Encouraging self-care will be the focus of Logan City Council’s support of Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW).
The campaign is run from October 10-18. This year’s theme is: Take Time – for mental health.
During the week, Council will run several activities to shine the light on the importance of individual and community, health and well-being.
Activities include a men’s online webinar, seniors’ well-being bingo, a community art display, online yoga, and ways to connect with local mental health support services.
City Lifestyle Committee Chairperson, Councillor Laurie Koranski, said while the first half of the year had been tough, there was much to look forward to for the remainder of 2020.
“Mental health is important for every single one of us, yet it is a part of life that is often overlooked,” Cr Koranski said.
“With the changes to people’s daily life caused by COVID-19 restrictions, it’s even more important than ever that people take care of themselves, and celebrate wellbeing and recovery in our community.
“I encourage everyone to take time for your own mental health and get involved in some of the local activities during the week.”
Griffith University lecturer Debra Bath is the co-founder of the recently launched Walk and Talk for Wellness program.
The sessions allow participants to have a conversation with a trained listener in an outdoor environment.
“Sometimes talking to someone who doesn’t have a connection to you, or a vested interest in your situation, frees up your capacity to process things,” Ms Bath said.
As part of Mental Health Week, there is a free ‘Walk and Talk’ Wellness session at Underwood Park on Thursday, October 15, at 10am.
This year’s theme encourages people to take time for their mental health with simple actions that have been proven to improve wellbeing.
Including:
Get healthy – it is good for your mind as well as your body
Keep learning – learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun
Show kindness – Practising small acts of kindness, giving back or showing gratitude can help you feel more satisfied with life
Connect more – spending time with other people is important to everyone’s mental wellbeing
Take notice – stay in the moment and remember the simple things that give you joy
Embrace nature – step outside, connect with the natural world and nature care of the planet.
Logan East Community Neighbourhood Centre (LECNA) in Springwood also has various mental wellness events lined up.
Gillian Marshall, Community Liaison Program Innovation and Administration manager for LECNA, said the week was very important.
“For Queensland Mental Health Week LECNA is really excited to be participating,” she said.
“We consider mental health a really important issue.
Gillian Marshall – Logan East Community Neighbourhood Centre
“Particularly this year during the pandemic where we’ve had reports and observed a lot of people experiencing social isolation.
“The usual programs that we offer around social connectedness aren’t running at the moment because of social distancing and the covid pandemic.
“So it’s great for us to be able to offer something for locals for Queensland Mental Health Week.”
LECNA is running workshops on meditation, tai chi, and chair yoga for the community.
They have asked for anyone who is interested to call them on 3808 4529 so they can be aware of numbers.
