This month, to mark national R U OK Day, we asked Wayne Schwass, founder of PukaUp, a cause-driven organisation working to achieve their vision of ending suicide, to share more about this mission, his top insights for maintaining good mental health, and tips for starting a meaningful conversation if you think someone you care about might be struggling.

Thanks Wayne for joining us! Tell us, what inspired you to develop PukaUp?

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It’s a pretty simple reason and it’s the only reason we exist – that is to end suicide. We believe that suicide is preventable, and we’re committed to doing everything within our powers to achieve our vision in our lifetime.

Today is R U OK? Day – a day to reflect on our collective mental health and wellbeing. After a challenging couple of years, what’s your take on where we’re at?

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One thing that I've known for a long time, which has become more apparent through the last couple of years, is that it's never been more important for us (individually and collectively) to think about our mental health and emotional wellbeing in a similar way to how we take care of our physical health. The last couple of years have brought to the forefront the value and need for us to proactively care for our mental health instead of waiting until we become unwell.

There are a lot of mental health messages out there. What’s one thing you’d like more people to know?

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There are a lot of mental health messages and conversations which is great. But talking about mental health and emotional wellbeing alone is only part of the solution. The other half is giving people the opportunity to learn the skills and develop the confidence to proactively begin looking after their mental health and emotional wellbeing. It’s important to combine storytelling with science-backed education, which is what we at PukaUp are doing with our partners at the Centre for Wellbeing Science at The University of Melbourne and our tech partner Frankie health.

R U OK Day provides an opportunity to start a conversation with somebody about mental health. How do you suggest people start the conversation?

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Be prepared and give thought to accepting that if you ask the question, there could be a range of answers from good to not good. Are you prepared to sit in that space and not judge, criticise, try to solve, or fix the person who's talking? Are you prepared to listen? Acknowledge whatever the person shares and thank them for trusting you.  And if you're concerned about somebody's immediate health and wellbeing, then call triple zero and stay with that person until the professionals come. The interesting thing is the more times we have those R U OK? Day conversations, the easier they become.

For those that are struggling with their own mental health, what are some ideas you’d suggest that may help?

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Sleep is the most important tool I have in my toolbox. Here are the other things I do each day for my mental health:

• Movement and exercise. Move your body, it reacts incredibly well.
• Diet. I'm not talking about weight loss, I'm talking about food, fluids, and the content and the media we consume. It’s also about the types of relationships that we have in our lives.
• Support Network. Lean on them, rely on them as often as you can, especially when things are challenging.
• Communication. Who do you need to talk to about what you’re going through?
• Self-awareness. This is about paying attention to what I'm feeling and what I'm thinking and experiencing.
• Self-Regulation. What tools do I have in my toolbox which allow me to look after myself and deal with the challenging, stressful periods?
• Medication, which I'm on right now, but not in isolation. Medication alone does not fix mental health challenges. Medication plus lifestyle choices and professional counselling, in my experience are very helpful.
•  Doing something that brings joy like having fun playing.
• Creating space. This is about making time to reflect and to acknowledge how far I've come, how much I've grown, and the things that I want to do in the future.

Do you have any tips for managing mental health in the workplace?

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It's the same as managing mental health in your private life. Paying attention. Understanding what mental health is, understanding what your stresses and triggers are.

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It’s about noticing when you're starting to feel stressed, overwhelmed, agitated, or you're not coping which is okay and normal. Don’t ignore it, don't deny it. Don't suck it up and push through because that's not a sustainable business model. So, whatever you do in your personal life with your mental health, apply the same strategies for the same reasons in your working life.

There’s a lot of talk about the importance of taking a proactive approach to maintaining good mental health, rather than taking action only when things reach a crisis state. What does this mean and why is this important?

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For me, it means staying healthy as much as I possibly can. I've done the opposite. I waited for six years and got really sick before I did anything. Those weren’t good choices, and it wasn’t a good outcome.

Being proactive means that I make decisions every day to help protect and care for my mental health. It’s also about developing tools so I've got a range of strategies that allow me to navigate my way through those challenging times. And if I can't do that myself, then it’s about identifying who in my network I can get some support and help from.

Finally, what’s next in the PukaUp story?

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Well, what's next is rolling out our science-backed Foundations of Wellbeing skill building program to every workplace around the country and it starts with Honan Insurance. It’s an absolute thrill and a privilege to be partnering with Honan Insurance Group. It's an exciting period coming up.

If you or someone you know is going through a challenging time, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for yourself, a friend, or a family member.

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Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Lifeline 13 11 14

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