headspace day 2019

03/10/2019

headspace day is a national day of support for the mental health and wellbeing of all young Australians.

This year, headspace day takes place on Wednesday 9 October 2019 during National Mental Health Week.

On headspace day we encourage young Australians to learn simple tips to help them build and maintain a healthy headspace. With the input of young people headspace developed both a physical and digital wellbeing kit that provides 7 tips and everyday tools for building a healthy headspace.

The tools provide practical ways young people can look after their mental health. While a healthy headspace action plan guides young people through a few easy steps to identify what can work for them and how they can take action.

The headspace toolkit will improve young people’s understanding of their mental health and wellbeing by encouraging conversation and building healthy behaviour into their everyday life.

There are some easy ways to get involved:

Use the tools in the online kit to practice a healthy headspace tip (visit headspace.org.au/tips).
Share ideas and talk with your friends and family.
Follow headspace on social media and share your favourite tip using #headspacetips and #headspaceday.

7 tips for a health headspace - wellbeing kits

The physical toolkit provides 7 tips and everyday tools that young people can look after their mental health.
A digital version of the kit will be available at headspace.org.au/tips to ensure young people across the country can use this valuable tool.

Our seven tips for a healthy headspace are:

Get in to life

Keep doing the stuff you love to do and the things that are important to you. It can help keep the fun in your life, give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose, boost your confidence and help to connect with others. Some of these things, such as drawing, fishing or playing the guitar, might just be for fun, but other things like work or study can give you new skills and might help to give you meaning.

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Learn skills for tough times

There are a lot of different strategies that can help you to manage difficult thoughts and feelings. Things like meditation, taking a digital detox, listening to music, spending time outdoors or writing things down are just a few ways that can help you handle challenging times.

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Create connections

Feeling connected to others is an essential part of being human. Spending time with friends, family and people in your community can really strengthen your mental health and wellbeing. Planning a catch-up with friends, joining a club or committee, or participating in a team sport or safe online community can help you feel connected and meet new people.

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Eat well

When you think of improving your mental health, you may not always consider changing the food you eat. But there is a strong link between what we eat and how we feel! A poor diet can make you feel sluggish, low and increase symptoms of depression and anxiety. But staying hydrated and having a healthy diet with a variety of fruit, veggies, nuts and wholegrains can actually improve mental health

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Stay active

Staying active can help you to sleep better, manage stress and boost your mood. Find a way to keep active that you enjoy and incorporate this into your regular routine. Make time to take a break from study or work to do some exercise, whether it be going to the gym, kicking a ball around with a friend or just going for a walk. Whatever it is, start small, and make sure it’s something you enjoy.

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Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is good for your brain and body. It improves your mood, sharpens your concentration and increases resilience. Reducing things that keep you from restful sleep – like noise or light that keeps you awake, or active stuff like social media or video gaming – will help you improve your sleep.

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Cut back on alcohol and other drugs

Alcohol and other drugs may feel like they help you to manage hard times in the short-term but remember they can interfere with your mental health and make you feel much worse in the long run. Curbing the amount of alcohol and other drugs that you use (or avoiding alcohol and drugs altogether) will help you manage your emotions better and improve your wellbeing.