Phone a friend! Reach Out and Ask... R U Ok?

 R U OK? Day - Sept 8, 2022 

R U Ok? Day was conceived in 2009 to honour the late Barry Larkin whose suicide left family and friends in deep grief and with endless questions. Determined to protect other families from the pain he endured, his son Gavin decided to launch a National Conversation Movement to equip Australians with the skills and confidence to support those struggling with life. He chose to focus on just one question to drive that movement: “R U OK?” 

R U OK? Day inspires and empowers us to meaningfully connect with people and start a conversation with anyone who may be struggling with life. A healthy mental wellbeing is what we all strive towards, but mental illness doesn’t discriminate, and research has shown that at some point in our lives we will experience periods of mental anguish. Feeling isolated can contribute to depression and other mental issues and being unsure how to reach out to others often compounds the sense of being alone on the journey. 

You don't need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend and a great listener. It's so simple. In the time it takes to have a coffee you can start a conversation that could change a life.  Start a conversation with these four steps: 

1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in 

Libraries are places that are accessible, inclusive and free for all to use; safe and welcoming spaces where people can connect and feel supported while they learn new skills and hobbies. They provide a listening ear where people are treated with dignity and respect.  

Visit our Library branches to participate in various events which support mental health and encourage us all to make a difference to the life of someone we know. Let’s come together to make a commitment to look out for those we care about and start a conversation that could change a life. 
 
 

Join Us on the 8th of September at...

• Parent and Child Yoga at Diamond Valley Library

• Cuppa and Chat at Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub

• Yack and Yarn at Rosanna Library

• Breaking Down Anxiety and Depression at Lalor Library 

• Mindful Mandalas at Lalor Library 

• Mindful Mandalas for Young Adults at Lalor Library 

Recommended Reads

When You're Not OK [electronic resource] : a toolkit for tough times / Jill Stark

Are u ok? : a guide to caring for your mental health / Kati Morton, LMFT. 

Depression / by Laura L. Smith, PhD, Charles H. Elliott, PhD. 

Stronger : changing everything I knew about women's strength / Poorna Bell

Mind food : plant-based recipes for positive mental health / Lauren Lovatt ; photography by Sara Kiyo Popowa. 

Move your mind : how to build a healthy mindset for life by Nick Bracks

Why has nobody told me this before? / Dr. Julie Smith

Together : loneliness, health and what happens when we find connection / Vivek H. Murthy

R U OK? Websites 

https://www.ruok.org.au/

https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 

https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/ 

https://mensline.org.au/