The mental health social movement you need to know about
We all know that when it comes to talking about emotions and feelings men are often put on the back burner and left to suffer in silence. Whether this is from the fear of judgement, lack of support, or the stigma that comes with jeopardising one’s "manhood" and being “too sensitive.” New Zealand is facing a mental health crisis that needs to be addressed, particularly in the construction industry.
The construction industry is one of New Zealand’s backbones and a recent study from Mates in Construction showed that construction workers are six times more likely to take their own life than suffer from an accident at work. It’s this shocking statistic that drove Mates in Construction and creative and talent agency Born Bred to step up and do something about it.
Partnering with one of, if not the world’s most popular social media platform TikTok, the 10 Seconds of Courage movement was born and has so far had an army of support from some of our favourite stars. From local band Six60 to the funniest duo on the internet The Inspired Unemployed, the 10 Seconds of Courage campaign invites you to support your own and your loved ones’ mental health.
So, how can you participate?
The concept is to get the message out there that talking to a mate doesn't have to be hard. Whether you take 10 seconds to face a personal fear, call a friend you only catch up with once in a blue moon, do a Tiktok dance or even eat food you’d usually bypass. The 10 Seconds of Courage challenge doesn’t have to be grand, it just has to make you stop, think and listen to your own needs.
We caught up with supporter of the 10 Seconds of Courage movement and TikTok star Regan Foai to discuss what the #10secondsofcourage challenge looks like for him, how you can partake and how he nourishes his own mental health.
Can you tell us a little bit about the 10 Seconds of Courage challenge and what it means to you?
So, the challenge was sparked up by a company called Mates in Construction who has been spreading awareness about mental health and normalizing the culture in the tradies industry to check in on our mates and Born Bred Talent. I myself think it's really important that we are having these conversations but also knowing how to initiate and drive these kinds of talks.
How can we participate in #10SECONDSOFCOURAGE
It's really easy, just jump on your phone and record yourself doing something that is out of your comfort zone. It could be as simple as doing a dance on TikTok or huge like bungy jumping off the SkyTower
Other than yourself, who else is getting on board?
There's been massive support from big names like Six60, Bella Howarth, Paaka Davis and Aussie legends The Inspired Unemployed.
There’s often a stigma around men talking about their feelings, How can we all encourage the men in our lives to open up?
I think we got to normalize it by showing it ourselves. I've had many conversations where I've shown to my bros that I can be vulnerable and express how I feel. From there they feel safe being in a space where they can open up because I've set the tone from my side.
What does 10 Seconds Of Courage look like for you personally?
We tend to think it's scary to reach out to our mates, so doing something out of the ordinary or something you're actually scared of like feeding birds at the park (Like I did) you come to realize you can overcome those feelings of having those deep conversations.
This campaign is designed to break down the barrier between mates discussing how they feel and their mental health. What are some easy prompts we can all use to check on our own mates?
I like to take my mates out for a feed before having some deep and meaningful chats, even just going for a walk or a beer. Same with the DMs I like to send a quick 'Just checking in bro, hope you're keeping well. Love you brother' for those I haven't caught up with in a while.
Where do you hope the future for this campaign goes?
I really hope and encourage everyone to jump on this challenge I would love to see this campaign going even bigger than it already is so that we can all spread awareness on checking in with your family and friends.
How do you nourish your own mental health?
For me, I enjoy taking time out for myself, doing things I enjoy and sometimes that's doing absolutely nothing, just putting the world on pause while I recharge.
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