Mā Te Kōrero, Ka Ora: Through conversation, comes wellbeing
Mā te whakarongo, ka mōhio
through listening, comes knowledge
Mā te mōhio, ka mārama,
through knowledge, comes understanding
Mā te mārama, ka matau,
through understanding, comes wisdom
Mā te matau, ka ora
through wisdom, comes wellbeing
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is take time to kōrero/mā te kōrero, ka ora – a little chat can go a long way.
This MHAW is all about connecting with the people in our lives and creating space for conversations about mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s checking in with a mate, having a kōrero over some kai or saying hello to a stranger, a little chat can go a long way.
You can also try some of the the amazing webinars the Mental Health Foundation has organised for this week : https://www.mhaw.nz/whats-on/online/grow-free-wellbeing-webinars/
RĀMERE | FRIDAY
Come together and reflect / Noho tahi, kōrero tahi
Come together with others at school, work or home, or find a moment on your own to reflect on the week just gone. Be present and take time to kōrero about the things you’ve learnt, and the wellbeing tools you’re going to continue with. What little chats have you had this week? How does connecting with others and talking openly about wellbeing make you feel?
Noho tahi, kōrero tahi
Reflecting on the week that’s been
Rāmere, or Friday, might bring us to the end of the formal working week, but not the end of Mental Health Awareness Week. Today we’re being encouraged to noho tahi, kōrero tahi – come together and reflect.
With so many working extra hard at the moment, and everyone feeling tired, it’s more important than ever to make time to celebrate the wins – big and small.
Most of us are very happy to down tools on Friday afternoon and to reach for snacks and a glass of something refreshing. Roll on the weekend! Other times Friday afternoon’s kick-back can trigger a negative slump. It’s as if the week’s deadlines and to-do list have been keeping us focused, and the release of that pressure opens the door to other thoughts or doubts.
“Forget your perfect offering/There is a crack in everything/That’s how the light gets in”, goes the line in Leonard Cohen’s classic song “Anthem”.
Get together or alone
Come together with others to kōrero about the things you’ve achieved or learnt this week. Alternatively, find a moment on your own to reflect on the week just gone.
Light a candle
Lighting a candle can be used to symbolise bringing light to our hopes and dreams. The practice of lighting a candle with intention is used worldwide from people of all walks of life and a diverse array of religions and beliefs.
If you don’t have access to candles, try this calming candle video.
A candle can be lit as a prayer for peace or a request for healing. Who are some of the people or things you are thankful for? What were the best things from this week? Reflect on a happy or significant moment and commit it to memory.
For more spiritual support or inspiration contact Unitec’s Multifaith Chaplaincy Services
A few other ideas for reflecting together:
- Try switching off the TV for a night and play a game with your partner or tamariki instead. You could even make music together, or just talk.
- Organise a virtual dinner date. Set a time to eat and jump on a video call with someone else. Share kai, reflect on your weeks and chat about how you’re going to keep up the kōrero.
- Plan a whānau activity day – create a moment to kōrero about what makes each person feel good and plan an activity that focuses on each of those things. It could be getting out in nature for a walk, cooking a favourite meal, or video calling a relative overseas.
- Share kōrero and kai with your team at work. Everyone bring a plate and chat about the things that you do to look after your wellbeing. If you’re working from home, have lunch and chat together over Zoom. Afterwards, have kaimahi fill in the wellbeing action plan at the end of the Mental Health Awareness Week guide to help them stay mentally healthy at work.
- For tamariki, end the week with this How Am I Doing? activity by Sparklers. It’ll encourage them to think about their wellbeing and all of the things they already do to care for it.
RĀPARE | THURSDAY
Connect through kindness / Takohatia ki tētahi
When we do something nice for someone else, be it a friend, colleague or stranger, not only does it make them feel good, it gives our wellbeing a boost in return. Whether it’s a big gesture or just a smile, everyone has a little act of kindness to offer. Think about someone who might need some extra support right now, because today is all about giving: our time, our kindness, our aroha, our kōrero, to others.
Today’s activity: Online yoga at 4:00pm
A few ideas for spreading kindness:
- Send a kind message to someone in your life and let them know you’r
- e thinking of them
- This will have to wait until we reach level 2, but visit (or call) a friend, neighbour or family member who could do with some company or tautoko/support.
- Volunteer your time to others in need – join a community group, pick up someone’s groceries or simply drop off a hot meal to someone who could do with a helping hand – not only will it create a moment to kōrero, it will give you and them a feel-good boost.
- For tamariki, check out Give a Bunch of Kindness and Everyday Kindness activities from Sparklers at Home.
RĀAPA | WEDNESDAY
Check out today’s online events
Now that we’re halfway through MHAW, why not use this day to explore your wellbeing through Te Whare Tapa Whā and have a kōrero with someone else about what you learn? Consider the four pou and think about the different ways you can boost your wellbeing.
Learn about Te Whare Tapa Whā and its four dimensions of wellbeing. Reflect on which areas you feel are going well for you right now and which ones you need to focus on for your hauora/wellbeing. Share your thoughts with someone else.
- Take a moment for your wairua by trying these Te Ao Māori mindful breathing exercises.
- Add a song to our MHAWNZ playlist on Spotify. It might be a song you love to work out to for your tinana, that uplifts your wairua, soothes your hinengaro, or a whānau favourite that you sing along to in the car!
- Read how Aanoalii Rowena Fuluifaga, Learning and Achievement Manager, Student Support, is using gardening for her wellbeing
RĀTU | TUESDAY
Today’s event: JAZZ THORNTON & SIR JOHN KIRWAN 12:30pm
Join Mental Health Activist, Jazz Thornton, and Sir John Kirwan as they open up the kōrero about how to stay connected to each other (even at a distance).
Get outside in nature with someone / E puta ki te taiao
It’s often the little things that bring us joy. The singing birds, the grass beneath our feet, the wind on our faces. Kōrero doesn’t have to happen indoors. Today we encourage you to get outside in nature with someone else. Take a moment to chat about the things that support your wellbeing and appreciate the beauty around you. You might be surprised by what you notice!
- Have your lunch outside with a friend or hoamahi/colleague, take notice of the
nature around you. Even if you work outdoors, it’s great to take a break and
spend some quailty time together outside of your work space. - Have a cuppa and a kōrero in the garden with your whānau, listen to the birds, be present and enjoy each other’s company. You might like to take off your shoes and feel the grass beneath your feet.
- Go outdoors, snap a photo of some nature that catches your eye and send it to someone to brighten their day.
- Following level guidelines, go to a nature reserve or beach if you can to spend some time in the outdoors.
RĀHINA | MONDAY
Each day has a particular theme, and today is about reconnecting with with someone you care about /
He hononga tangata, he hononga aroha
This is especially important as we head into the fifth week of the Covid lockdown, especially for people who may be doing it on their own. Take a few minutes today to check in with someone you may haven’t spoken to in a little while. It’s easy to shoot off a text or emoji, but we know connection is important for our wellbeing. Having a kōrero with others nurtures our relationships and helps us to feel happy, connected and secure.
Over time, these chats help us to understand each other better and ensure we have people we can count on when times are tough. Today we encourage you to reconnect with someone you care about. Whether it’s with whānau, friends, hoamahi/colleagues, iwi or community, a little chat can go a long way.
A few ideas for reconnecting:
- Check in with whānau you haven’t spoken to in a while. Have a chat on the phone, send them a text or catch up kanohi ki te kanohi/face to face if you can. Ask them how they’re going and really listen.
- Write a letter or email to your whānau sharing what you appreciate about them.
- Look back through your photos and share a happy memory to reconnect with someone you’ve lost touch with.
- Have a think about whether there is someone in your life who may be going through a tough time. Take time to kōrero and ask them how they are, empathise and listen. You can find more support for how to have a safe and supportive kōrero on page 16 of the Mental Health Awareness Week guide.
- Check in with your work colleagues for a few minutes in your next meeting. Perhaps set aside some time to let everyone talk about themselves. What are some ways you can get to know them better? Try using this kōrero card activity PowerPoint in your next meeting to build stronger connections with your hoamahi/colleagues.
Other Resources
- Gil Graham and Edgar Rowland share stress busting strategies
- Something new to try this lockdown
- Stuff for kids to do in lockdown – 2021 edition!
- Days of our ‘lockdown lives’…take a peek into our different worlds
- Falaniko Tominiko and Jo Thorogood share strategies for lockdown stress
- Helpful links, advice and distractions for your lockdown
- Nigel Pizzini: Coping with anxiety in the face of uncertainty
- Immunity building blocks
- Taking control of your emotions and finding the ‘silver lining’
- Creating a routine that works for you during lockdown