This headspace day - a national day of support for the mental health and wellbeing of all young Australians – headspace Swan Hill is celebrating local young people who advocate for better mental health outcomes for their community.

This year’s headspace day theme is ‘Pause. Reflect. Reconnect’. headspace Swan Hill Manager Hayley Neuschafer said this is an important reminder for all members of the community, but particularly for young people and their families. 

“The unique challenges that young people face particularly in rural areas can often feel overwhelming and isolating. Taking a moment to slow down and reconnect with the things that work for you can make a big difference,” Hayley said. “This headspace day we encourage everyone to spend 10 minutes of their day doing something that they love. It’s important that we prioritise opportunities to reconnect with ourselves and others, especially when life gets busy.” 

Off the back of a world-first review into youth mental health published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal[1], which recognises the importance of youth participation in the development of mental health services, headspace Swan Hill is using headspace day 2024 to shine a light on all local young people contributing to their services.

This year’s Youth Reference Group Members shared their way of pause, reflect, and reconnect. “When you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed it is important to take a step back and reflect on what is making you feel this way” the group said. “We like to do the things that make us feel better about ourselves. For us, this can be catching up with friends/family, exercising, listening to music, or watching a favourite show.”

“We want people to know that there is no shame in coming to headspace. No problem is too big or too small. headspace services are free, so why not check it out.”

In line with this year’s theme, the headspace Swan Hill team will be visiting schools in our region to engage with students and celebrate the day at our centre with mindfulness activities designed to help everyone unwind and refocus.

headspace CEO Jason Trethowan says young people and their families are engaged at all levels at headspace to help ensure the organisation understands their needs and experiences.  

“At headspace, young people are at the heart of everything we do. We understand that they are the experts in their own lives, and that their voices should be the loudest in conversations about the issues that impact them”.

“We are proud to work alongside young people and their families, who courageously share their lived experience to ensure that what we do at headspace meets their changing needs. A key to meeting changing needs is our model’s flexibility to adapt to new ways of engaging and supporting young people, families and community.

We’re committed to continuing to work with young people to deliver youth-friendly, accessible services, because they are amazing and, with support from organisations like headspace, they can and do weather tough times to get back on track.”

Young people aged 12 to 25, as well as their family and friends, can visit headspace Swan Hill for support. Help is also available via phone and online counselling service eheadspace seven days a week between 9am–1am (AEST). The number is 1800 650 890.

If you’re looking for someone to talk to immediately, Lifeline (13 11 14) and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) are available to talk 24/7.

-ENDS-

[1] The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health (2024). The Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 11, Issue 9, 731 – 774