THE #changeyourmind campaign run by The Land has inspired a raft of people to put pen to paper and share their positive mental health messages on social media.
Politicians, farmers, students and even mental health professionals have helped us spread the word on Twitter and Facebook.
The idea behind the #changeyourmind campaign is to help change the way we think and talk about mental health in rural Australia in the lead-up to Mental Health Month next month.
Our #changeyourmind campaign wants to tackle three key misconceptions about mental health.
Having a mental health problem makes me weak.
#changeyourmind: Mental illness is common. You or somebody you know will experience a mental disorder at some time in your life.
This is something I have to deal with myself.
#changeyourmind: Mental illness is an illness like any other – it requires treatment.
There’s no point talking about it. It won’t change anything.
#changeyourmind: It’s okay to talk about mental health. In fact, we need to talk about it.
Staying mentally healthy is one of the biggest challenges faced in rural areas, with a variety of issues and challenges facing young and old alike.
Whether people are struggling to face up to, talk or hear about mental health problems, we want to send some positive messages that might make a difference.
Keep an eye out for our weekly #feelgoodfriday section.
Each Friday we’ll post an exercise, a meditation or just a positive message that can help you take a few minutes out for yourself to unwind.
Taking part is easy – write a positive mental health message on a piece of paper, take a photo of yourself holding it and post it to Twitter with the hashtag #changeyourmind and tag The Land @thelandnews.
Find more mental health-related stories and resources on The Land's mental health page