Did you know that 1 in 5 Australians experience a mental illness every year, while an estimated 45% of people will suffer from a mental health condition in their lifetime?
Thursday September 8th is R U OK? Day, a national day of action where all Australians are encouraged to ask ‘Are you OK?’ if they spot the signs that someone might be struggling. The meaningful conversation that those three little words trigger can literally change a life.
With a staggering 35% of 16-64 year olds experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress, mental health isn’t just a community issue – it’s a workplace one too.
Businesses have a responsibility to create a culture where people feel confident asking and answering the simple yet vitally important question, ‘R U OK?’. It’s not only a legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace, it’s also a moral one.
R U OK? Day is your opportunity to help foster an open, honest and safe work culture where mental health conversations are not only encouraged, but promoted. You just never know whose life you might save.
So how can your business encourage the mental health conversation at work?
1) Make use of free resources: The R U OK? Day website is full of fantastic information you can share with staff, such as this practical guide to asking R U OK? at work. Print off posters and other freely available campaign resources and make them visible around the office.
2) Hold a team event: Whether it’s a morning tea, sausage sizzle or team picnic, get staff together, show your team the R U OK? video and encourage them to think about the motivation behind R U OK? Day. You can even turn it into a fundraiser to support the R U OK? initiative.
3) Get the experts in: Engage a mental health motivational speaker to talk to your team – their unique experience, commanding presence and storytelling ability can have enormous impact and will help drive genuine change in your workplace. Whether presentations are held virtually, in-person or a hybrid mix, our wonderful mental health speakers are guaranteed to make a lasting impression on your staff. Here are just a few that we can introduce you to:
Chelsea Pottenger: Chelsea Pottenger is a proud ambassador for R U OK? and Gidget Foundation Australia, and a leading authority on mental wellbeing. An accredited mindfulness and meditation coach, Chelsea is Australia’s poster girl for mental health and a dynamic motivational speaker. Her presentations take teams on an incredible journey, showing them how to build their resilience and maximise their potential. Chelsea ensures her audiences walk away with life-changing tools to help them become more successful and energised, fully invested in improving their own mental and physical wellbeing. Read more about Chelsea here.
Dr Michael Nagel: Dr Michael Nagel is an Associate Professor specialising in cognition, stress, human development, behaviour and learning. Nominated as Australian Lecturer of the Year every year since 2010, Michael has been a guest on ‘Sunrise’, ‘A Current Affair’, ‘The Project’ and New Zealand TV’s Breakfast program, and has authored 19 books. His powerful presentations unpack the neuroscience around the positive effects of mindfulness, while providing practical strategies to help audiences incorporate mindfulness into their lives. Read more about Michael here.
Emma Murray: As an accredited mindfulness and meditation teacher, NLP Master Practitioner and Clinical Hypnotherapist, Emma Murray is widely considered to be one of Australia’s master mindfulness and high-performance mind coaches. Emma’s strategies, exercises and daily practices are fast and effective methods to attain and maintain awareness, improved emotional regulation and enhanced focus. Her presentations show people how to feel re-energised, connected to their passions, confident and valuable, replacing struggle with calmness, optimism, acceptance and worthiness. Read more about Emma here.
Jackie Furey: A university-trained psychotherapist, Jackie Furey specialises in empowering people to bring out the best in themselves and the people around them in love, life and work. Jackie makes regular radio and tv appearances, and in the past eight years has spoken in over thirty major cities around the world. Renowned for her thought-provoking, dynamic and entertaining presentations, Jackie is passionate about showing people how they can have more of a say in how their life works, to know who they are and to take what they want and need. Read more about Jackie here.
Gus Worland: Gus Worland created and starred in television shows including Foxtel’s ‘An Aussie Goes’ series alongside Hugh Jackman, before hosting Triple M’s popular breakfast show ‘The Grill Team’. He then starred in his own television series, ‘Marathon Man’, which followed his journey from obesity to a lean, mean marathon machine. After losing a close mate to suicide, Gus created the TV series ‘Man Up’ in which he talks to men to find out what it really means to be a man today. Passionate about raising awareness and reducing the stigma of mental health, Gus co-founded mental health organisation Gotcha4Life and presents his powerful story to audiences around the country. Read more about Gus here.
Tom Cronin: Known as ‘The King of Calm’, Tom Cronin is recognised globally for his expertise in leadership, stress management, mindfulness and empowerment, and his insights have featured heavily in media including Thrive Global, Sydney Morning Herald, Channel 9 Morning Show, CBS, Conde Nast Traveller, Huffington Post and Business Insider. Tom has authored 6 books, produced the hit film The Portal and founded The Stillness Project, a movement inspiring one billion people to meditate daily. His captivating presentations include practical tips and strategies, empowering insights and knowledge and a powerful meditation experience that leaves the audience feeling inspired and equipped to be healthy, happy and successful. Read more about Tom here.
Dr Sally Cockburn: Dr Sally Cockburn is one of Australia’s leading health communicators, having been a teacher, mentor and GP for more than 30 years. You may know her by her pseudonym, Dr Feelgood, tackling sensitive health issues and taboo subjects on her talkback radio show with professional ease and aplomb. Sally has extensive experience in mental health issues and, as a member of the Mental Health Reform Council and a board member of VicHealth, is an active policy maker. With an engaging presentation style and over 20 years’ experience as a motivational speaker, Sally is one of our most sought-after presenters. Read more about Sally here.
Taryn Brumfitt: Taryn Brumfitt is on a global crusade to end body dissatisfaction and shift the way the world thinks about themselves and their bodies. As a best-selling author and director of the social-change documentary Embrace, Taryn has been recognised by the United Nations Women, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls and the Geena Davis Institute and has the support of high-profile personalities including Olivia Newton-John, Rosie O’Donnell and Ashton Kutcher who famously praised her activism as being “good for the world.” Taryn’s positive voice and powerful message has reached over 200 million people via the likes of the L.A Times, Washington Post, Good Morning America, The Project, Australian Story and The Today Show, while she inspires and enlightens audiences around the globe as a renowned motivational speaker. Read more about Taryn here.
Robin Bailey: With more than 20 years’ experience in radio, television and corporate speaking, Robin Bailey is one of Australia’s most well-known voices. You may have heard her on Tripe M’s brekkie show, or seen her on one of her many regular appearances on TV as either a guest or host, entertaining audiences or candidly sharing her own family’s experience with mental health issues. Robin is a natural presenter who is known for her professional, friendly and down-to-earth attitude, and relates to people across all age groups and demographics. Read more about Robin here.
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Our wonderful mental health experts, including Chelsea Pottenger, Dr Michael Nagel, Emma Murray, Jackie Furey, Gus Worland, Tom Cronin, Dr Sally Cockburn, Taryn Brumfitt and Robin Bailey are all passionate and entertaining speakers, and can help inspire real understanding and change in your team. If you’d like us to introduce you, simply get in touch with us for a chat.