Siobhain Howe

20 hours of silence to raise awareness for youth mental health and why prevention matters.

To raise funds for mental health charity 20Talk, I'm taking on the challenge of sitting in a 2 metre square box for 20 hours. 

No technology. No talking.

Just a chair, a journal and my own thoughts. 

This challenge is designed to offer a small glimpse into something many people quietly experience…the isolation, the mental noise, the heaviness that comes with struggling with mental health. 

Often, the hardest battles are the ones no one else can see. 

Why am I doing this?

Well, because mental health is not a niche issue. It touches all of us, families, friends, workplaces and our community. 

What concerns me most is the experience of young people navigating an increasingly noisy, pressured and demanding world. A generation growing up with constant comparison, stimulation, expectations and very little space to show up and explore who they are becoming and to simple ‘be’. 

Creating a world where the next generation feels psychologically safe….to struggle, safe to ask for help and safe to not be ok is something I care deeply about. 

The reality is, we still have work to do. 

Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-44. Only 2% of mental health funding is allocated to prevention (Mental Health Commission 2022).

That needs to change. 

Prevention matters because it supports people before they reach crisis. Before silence becomes dangerous. 

I'm completing the 20 Hours for 20Talk to support their prevention focused work, helping young people build the tools, language, and confidence to navigate mental health challenges earlier and more safely. 

Your contribution helps 20Talk to:

Put a young person through one day Mental Health Maintenance course (every $120)

Expand 20Talk's online resources and 60,000+ social media community

Run large-scale interactive mental health events

By improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and encouraging early help seeking doesn’t just support wellbeing….

It saves lives. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting the cause. 

And as always….if you ever need to chat, I’m always here.

Lots of Love

Shiv

Before the Silence

In a month's time, I’ll be sitting in a two-metre square box for 20 hours.

No phone. No music (urrgghh)....No conversation....and technically No distractions.

It’s an interesting thing to prepare for, not because of the physical challenge, but because of what it represents.

Most of us rarely experience true silence anymore. Not only have we become so used to it, we’ve become incredibly skilled at avoiding stillness.

Yet for many people struggling with mental health, the silence can be loud, relentless and heavy.

So as I start to prepare for this reflective challenge, I'll leave you with a thought....

"perhaps the real discomfort isn’t silence itself, but being left alone with our thoughts."

Luv Shiv

xxx