Can I really be quiet for this long??
Anyone who has ever met me knows that I can talk underwater with a mouth full of marbles. My mind is always whirring and I have something to say on any occasion. Questions, thoughts, ideas, concerns -- it all just tumbles out of me. Even in my work as an Osteo, the joke it that I spend my days cracking necks and gossiping.
But the kids? Sometimes they don't know how to talk. Maybe to each other, but maybe not about the stuff that counts. I'm a step mum to 3 big kids, now 18, 16 and 12. I've watched the way the talking comes and goes with good and bad days, and I think about how in this world they've inherited, so much connection happens through a screen.
Inspired by a patient of mine who completed this challenge last year to amazing results, it's my turn to do my bit for the cause. And shutting my mouth for as long as it would take me to fly to the UK in a room full of equally silent strangers seems like the way to go.
If you can donate, I'd really appreciate any amount. My goal is $1000, which goes a long way to help 20Talk on their mission to help 18-35 year olds with good mental health.
And if you're in Melbourne and want to tackle this silence with me, there's still time to register your interest! Get amongst it xxx
Janet
20 Hours of Silence for Youth Mental Health.
I’m taking on the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge which will see me sitting in a 2×2 metre square in a warehouse, alongside 400 other participants, with no talking and no technology for 20 hours. All I’ll have are the essentials I bring with me: a chair, sleeping mat, journal, water, and food. No distractions.
This challenge is a small glimpse into the isolation and struggle that someone with mental health challenges might feel every day. I know it will be tough - physically, mentally, and emotionally - but it’s a challenge I’m taking on to stand in solidarity with those navigating these experiences.So why am I doing this?
We have all been touched in some way by the reality of mental health. It can be dark, lonely, and confronting.
Structurally, the statistics are still alarming:
- Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-44.
- Only 2% of mental health funding goes towards prevention (Mental Health Commission 2022).
I’m completing the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge to help turn these statistics around. Your contribution goes towards 20Talk’s relatable prevention campaigns. They are a mental health charity that makes education cool and accessible, for young people by young people. Your generous donations go towards:
- Every $120 puts a young person through a one-day Mental Health Maintenance course
- Expanding 20Talk’s online resources and 60,000+ social media community
- Running large-scale interactive mental health events'
What is Mental Health Maintenance?
Mental Health Maintence (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 equippig them with the knowledge and tools to maintai their mental wellbeing 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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for donating to the cause. Hopefully this small challenge can help change someone’s life.
If you ever need to chat, I’m always here. Love you all and thanks again!
Janny!! 20 hours without chatting away!! Can you do it? Can't wait to find out! Cass, bub and I believe in you!