Mental Health Awareness Week promoting reconnection this year

Service manager at Balance Whanganui Rana Aston. Photo / Bevan Conley

As Covid-19 restrictions cease to hang over us, people are being encouraged to reconnect with important people and places as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Rana Aston, the service manager at mental health charitable organisation Balance Whanganui, said people still experienced anxiety around Covid but things were gradually getting back to normal.

"There is a lot less fear now it is becoming a known quantity and a lot more people are experiencing it as mild flu," she said.

"Back in 2020, I remember cleaning all my groceries with bleach because my mum was staying and she had been ill in the past."

People were enjoying the freedom of being in public without masks, Aston said.

"That means you can smile at people again and see their expressions.

"Masks were for our safety and that's really important, but the disconnection they caused really impacted people's mental health I think."

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday at 11am as part of the awareness week which began on Monday.

Experts in the field of mental health, leadership development and workplace wellbeing will discuss the power of reconnection, and how to boost staff wellbeing and resilience in times of change and uncertainty.

One in five New Zealanders experienced a mental illness and/or addiction each year, MHF chief executive Shaun Robinson said.

"The last couple of years have been tough for us all and it's easy to feel disconnected from the people and places that are important to us.

"There's growing recognition that we need to uplift our mental well-being and that connection is a crucial part of this.

"Wellbeing isn't just for people who have not experienced mental illness – it's for everyone."

Aston said some people Balance worked with didn't have a family or had lost connections with them.

Their connection was with the public.

"That could be just going to the library. It doesn't mean having deep conversations, it's just being in the presence of other people.

"Some sit in places like the mall and wearing a mask meant you could even exchange a smile with someone. You can only share so much with the wrinkles around your eyes."

Winter can be a tough time for people, Rana Aston says. photo / Mead Norton

Age Concern Whanganui manager Michelle Malcolm said she hoped connections made during the pandemic remained in place.

"Families, when they were able to, gathered around each other.

"Now we are going back to a bit of normality I hope that continues. It's really important."

Some hesitancy remained in the community over Covid so it was important to check up on older loved ones who still weren't confident in getting out and about too much.

A lot of people were guilty of not being in contact enough, herself included, Malcolm said.

"It's different for different people too.

"Some might only want a monthly visit but others might need daily contact."

This week was a chance for New Zealanders to prioritise their mental health, Robinson said.

In line with the theme for 2022, that could mean "reaching out to someone you have lost contact with, visiting a place that is special to you, or getting outside in nature".

Aston said winter was a really hard time for some people.

"It's going to be warm and sunny soon though, and that means we are going to be able to do things outside together.

"We [Balance] never close during the Christmas break, just the stat days and that's it.

"There have been times during that period when people just pop in and say they're really stressed, and we have a coffee. That can be all they need to take the load off."

Those conversations were connections without pressure, Aston said.

"There is no expectation, and no 'are you going to do your Christmas shopping?' or 'Who are you visiting for Christmas?'.

"All the stuff you get when you ring your family."

Age Concern Whanganui manager Michelle Malcolm. Photo / Bevan Conley

Mental health awareness shouldn't be restricted to just one week, Malcolm said.

Some didn't want to be "labelled with anything".

"It's still a topic that makes people hesitant.

"You can put your hand up and say you've had cancer but to say you were [mentally] unwell for a period of time, people won't say it.

"That's really sad because it's exactly the same."

Aston said it was important to express what you were going through, even if you thought it was strange.

"Tell someone if you're having a tough time. You never know what other people are experiencing or have experienced.

"There is always someone who can relate. Just keep reaching out until you find that someone."

Health Minister Andrew Little said now was the time to reconnect to support mental wellbeing.

This year's theme would "resonate deeply with many New Zealanders".

"It's a great reminder of the importance of reaching out to those we know and care about," Little said.

"You often don't realise what pressures many people are experiencing and what a difference you can make by taking the time to check in, touch base or spend some quality time."

To learn more about the Mental Health Awareness Week, head to www.mhaw.nz .