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MHAW Instagram Challenge

The Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) Instagram Challenge is all about encouraging you, your whānau, your workplace or school to get involved in this year’s theme: reconnect with the people and places that lift you up, hei pikinga waiora.

The past couple of years have been tough and it’s easy to feel disconnected from the people and places that are important to us. Reaching out to your whānau, visiting your favourite place or getting outside in nature are great ways to reconnect. That’s why we’re asking you to take part in a simple challenge this MHAW, to show us how you’re reconnecting with the people and places that lift you up. 

Show us how you’re reconnecting this MHAW by sharing a photo or video in response to one of the daily prompts on the Mental Health Foundation’s Instagram story that will be posted during each day of MHAW. At the end of the week, we’ll be drawing five winners who will receive awesome prize packs! 


How does it work?

  • Sign up for Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) updates so we can keep you in-the-know with the latest information.

 

 

  • Add your photo/video to the daily prompt button uploaded onto the MHF Instagram story at 8am each day of MHAW. You can do this by heading to our Instagram story, tapping on ‘Add yours’ underneath the prompt, and selecting an image from your camera roll or taking a new photo with your camera. Make sure your profile is public so we can see your story, and feel free to tag us using @mhfnz. Each daily prompt story will stay up on our profile until 8am the following day and will be added to the CHALLENGE section on our profile so you can easily find it. For inspiration and activity ideas for each day, you can also check out the MHAW 2022 Guide. 
     

 

  • You’ll notice we’re not asking you to post on Facebook this year – in the past we’ve had a hard-time keeping track of entries on Facebook due to the way profiles are set up privately. We don’t want to miss any of your incredible submissions, so we’re keeping it simple and asking just for posts on Instagram this year. You are of course welcome to post on Facebook, you just can’t enter the competition through Facebook.

  • At the end of the week, the MHF will choose five winners who will win awesome prizes. All prize winners will be contacted through social media, followed by a request to email their postage details to mhaw@mentalhealth.org.nz. These is our only official Instagram handle, please be careful of scammers.

  • For more information on the MHAW Challenge, check out our FAQs. You can also view our competition terms and conditions here.

 

Daily Themes 

Rāhina / Monday: Reconnect with yourself 

To start the week, let's begin by taking a moment to look inwards and set some whāinga/goals for the week ahead. Connecting with yourself is a skill - some people find writing their whakaaro/thoughts down helps, while others might find moving their body helps calm their mind. For some people, talking out loud to yourself can help clarify what's going on inside!    

Rātu / Tuesday: Reconnect with a friend or loved one 

Today is about people: specifically, about reconnecting with whānau or a mate - someone special who you may have lost touch with or just wish you caught up with more often. Why not send a text, make a call or arrange a catch up in person with someone you want to reconnect with today? We bet it will give both of you a boost. 

Rāapa / Wednesday: Reconnect with a special place 

The places and spaces we spend our time in have a huge impact on how we feel. Just like we have special people who make us feel good, most of us have places we can go that calm, inspire or uplift us. It can be as simple as your local park, a hilltop with a nice view or even your favourite cafe!  

Rāpare / Thursday: Reconnect with your community 

Today is about reconnecting with your hapori whānui/wider community. It's the perfect time to sign up to be a volunteer or join a local community group. If that seems too big a step, it can also be as simple as making the effort to kōrero/talk with the people you interact with everyday but don't take the time to pause with. Whatever you decide to do, today is all about savouring the little hononga/connections that make us human. 

Rāmere / Friday: Reconnect with nature  

To round out the week, we're asking you to reconnect with the beautiful taonga that is te taiao/the natural environment. Studies show exposure to nature not only makes us feel better emotionally, it contributes to our physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. All the more reason to spend at least a small moment today outside - breathing in some fresh air and noticing the world around you. 

 

 

Manaaki / Monday

Take Notice | Me Aro Tonu

A fresh week, blank slate and a new beginning. Let's start the week by setting purpose and intention, today is the day to take stock – how have you been feeling recently, are there any events or stresses that you need to sit with and unpack? 

Developing the ability to be fully present and conscious without being overly reactive or overwhelmed is no easy feat, it takes practice to achieve the delicate balance of awareness. When we take notice or practice mindfulness, we’re creating space for ourselves—space to think, space to breathe, space between ourselves and our reactions.  

Use today as a reminder to pay more attention to the present moment, to our thoughts and feelings, and to the world around us. At the end of the week, you can reflect on how you felt at the start of the week, and how putting each of the Five Ways into practice has helped to boost your mental health.

A few ideas to help you take notice:

Tautoko / Tuesday

Give | Tukua

Today is all about kindness. When we give selflessly to others, whether through our time, resources, or support, we create a positive ripple effect that extends beyond the people we engage with. Carrying out acts of kindness boosts our happiness, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing. When we help others, it gives us purpose and a sense of belonging – it’s a win/win!  

Think about how you might be able to brighten the day of someone you care about, or even a complete stranger. A small gesture might mean the world to someone else, and you’ll get a bit of a boost, too!

A few ideas to help you give:

Whānau / Wednesday

Be Active | Me Kori Tonu 

We're nearly over the midweek hump and are inching closer to the weekend. Today is the perfect opportunity to give yourself a refreshing boost by engaging in some physical activity. Wi tēnei rangi to get the blood flowing through your tinana/body?   

Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, the "feel-good" hormones, which can uplift your mood and increase feelings of happiness. It reduces stress and anxiety levels, promotes relaxation and enhances overall mental resilience. It can even sharpen our thinking and boost our creativity. 

Being active doesn’t always mean high-intensity cardio workouts, there are lots of ways you can move your tinana to uplift your mood, reduce stress, and feel a sense of achievement. Choose to do something that is purely for feeling good or having fun, and dedicate it to your wellbeing.

A few ideas hei āwhina/to help you be active:

Tūhono / Thursday

Connect | Me Whakawhanaunga

It’s nearly Friday – why not tap into those weekend vibes early, and carve out some time for some meaningful connection? Use today as a sign to arrange that outing or gathering with friends, participate in social events that you might be finding an excuse to skip, or seek out opportunities for shared experiences that deepen your connections.  

Connect refers to making social connections, or whakawhanaungatanga. A sense of feeling connected, loved or belonging with others is strongly associated with better wellbeing and other health outcomes by providing a sense of meaning, safety, support and purpose.  

A few ideas to help you connect:

Whakawhe / Friday

Keep Learning | Me Ako Tonu

It might be the last day of MHAW, but today’s the day to reflect on what you’ve learnt throughout the week and implement those tools into the weekend and weeks beyond. 

Evidence suggests that learning or trying new things creates a sense of achievement, competence and stimulates engagement with the world around us. There are lots of ways that you can Keep Learning today and every day. 

A few ideas to help you keep learning: