Mental Health Awareness week 2023

Published: 18-Sep-2023

Mental Health Awareness Week is taking place on 18 - 24 September, 2023.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

What is MHAW?
MHAW is our annual campaign that works to help Kiwis understand what boosts their wellbeing and improves mental health. We’ve been running it since 1993 (when not many people wanted to talk publicly about mental health) and we’re so proud of how much its grown.
We pick a new theme every year because there isn’t just one way to wellbeing and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for everyone in Aotearoa. Hopefully, every new MHAW adds a new skill, tool or strategy to your wellbeing kete to help you every day and to draw on when times are tough.

Five Ways, Five Days

grey background, blue, pink, green, yellow and red tiles

Take Notice | Me Aro Tonu – Monday Take Notice refers to the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness can be thought of as open and receptive attention to, and awareness of, what is occurring in the present moment.

Give | Tukua – Tuesday Give refers to actions based on kindness, altruism, or generosity. Carrying out acts of kindness boosts our happiness, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing.

Be Active | Me Kori Tonu – Wednesday Widely recognised as being crucial for physical health and fitness, being active is also a powerful mood booster. Being active can not only make us feel good, it also enhances our thinking and learning abilities.

Connect | Me Whakawhanaunga – Thursday Connection is the ngākau/heart of our wellbeing. It weaves us together, making us feel seen, heard, and understood. When we nurture meaningful connections with others, we fuel our own happiness.

Keep Learning | Me Ako Tonu – Friday Keep Learning refers to ‘exercising our mind’ – almost like taking our brain to the gym. Any activity that challenges our thinking and expands our consciousness improves our ability to think.

To find out more have a look at the webpage of the Mental Health Foundation.