A bit about me & my why
As someone who could probably talk for 20 hours straight and loves nothing more than her wide, open space… this is really an experience that will challenge all parts of me. Honestly? If someone paid me to do this I probably wouldn’t even flirt with the idea of it.Which perhaps brings me to my why… why why why Kelly… the born chatterbox, the ‘lovely, sociable young lady who distracts others’ and the one that always has something to say. Why are we doing this?
By trade, I’m an occupational therapist. I’m extremely proud of the career I’ve worked towards, and know that there’s so much more I can do. One of my favourite parts of my job is being that support person for the young people I work with and giving them the confidence to try new things, to be independent in their daily activities and help them be able to do things that bring them joy. I gain great reward out of making a young person feel important, like they belong and confident when the world may feel like it’s working against them.
With the reward of the line of work I do, also comes the reality. Young people today are truly in a mental health epidemic. There’s repeated phrases by different young people from different walks of life… “I feel like no one understands me”; “I feel like I can’t be the ‘real me’”; ‘everything feels really hard”; “I feel unsafe”. There’s also a rise in constantly seeing societal expectations change, stressors in society that first might affect adults, but ripple to their young ones and the feeling to always belong. There’s young people who don’t have hopes or ambitions for themselves, and feel like they’d be better as not part of a society that they definitely belong in. Because to them, maybe they feel like their internal battle isn’t as large as the battles others face regularly?
I’ve also been that person who was silenced or held back by the dark parts of her brain. I’ve also been the anxiously driven woman who’d let verbal vomit out just so she could seem impressive to others. I’ve also been that person who didn’t feel like they could speak up about what was really going on inside their head. I’ve also been that person who bottled feelings. Mental illness has affected me before; to raise awareness and support what I can towards mental illness prevention is detrimental.
For me, every individual who breathes and has a heartbeat on this earth deserves the opportunity to live a life where they feel happy, loved and safe.
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!
