Mental Health and Well Being

From the upheaval of pandemic in 2020 to the increasing uncertainty in our world, we are experiencing significant social and emotional impacts across all aspects of our community, with many people feeling disconnected, stressed and unsure about the future. Loneliness is also widespread, according to the latest State of the Nation Report from Ending Loneliness Australia.

• Almost 1 in 3 people feel lonely, and people in rural areas are more likely to feel lonely.
• 1 in 6 people are experiencing severe loneliness (reporting that they often or always feel lonely).
• 15-24-year-olds are feeling lonelier than any other age group.

Many people in our community also find themselves unsure about how to respond to people in crisis and offer support.

This project offers a simple way for community members to inspire hope, kindness and inspiration to those in their community that may feel lonely or isolated, or to anyone who loves a surprise! It’s also a mood booster for the makers and a fun social activity to do with others.

• Studies have found that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of wellbeing. 
• Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active as contributors in our community.
• Increasing the willingness to show kindness to others can also make us less fearful of vulnerable neighbours and help build trust.
• Additionally, gardening and working with soil and plants to create something beautiful can be therapeutic and uplifting, especially in the company of others.

If you feel like you need support for your mental health, or to support others, see the links below.