This week, October 6 - 12 2025, is Mental Health Awareness Week. This week is all about opening up conversations, breaking down stigma, and learning how to better support our mental wellbeing – individually and collectively.
In New Zealand, around one in five people will experience mental health and addiction challenges in any given year. This statistic highlights the importance of prioritising mental health support and creating everyday environments where seeking help is normalised, accessible, and free from stigma.
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week is all about "topping up", focused on getting Kiwis to Top Up with everyday actions that promote better mental health. Although these practices are spotlighted during Mental Health Awareness Week, they’re essential every day, year-round.
"Top up" practices include to:
- Connect/Me Whakawhanaunga
- Give/Tukua
- Be Active/Me Kori Tonu
- Take Notice/Me Aro Tonu
- Keep Learning/Me Ako Tonu.
Connect (Me Whakawhanaunga) refers to making social connections, or whakawhanaungatanga. Social connection is the ngākau/heart of our wellbeing. It weaves us together, making us feel seen, heard, and understood.
Give (Tukua) is about kindness, altruism, or generosity. Carrying out acts of kindness boosts our happiness, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing. When we help others, it gives us purpose and a sense of belonging.
Be active (Me Kori Tonu) is not only important for our physical wellbeing, it’s also a powerful mood booster. Moving our tinana/body can reduce stress and anxiety levels, promote relaxation and enhance overall mental resilience.
Take notice (Me Aro Tonu) refers to the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness can be thought of as open and receptive attention to, and awareness of, what is occurring in the present moment.
Finally, keep learning (Me Ako Tonu) refers to ‘exercising our mind’. Evidence suggests that learning or trying new things creates a sense of achievement, competence and stimulates engagement with the world around us.
For some awesome tips on how to implement these “top-ups” into your everyday life, check out Mental Health Awareness Week’s website here [https://mhaw.nz/]. The official Top Up Wellbeing NZ website also offers year-round resources, tips, support, and more information – check them out here [https://www.topupwellbeing.nz/].
Mental Health Awareness Week is a timely reminder to pause, reflect, and recharge - but the real impact comes when we carry these habits into our everyday lives. The five "top up" actions are simple yet powerful tools that help us build resilience, strengthen relationships, and foster a deeper sense of wellbeing. Whether it's taking a moment to connect with someone, moving your body, or learning something new, each action contributes to a healthier, more balanced life. By topping up regularly, we not only support ourselves but also create a ripple effect that uplifts our whānau, workplaces, and communities. Following this Mental Health Awareness Week, let’s keep the momentum going – because wellbeing isn’t a one-time event, it’s a lifelong journey.
