Erin Norman

20 Hours of Silence for Youth Mental Health.

On the 6th of September, I will be taking on the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge to raise money for mental health education. I will be sitting in a 2x2 metre square in a warehouse, alongside 400 other participants, with no talking or technology for 20 hours. In my square with me, I will have a chair, mat, journal, water, and food. Other than that, it's just me and my thoughts for 20 hours!

This challenge is a small glimpse into the isolation and struggle that someone with mental health challenges might feel every day. This challenge is a way to stand in solidarity with those navigating tough times, and raise some funds for mental health crisis prevention (which currently only receives about 2% of all mental health funding!). 

Why am I choosing to sit in a little square on the ground for 20 hours?

Mental health challenges can feel dark, lonely and confronting at the best of times, but without the proper knowledge and tools to navigate these challenges effectively, it can be even harder to pull yourself out of a rut (or stop yourself from getting in to one in the first place)! 

Mental health education isn’t “woo-woo” or “woke” -  it’s needed to help change shitty statistics like these:

• Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-44
• Mental health conditions impact about 1 in 7 school-aged young people
• 1 in 2 young people are impacted by suicide by the time they turn 25
• Suicide accounted for 15.9% of all child deaths in Australia in 2024
• Around 40% of young adults experience a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year
• Only 2% of mental health funding goes towards prevention (Mental Health Commission 2022).

I’m completing the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge to help change those stats. 20Talk is a mental health charity that makes mental health education cool and accessible for young people. All funds raised go towards 20Talk’s prevention campaigns, which are designed to help young people build mental resilience and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to grow, manage, and maintain their mental wellbeing. 

Your generous donations go towards:

• Putting young people through a one-day Mental Health Maintenance course (every $120 puts a young person through this course)
• Expanding 20Talk’s online resources and 60,000+ social media community so that they are able to reach even more young people who need help
• Running large-scale interactive mental health events

What is Mental Health Maintenance?

Mental Health Maintenance (MHM) is a free, one-day workshop designed with industry experts to help individuals better understand and engage with different areas of their wellbeing, as well as learn effective ways to monitor them. MHM is designed to support people by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to maintain their mental well-being before reaching crisis point. By improving mental health literacy, removing harmful stigma, and encouraging professional help-seeking, this workshop hopes to prevent people from reaching crisis in the first place. To learn more, please visit www.20talk.com.au.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this, and for donating to this awesome cause! This challenge may seem small, but it's lots of little things like this that add up to making a hell of a difference! 

Thanks a million, 

Erin xx