MHAW Day Five: Be Active
MEDIA RELEASE
9 October
Winning Ways to Wellbeing Mental Health Awareness Week 5 - 11 October 2009
The Mental Health Foundation is issuing a challenge to all New Zealanders to focus on a "Winning Way to Wellbeing" every day for the working week. The Foundation says everyone has a part to play in looking after their mental health.
Today's challenge is to Be Active. Physical activity helps you to feel good so the Foundation recommends finding something that you enjoy and suits your ability.
"Being active isn't just about playing sport or going to the gym," says Judi Clements, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation. "It can be playing with your kids or going for a walk and taking advantage of New Zealand's beautiful environment."
Being active can include simple changes like taking the stairs instead of the lift. For activity ideas on being active as an individual, workplace, community and more, visit he Foundation's online Mental Health Awareness Week toolkit.
Based on research by the Foresight Project that identified five ways to wellbeing, each Winning Way is a method everyone can use to support their own wellbeing and that of the people around them. Winning Ways to Wellbeing is also the theme for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week.
A series of exciting events have been planned for the week throughout New Zealand, including a fashion show and t-shirt launch, a gig, a fiesta, a CD launch, art exhibitions, a book launch, and more. Events calendar.
Today's main event is the Media Grants Showcase: a celebration of the achievements of the 2008 NZ Mental Health Media Grant recipients, which takes place from 1pm to 4pm, followed by the launch of Jessica Le Bas' latest book Walking To Africa from 5pm to 7pm. Both take place at Carrington's Café on the Unitec Campus, Auckland.
Tomorrow there will be a ‘Fiesta in the Park' from 10am to 1pm at Western Park, Ponsonby, Auckland.
Additionally, every day during MHAW, a new video on mental health will be available online on the Foundation's website. In today's video Minnie Baragwanath, programme adviser for Auckland City Council, talks about disability and wellbeing and explains how someone is only disabled if the environment doesn't work for that person.
Mental Health Awareness Week is endorsed by the World Federation for Mental Health and marked in over 150 countries. World Mental Health Day takes place on Saturday 10 October.
For further enquiries
Carrie Briffett
Communications Officer
Mental Health Foundation
09 966 5725 or 021 918 220
carrie "at" mentalhealth.org.nz
