Tanille Jesse

Tanille is taking on the 20-hour challenge to support youth mental health and raise awareness about the importance of prevention.

Heya !

This year I am participating in 20Talk's 20 Hour Challenge to raise money towards free mental health training for young adults aged 18-30.

On Saturday the 5th of December, for 20 hours, I will be in a 2x2metre square, in a warehouse, with 400 other participants.

No communication, no access to technology, no clock - with only the bare necessities of food, water, a camping chair, a sleeping mat, a journal, and a gong on the hour every hour of the challenge.

I'm not even allowed to be mentally productive with a novel or homework or even a colouring book.

Silence > to stand in solidarity with people who may feel isolated while struggling with mental health challenges.

I need to raise at least $1000 by the end of November in order to participate.

All donations go toward funding 20Talk's free Mental Health Maintenence courses for young adults, and creating social media campaigns & online education at their recording studio in Freemantle.

20Talk aims to be the most relatable mental health charity platform of the 21st century, and are redefining the approach to mental health education.

80% of Australia's population is funded by only 2% of mental health prevention funding, whereas 98% of funding is allocated to intervention & crisis management after-the-fact.

20Talk creates generationally relevant evidence-based mental health education, training, & media, that combine theory with real-world application to support young adults navigating life's challenges.

$200 puts a young adult through a Mental Health Maintenence course - comprised of 12 wellbeing modules developed by psychologists, emotional regulation researchers, financial planners, sleep psychologists, & First Nation Elders.

$1000 helps 20Talk reach 80,000 people online with one of their targeted social media ad campaigns > getting young people curious about exploring their more comprehensive free education.

Through fund-raising & donations 20Talk have successfully trained more than 1350 students - held over 60 free mental health training courses - and reached 5 million+ online.

If you know anything about me personally then you'd know I haven't had the easiest route to where I am in life now.

I had a lot of help in my adolescence and early adulthood to even be able to pass as functional - but I had to go to extremes > I had to be *screaming* in order to be recognised as worthy of help.

I am participating in the 20Hour Challenge because I believe in 20Talk's cause. They believe in helping young people take ownership of their mental health journey > aiming to integrate essential mental health tools and skills into their lives > to manage stress and maintain healthy habits.

I believe no one should have to be screaming like I was in order to have access to mental health resources, and I am asking for your help now in raising $1000 for 20Talk's mission > to empower, educate, & support young people on their mental health journey.

I have detached from my digital minimalism for something I believe in >> I hope you can recognise how worthy 20Talk's mission is and why I aim to help them.

Peace! - Tanille

20 Hours: Reflection, Growth, Awareness.

20Talk's 20 Hour Challenge:

A commitment to 20 hours of pure grass-touching (without the grass), taking away all technology and communication, leaving me with only my chosen essentials: a chair, sleeping mat, journal, water bottle, & food.

Limited by a 2x2 metre square in a warehouse, with 400 other participants aiming to make a difference in themselves while raising donations for Youth Mental Health.

A break from the "norm" of the buzz. A mind reset. An unplug from the matrix.

Isolation in this era of technology has taken on a new meaning. It is so easy and tempting to look through the digital window into someone else's life and critically compare in all the ways [your mind tells you] you are inadequate or failing.

The percentage of humans struggling with mental health concerns keeps growing as technological advancements do, and the younger generations are being conditioned to rely on devices for distraction, instead of human connection for support.

With high speed connectivity, we have become disconnected from the reality of simply 'being', and especially from 'being' with others.

This challenge is a small glimpse into the isolation and struggle that someone with mental health challenges might feel every day - 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 illness. 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).

- The World Health Organisation [WHO] predicts depression will be the world's leading disease by 2030.

I’m completing the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge to help turn these statistics around. Your contribution goes towards 20Talk’s relatable prevention campaigns and education programs.

20Talk is a mental health charity that makes generationally relevant education accessible and applicable to real-world everyday challenges. Created for young people, by young people.

Donations go towards:

- Putting a young person through a one-day Mental Health Maintenance course developed by mental health specialist across Perth
- Expanding 20Talk’s online resources and 80,000+ social media community
- Running large-scale interactive mental health events & courses

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 equipping them with the knowledge and tools to maintain 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 challenge can help change someone’s life.