headspace Emerald celebrated headspace day recently and we wanted to share with you all some of the fun things the team have been doing within the community.

 We kicked off headspace day with our 1st annual colour run with approximately 400 people taking part. It was a great event which included not only the colour run but some markets, community stakeholders, jumping castles, coffee, and some food. As a special treat we also asked key members of the community, such as the headspace Emerald team, youth support workers and one of our local social workers to get 'slimed' on the day.  It was a great event to kick off Mental Health Week 2024 and headspace day.

On the 9th of October we celebrated headspace day within the centre and with the community by doing a 'Central Highlands Goes Green' competition. We were so excited to see so many services and businesses going green to support headspace day 2024. headspace day is a national day of support for the mental health and wellbeing of all young Australians. headspace Emerald plays a vital role in mental health services for the community, so it was amazing to see so much support returned from the community.

This year's headspace day theme is Pause. Reflect. Reconnect. At headspace Emerald we are encouraging young people to take time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the things they love and do something that works for them.

Young people today juggle a lot – emotional ups and downs, figuring out who they are, and wondering about the future. This mix of mental, emotional, and intellectual challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming. This headspace day, we wanted young people to understand that by pausing and reflecting, they can find the space and energy to reconnect with the things that work for them. To encourage this, the team made up special bags full of lollies, fidget toys, and an encouraging message for all the young people who visited the centre.