Mental Health Awareness Week 8th-14th October 2018
Mā te taiao, kia whakapakari tōu oranga Nau mai, Haere mai, Welcome to Mental Health Awareness Week 2018! As a big part of our regular mahi at Connect Supporting Recovery, mental health and addiction is never far from our minds anyway. This week however, we want to take the opportunity to share our collective kete of knowledge with our wider whānau and make space to get together to nurture and celebrate our mental wellbeing. Check out the following pages for inspiration on how you can spend your Mental Health Awareness Week. Each day has a theme in line with the Mental Health Foundation s Five Ways to Wellbeing: Be Active, Keep Learning, Take Notice, Give, and Connect. We also have fun activities on offer throughout the week, and some useful resources you can make use of now! Monday Rāhina Be Active Research shows a strong link to physical activity and increased wellbeing. And, with spring upon us, it s the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. Take the opportunity today to be active and get outside into nature. It could be a walk in the bush or as simple as a cup of tea in the garden. The exhibition will be open from 12pm Monday 8th October until 12pm 12th October and is located at the Kumeu Arts Centre, 300 ART Main Road, Kumeu, Auckland (behind the library). PRESENTS Exhibition Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week Reach Out Peer Support Group is proud to host an art exhibition to celebrate and contribute to Mental Health Awareness Week! The exhibit is a chance to express mental health awareness through the creativity of art. The exhibit will feature works of art created by the Reach Out Art Group and from other services involved with Connect Supporting Recovery. As well as coming along to view the art, we want everyone to have a chance to contribute to a shared canvas a place where you can paint, draw, write what mental health awareness means to you! Have an idea and want to contribute or participate? Contact: Reach Out Peer Support OR sam.farr@connectsr.org.nz Reach Out Art Group Come along to the opening of Reach Out s Art Exhibition at the Kumeu Arts Centre, 300 Main Rd Kumeu at 12pm. View artwork expressing mental health awareness and contribute to our shared canvas. Our very own Jan Heath will be leading a harakeke raranga (flax weaving) session at 12.30pm. Please RSVP to Sam.Farr@connectsr. org.nz if you would like to come along and participate. The exhibition will be open until 12pm on Friday. Annual General Meeting It s also our AGM. Come along for some delicious food, incredible speeches and the opportunity to vote for your favourite Board candidates. 4pm onwards. East Coast Bays Rugby and Cricket Clubrooms, 493 East Coast Road, Mairangi Bay, Auckland.
Tuesday Rātū Keep Learning Learning, remaining curious, and setting goals is important for all ages. Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou Seek knowledge for the sake of your wellbeing Wednesday Take Notice Appreciate the little things and savour the good moments. Unfortunatley, our brains are wired to focus more heavily on the negative. It s important to take time to appreciate all the good stuff in our lives and what we are thankful for. We want to invite you to appreciate the beauty in your life. Take a picture of something that improves your mental wellbeing and send it to our IT and Communications Alchemist Regan (regan.burt@connectsr.org.nz) - who will put the snaps on Facebook for everyone to enjoy! Check out some useful resources below that can help you keep learning: Rāapa Learn about yourself - take the free VIA Survey to discover your character strengths and how to skillfully apply them to make a positive impact on your life. (https://www.viacharacter.org/www/character-strengths) Learn more about Te Ao Maori - There are heaps of fantastic resources out there to learn more about Maori language and culture. One great one is Te Wānanga o Raukawa - which offers several fees-free courses. Mental Health Awareness Day (https://www.wananga.com) Expand your support system - Hearts and Minds has a brilliant support services directory where you can find help and advice on a range of topics including mental health and addiction. (http://www.heartsandminds.org.nz/information-support/support-services-directory) Get more involved with us - Reach Out peer support service runs groups on art, music, womens empowerment and more. Get in touch with their Team Manager Sam Farr at Sam.Farr@connectsr.org.nz or on 021 049 9672 for more information about how you can get involved. & Mental Health Awareness Day 10am - 1pm Wednesday October 10th Totara Park Come and join us at Totara Park to help celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week. There will be heaps of fun activities, including: Walk around the Lake Our Hamilton Whānau would like to invite you to join them on a stroll around lake Rotoroa before stopping for a coffee. They will be meeting at 10.30am at the Pavilion - Hamilton Lake Domain, Rotoroa Drive. Please RSVP with Wendy Voeroes if you would like to come along at Wendy.Voeroes@connectsr.org.nz or on 022 3925 974 Present Make smoothies, play music and create works of art with pedal power! a 40 minute gentle bush walk Cycle blend cycles that make smoothies, play music and paint Talks from David Cutten and Edith Moore on topics such a mental health and nutrition and ways that we can support our mental wellbeing Delicious and healthy snacks Everybody is welcome, so bring your friends and whānau. We look forward to seeing you there! For more details contact DRIVE at hello@drivedirection.org.nz or on 09 263 6508 DRIVE in collaboration with Connect Supporting Recovery and Cycle Blend are putting on a fabulous day out at Totara Park. Activites include: 40 minute bush walk, cycle blend cycles that make smoothies, play music and create art, and talks about ways we can improve our mental wellbeing. Everybody is welcome so come on down! 10am-1pm at Totara Park, 90 Wairere Road, Manurewa, Auckland. For more details contact DRIVE at hello@drivedirection.org.nz or on 09 263 6508
Thursday Rāpare Friday Rāmere Give Getting involved and helping your community by sharing your skills and resources has been shown to increase feelings of self-worth and produce a positive emotional effect. Since the official theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year is Let Nature In - Strengthen Your Wellbeing we thought it only right to give back to our Papatūānuku - our land. We are going to do this by taking half an hour to clean up the litter in our local community. Perhaps you can join us by picking up rubbish at your service, home and/or neighbourhood? Reach Out Art Activity Reach Out art group Facilitators will be leading an interactive art activity at the Kumeu Arts Centre, 300 Main Rd Kumeu, from 1pm -3pm. Everyone is invited, so come along and make a work of art that you can perhaps GIVE to a loved one! Head Office Clean Up Some folks at Connect Supporting Recovery s Head Office (49B Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland) will be heading out to the streets at 10.30am for half an hour to clean up the rubbish in our neighbourhood. Come and join us or get some friends and whānau together to do your own street clean. Connect Feeling close to others and valued by them is a fundamental human need and key to positive mental wellbeing. We want to encourage you all to take five this Friday and connect with each other. What better way to do this than over a cup of tea? Whether you are a staff member, service user, or family and whānau - we want you to find some time between 12pm and 1pm to have your own Mad Hatters Tea Party - a time to kōrero with others about the highs and lows of life! Other activities on today include: Reach Out Music Group Come connect with your inner rockstar - and the wonderful people of the Reach Out Music Group. Bring your favourite instrument (even if it s just your voice) and jam with us from 1.30-3.30pm in the training room at our Head Office - 49B Apollo Drive Rosedale. Breathe Out You ve reached the end of MHAW 2018 - Go you! We hope this week has helped you reflect on your mental wellbeing and gain some new skills and insights to add to your wellbeing kete.