mental Health Awareness Week programmes."
The minister said his message was to reach out to others.
"Quite often people can suffer in silence with mental health and it's an opportunity to really break down the barriers and reach out and talk to someone who might have the need to want to share their concerns at the time."
He said it was important that Kiwis continued to break down the barriers of stigma and discrimination around mental health.
"We've done very well as a country creating an environment where people are more open talking about their mental health needs, but quite often people can be still a bit shy about reaching out.
"And I think the ability for someone to check in with a friend or family member allows them the permission to actually maybe voice for the first time that they are under a bit of pressure, maybe a bit of stress and they need someone to talk to.
"And that might be the first time that they felt safe in doing that. So it's a good week to try something new of checking in with your mates, your family and your friends."
For more information visit mhaw.nz
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