Many Australians face challenges with their mental health and wellbeing, and you are not alone in this. According to the latest statistics, about half of all Australians have had a mental health condition at some point. We care deeply about the mental health of our staff, students and the wider community, and we are committed to providing them with practical support and accessible resources to help them cope and thrive.

Staying connected and taking the time to have conversations with your family, friends and colleagues can help you and those around you with their mental health and wellbeing. When you talk to someone you can release built up feelings, see things from a different perspective and feel supported and that you are not alone. We often feel like we are too busy to really connect with people these days and taking a little bit of time out to actively listen and find out how someone is going can make a big difference. In the workplace you can make a regular time to check in with staff, encourage people to get together in informal ways and talk about mental health openly.

There are many things you can do when you are feeling down and need to improve your mood. Recognising when you’re not feeling ok is the first step. Once you have identified this you can; go for a walk, take a shower, put on some music, reach out to a friend, eat something healthy, do some writing, take some deep breaths, have a quick tidy up, put on nice clothes or make up. Most of the time doing one or two of these things will help you to feel a little better but what do you do if you’re consistently feeling depressed, anxious, unmotivated or like you can’t cope?

In 2023 we live in a society where it’s become normal to reach out for help. You don’t have to do things alone and there are many ways you can seek help. There are a number of organisations that are qualified and experienced to provide specialised mental health support. Did you know that you can call Lifeline anytime. You don’t need to be suicidal to call lifeline and this is a good thing. They are there to chat to you when you feel any type of need to talk. While it can be hard to reach out, being honest will ensure that you receive the right support. If you don’t know what to say when you do pick up the phone you can say any of these things:

• I’m struggling right now and I don’t know what I need
• I don’t feel good right now and I would like some support
• I haven’t felt ok for a while and have called because I don’t know what else to do
• I’m not having a good day can we talk
• I’m feeling unsafe and I don’t want to talk
• I’m not myself right now can you stay on the line for a bit

No matter what you’re feeling or whether you know what you need or not, your feelings are valid and you can express them to trained professionals.

See below a list of more support services that you can make contact with if you or your friends, family or colleagues need help with their mental health.

See below a list of more support services that you can make contact with if you or your friends, family or colleagues need help with their mental health.