TOP athletes, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, celebrities and everyday Australians will be sharing tips for what makes them feel better in a bid to promote youth mental health across the nation on Monday.
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headspace chief executive officer Jason Trethowan, who hails from Ballarat, is leading headspace day, which this year will focus on sharing advice and simple tips for young people to take care of their mental health.
It is an initiative backed by Ballarat MP and federal opposition health spokesperson Catherine King, who is encouraging people across the region to take time on Monday to consider youth issues and their own techniques to promote a better headspace.
Ms King said headspace did outstanding work to help young people who were struggling with mental health challenges but, as a community, everyone had a responsibility to help young people around them.
“Hand on a tip on Monday to a young person you might think could benefit from it. Much of this might seem basic, but sometimes it is the simple things which provide the greatest assistance,” Ms King said.
“I encourage people to think about the value of the headspace organisation on this day in particular, but also to make a commitment to remain aware of the mental health challenges being faced by many young people.”
One in four young people have experienced a mental health issue in the past 12 months, more than all other age groups, according to headspace.
Research also shows 75 per cent of mental health issues emerge before the age of 25 but by treating these issues early and providing a holistic model of support, the risk of them developing into more serious problems is greatly decreased.
A starting point on tips for a healthy headspace include: how to eat better; exercising more; sleeping well; changing self-talk; ways to relax; trying new hobbies; socialising more; practising assertiveness and conflict resolution skills; and, knowing how to find help and building coping strategies.
Fallen Australian hockey star Anna Flanagan is headspace day ambassador after facing her own struggles with alcohol and an eating disorder.
To get involved, go to headspaceday.org.au and download a headspace day placard, share your mental health tip, and hold it up in a photo on social media channels using #headspaceday.