Need help now? We all need help sometimes.

Support is available. See contacts and links further below. Find local mental health support services in the Mental Health and Support Services Directory

In an Emergency call 000

Doing ok but ready to learn more about wellbeing? Lessons from the wellbeing project.

There are lots things we can do to create a sense of wellbeing for ourselves and those around us. Here are some of the best things we have learned so far…

Gratitude –  Make time to Notice the Good Things in Your Life. Can you think of three things each day that you are grateful for? Start small.

What is Gratitude and Why is it so Important?

Kindness – Being generous and doing kind things for others is important. Are you kind to yourself? Learn to treat yourself with compassion and kindness to others will follow.

Learn Self Compassion and Talk to Yourself as you would a Good Friend

Mindfulness – Mindfulness is about being present and aware without judgement. Learning how to be mindful can help you create a sense of peace for yourself.

Getting Started with Mindfulness

Strengths – What are your inner strengths? Make them work for you. Learn more about strengths by taking the free Via Character Survey

Can you spot strengths in other people?

Positive Affirmations – Remind yourself of your strengths everyday with simple positive statements you can say to yourself. You can find examples of affirmations online or in books. Try to create your own just about you, for you.

How to Create your Own Positive Affirmations

Do things you love – Make time for things you enjoy. Give yourself the gift of moments to get completely absorbed in things.

Learn to go with the Flow

Connect with Others – Be brave and share a bit of yourself with others to invite connection.

How to Create Connections

Tips for Young People from Headspace 

Feel Well – To take on life’s challenges we need to Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move Well. Make a healthy change with small steps.

Learn to Create Tiny Habits for Big Changes

Need Help? Support when you need it

Lifeline 13 11 14

I’m worried about someone or Get Help

A Tasmanian Lifeline  1800 98 44 34 

If you need someone to talk to, you can call A Tasmanian Lifeline on 1800 98 44 34 between 8am and 8pm, 7 days.

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

beyondblue.org.au

MensLine 1300 78 99 78 Phone and online counselling

mensline.org.au

Head to Health (Aust Gov) A suite of online resources

headtohealth.gov.au

Mental Health Families and Friends Tasmania Support network for families and friends of people affected by mental ill health.

mhfamiliesfriendstas.org.au

Wellbeing in Break O’Day
A collection of tips, links and resources for living well and finding support when you need it. AND a showcase of local actions by local people to elevate wellbeing in our community.

www.wellbeingaction.org

UPDATE July 2024

This year’s Wellbeing Certificate got off to a joyful start in St Helens and Fingal.

Our program is centred around sharing stories with each other. Stories about our successful moments and our hopes and ideas. This year’s groups are brimming with ideas. It is wonderful to be part of a program that encourages others to reflect on what they do well and how they do it and to help them turn that into creating more good things for their community.

UPDATE April 2024

The Wellbeing Certificate is back for 2024. Take action in your community about things you care about.

Safe and supported group sessions for 8 weeks.

Dive deeper into wellbeing and feel confident to create safe and supportive spaces for others to grow wellbeing for themselves and to enhance community wellbeing for everyone.

Two rounds of 2024 program are starting on the 1st July. Sessions go for 4 hours at the Neighbourhood Houses.

Round ONE Monday – St Helens Neighbourhood House.

Round TWO Wednesday – Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House.

Find out more at www.wellbeingaction.org/wellbeing-certificate

Or contact Leah Page at Break O’Day Council on 6376 7900 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au

FUN + POSITIVE LEARNING

UPDATE May 2023

NEW**The Break O’Day Wellbeing Website WELLBEING ACTION is now a home for all the fabulous community wellbeing project things.

You can

• find out about local wellbeing projects,
• discover more about caring for and creating wellbeing,
• explore kindness stories and ideas, and
• connect to the Festival of Wellbeing.

All together in one place, and a home for Octo our wellbeing mascot. Take  a LOOK 🙂

We’re excited about our Wellbeing Project in Break O’Day. Thanks to the support of the Tasmanian Community Fund and the mentorship of The Wellbeing Lab and everyone in our community and beyond who has been so generous, supportive and open-hearted over the past two years we are ready to stretch ourselves and try some new things.

We are learning so much from what is working well and what we find challenging too.

In 2023 we will

• Run two FREE 8 week programs of the Wellbeing Certificate. Starting in July.
• Continue to create and source local content for our new wellbeing website.
• Host the Festival of Wellbeing on Saturday 14 October

Join the fun!

• Explore the Website WELLBEING ACTION.
• Apply now for the 2023 Wellbeing Certificate. A FREE 8 week program to strengthen your wellbeing muscles. Free, friendly and face to face. Local trainers and mentors.
• Get involved in the Festival of Wellbeing and help create a Wellbeing Day in Break O’Day.

UPDATE October 2022

Certificate in Creating Wellbeing

This year’s group of participants in the Certificate in Creating Wellbeing have been awarded their Certificate from The Wellbeing Lab for their generous and heartfelt work creating wellbeing for themselves and our community. A showcase on Saturday 22 October was a fabulous and fun way for everyone to share progress they have made with their community projects so far and support each other with feedback and ideas.

As a group, they have enjoyed a shared learning journey and invested time to think about, and practice, what works well for them to create more wellbeing and how they can share that with others.

Some projects under development this year include: a Wellness Directory for St Marys and Fingal, a podcast sharing stories of how music supports wellbeing, a support group helping women surfers create more wellbeing through surfing, and many more.

More information about them and how you can get involved coming soon.

Did you take part in any of the projects started by our first round of Certificate participants in 2021? You may have seen the green Kindness cards, taken part in a session with your child at the Child and Family Learning Centre in  WELL – We Empower Little Lives, shared a story of belonging through KISST – Kindness Is Sharing Stories Together or many more activities including the Festival of Wellbeing…

Festival of Wellbeing 2022

This year’s Festival of Wellbeing was held in St Helens and perfectly timed to make the most of leading into Mental Health Week. Held on the 6 October, the Festival was a celebration of all things Wellbeing, that filled the Bendigo Bank Community Stadium in St Helens with fun, vibrant wellbeing activities and information for everyone.

Not put off by the wet weather, this year’s event featured 60 contributors and saw more than 450 people attending throughout the day.

The Festival is a free event that brings together a variety of the people and organisations that inspire positivity and community connection. From local groups celebrating why they love living in Break O’Day to state and national health and mental health services.

Council’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, Leah Page said she was honoured to bring so many amazing wellbeing champions together to showcase to our community all the different ways we can create and improve our wellbeing.

“We had so many people and organisations who were part of this year’s Festival and generously brought their activities and information and services. The Festival showcased so many ways you can foster positive wellbeing in your life.

Some of the highlights from the day was a large group of attendees performing the Nutbush with the ladies from Hoedown’s for Country Towns, group yoga and fitness classes, incredible art workshops, loads of kids’ games, as well as upcycled fashion and furniture and so much more.

There was also a large number of health and mental health service providers there to help connect with our community and let people know where and how they can find support when they need it.

“Our community is amazing so a big thanks to all who attended and to all the contributors for making this event a massive success again this year.” Ms Page said.

The Event was organised by Break O’Day Council with support from community volunteers and participants in the Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project.

Funding for the Festival comes from the Mental Health Council of Tasmania, the Australian Government’s National Recovery and Resilience Agency and the Tasmanian Community Fund.

You can meet all our Wellbeing Champions and see a gallery of photos from the day on the Festival of Wellbeing’s Website.

UPDATE July 2022

At the first-ever Festival of Wellbeing in Mental Health Week last October we enjoyed a showcase and celebration of things we do in our local community to nurture our wellbeing and learned ways we can support each other.

In 2021 our wellbeing project participants created a wonderful event and provided a supportive and kind space for our local community to get involved. We are grateful for the generosity and wisdom of our event organisers last year. They helped us recognise and appreciate the strengths in our community, and to connect with each other. They supported our community champions to host activities that made it feel safe, easy and fun to try new things and to learn about caring for our wellbeing. We are thankful for everything we learned last year, and for the generous feedback we received which will help us shape this year’s festival.

We are excited to do it all again! We have a fabulous group of new participants in this year’s ‘Certificate in Creating Wellbeing’ training as well as a wealth of wisdom and momentum from last year.

This year we are aiming to make Launceston Show Day on Thursday 6 October, our very own Wellbeing Day in Break O’Day.

We can’t do it without you. Join us in creating this day of celebration, connection, awareness and belonging.

Find out more here Communities of Wellbeing or contact Leah for more information at wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au  or 0439 826 491.

UPDATE June 2022

The Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project hit the ground running last year. Wellbeing conversations captured our hopes and ideas. New and wonderful connections were nurtured. Our brave and generous first group of Certificate in Creating Wellbeing participants created wellbeing actions and activities across Break O’Day.

This year’s Certificate in Creating Wellbeing kicks off on Saturday 9 July at the Falmouth Community Centre. Our lucky participants are about to dive deep into creating wellbeing for themselves and others.

In the wellbeing project we know that focussing on what is working well is a great way to do more of it. We build on strengths to help others elevate the good stuff. Just like riding a bike, if you practice good wellbeing habits, you get better at them.

Get involved. Invite Leah, our wellbeing project officer, to your club or group to host a wellbeing conversation. Our wellbeing conversations are a fun way to focus on what is great about our community and help you share your hopes and ideas for wellbeing in Break O’Day. Contact Leah at wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au or 0439 826 491.

Save the date! This year’s Festival of Wellbeing will be held on Thursday 6 October. Join our planning group and help create a fabulous day of wellbeing for our community.

Keep up to date about the project at www.bodc.tas.gov.au/community/health-and-wellbeing/ , join the Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project facebook group or contact Leah for more information.

UPDATE 3 May 2022

Expressions of Interest are now open for the Certificate in Creating Wellbeing training. All the details below. Submit your Expression of Interest by 29 May. Places are limited.

Training runs from 9 July to 22 October with access to online content granted in June for those that can’t wait to explore the wonderful world of the science of wellbeing!

You can share your thoughts about wellbeing in our community and find out more at a community conversation near you too.

UPDATE 31 March 2022

Wellbeing is our ability to feel good and function well while navigating the ‘ups and downs’ of life. Wellbeing is something we can nurture and improve and the Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project aims to inspire and help people to do that in our community.

Last year we were inspired and grateful to experience the ripples of wellbeing created by local people who completed our first round of training in the Certificate in Creating Wellbeing. They encouraged us to learn more about looking after our health, to promote our positive thoughts, enjoy the things we do well, connect with each other, and take meaningful actions to achieve small but powerful changes. We hope you had the chance to join in and learn more about nurturing wellbeing.

The Break O’Day Wellbeing Project is seeking interested people to take part in this year’s Certificate in Creating Wellbeing Training commencing in June. Final dates to be announced. Register your interest now by contacting the project coordinator at wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au

Did you share your wellbeing hopes for our community at a community conversation last year? Let’s keep the conversation going. You can invite us to your community group, club or meeting to hear your thoughts about wellbeing. Or look out for more community wellbeing conversation sessions in the coming weeks too.

Our wellbeing hope is to help bring out the best in each other and our community and support local people to come together and build wellbeing for themselves, their families and their communities. Join us.

UPDATE – 30 August 2021

The Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project is well underway. This year’s group in the wellbeing training are creating wellbeing projects across our community. You may have come across their activities already. They are eager to share the good things are learning about supporting wellbeing with as many people as possible.

On Saturday 9 October a Festival of Wellbeing at the Bendigo Bank Stadium in St Helens will share wellbeing tips and give you a chance to learn and try new things that can support your wellbeing. There will be something for everyone and free transport from Fingal. This event is being created by community members and anyone can get involved.

Expressions of Interest are open now until 12 September for ideas and contributions to make the day a local celebration of wellbeing. Find out more and register your interest here Festival Of Wellbeing – Expression Of Interest

UPDATE – 22 June 2021

A summary report of the Community Wellbeing Conversations held early this year, is now available. Common themes of people looking after each other and building or celebrating connections emerged from your stories and ideas. You told us you love the friendly people in Break O’Day and your natural surroundings. And you hope to find more ways to connect and support each other.

Community Conversations Report Wellbeing Project May 2021

UPDATE – 28 April 2021

In 2019 Council was grateful to gain funding from the Tasmanian Community Fund for a 3-year pilot project to support communities across the Break O‘Day municipality to build connections, foster resilience and enhance wellbeing.

During March this year council hosted the first series of Wellbeing Conversations across Break O’Day attended by over 100 people. At these conversations you told us things you love about where you live, and your hopes for yourself and your community. We heard many inspiring stories. Time and again the common themes were people looking after each other, and building or celebrating connections.

It is clear that across Break O’Day, in all our communities, people are creating and building wellbeing. This project will give everyone more ways to enhance the wonderful things you are already doing in your community, and create opportunities to support more people to improve their own wellbeing too.

For the next three years, local people will have the opportunity to take part in wellbeing training founded on positive thinking. They will use their new skills and tools to create projects with their community, or to enrich activities already happening. Our first class of students are well on their way to gaining their Certificate in Creating Wellbeing.

Thinking positively is not about feeling good all the time. It is about making a choice to notice and savour positive feelings when they do happen. And it is about creating moments for positive feelings to happen.

When we experience a positive feeling we find it easier to navigate challenges and solve problems. One thing you can try is being kinder to yourself. Next time you find yourself in a time of struggle, try talking to yourself as you would speak to a very dear friend who needs kind words of wisdom. Self-Compassion is a gift we can all give ourselves.

Applications open now to join an 8 week program.

In the Wellbeing Certificate you will discover more about wellbeing and how to create more if it, connect with others in your community who want to help others, and design things for your community that will help people around you learn about and grow wellbeing too.

Local trainers and mentors provide safe and supported spaces for you to learn evidence-based tools for creating, elevating and nurturing wellbeing.

Grow your confidence and take actions about things you care about.

Every year people in the Wellbeing Certificate design and deliver local actions to help create wellbeing for others. This is just a snapshot. Join the Certificate and create your own action or build on those that have come before. It is generous, rewarding and fun.

Two rounds of 2024 program are starting on the 1st July. Sessions go for 4 hours at the Neighbourhood Houses.

ST HELENS Mondays – St Helens Neighbourhood House.

FINGAL Wednesdays – Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House.

Haven’t got time to do the 8 week program? Invite us to your club, group or event for a wellbeing snippet session tailored to suit you.

Find out more at www.wellbeingaction.org/wellbeing-certificate

Or contact Leah Page at Break O’Day Council on 6376 7900 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au

Every year people in the Wellbeing Certificate design and deliver local actions to help create wellbeing for others. This is just a snapshot. Join the Certificate and create your own action or build on those that have come before. It is generous, rewarding and fun.

Put simply, wellbeing is being well.

Wellbeing means different things to different people. We can improve our wellbeing by thinking well, doing well and being well.

We all have skills, knowledge and experience to be wellbeing experts in our lives. And we can all deepen our understanding and learn more  to enhance our wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us.

What is community wellbeing?

“Community wellbeing is the combination of social, economic, environmental, cultural, and political conditions identified by individuals and their communities as essential for them to flourish and fulfil their potential.” – Wiseman and Brasher.

When we develop a shared language of wellbeing as a community, we can support each other to enhance our wellbeing collectively.

“There is no greater power than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret Wheatley

Our relationships and communities are fundamentally important to our health and happiness.

What is mental health?

Mental health is simply the health of our minds, and like any other part of our body, our minds can feel well or unwell. Just as you need to take care of your heart, or your back, you need to look after the health of your mind. Being mentally well is not simply a lack of mental illness. It is a state of feeling, coping and performing well. The World Health Organisation defines mental health as follows.

“a state of well-being in which the individual realises [their] own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to [their] community” (World Health Organization, 2003).

What is mental illness?

Approximately one in every 5 Australians aged between the ages of 16 and 85 will experience a mental illness each year (Black Dog Institute, 2020). Approximately 45% of all Australians experiencing a mental illness during their lifetime.

The Australian Department of Health defines a mental illness as:

“a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardised criteria” (Australian Government Department of Health, 2020).

Common forms of mental illness in Australia include anxiety, depression and substance abuse. Approximately 54% of people with mental illness do not seek any form of treatment (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014).

Communities can play a role in promoting and supporting good mental health and providing support for each other to nurture wellbeing.

What is positive psychology?

Psychology has historically focussed on understanding the struggles of people’s minds and the mental processes that lead to problems and how to fix them.

A Positive Psychology approach to wellbeing looks beyond moments of crisis and is founded on a holistic approach of helping people recognise and use their strengths to navigate challenges and lead a full and meaningful life.

Martin Seligman, often referred to as the founder of Positive Psychology, describes it as

“the scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive.”

Positive psychology provides ways to help individuals and communities improve wellbeing. If you are interested in learning more, this 5-minute video provides a simple overview.

What is the PERMAH Framework?

The PERMAH Model of Wellbeing has been used to teach people and communities to promote and enable wellbeing through Positive Psychology approaches. Breaking down how we think about wellbeing into six themes of PERMAH can make it easier to think about which area of your wellbeing you would like to pay attention to or improve.

The Break O’Day Community Wellbeing Project is creating opportunities for our community to come together to learn about and practice wellbeing, and take shared actions to improve wellbeing. Working together using our strengths and a positive psychology approach, we aim to co-create a more connected, resilient and flourishing community.

CONNECT – Warm and positive connections to each other, engaged in our activities and the world around us.

BE RESILIENT – Being empowered to adapt to life’s challenges and take advantage of opportunities.

FLOURISH – Feeling good, achieving good things for ourselves and others, and knowing how and why.

Over three years, we will invite, encourage and support our community to participate in meaningful conversations about wellbeing. To learn about wellbeing and positive psychology approaches to enhancing wellbeing. Together we will co-create community wellbeing projects and collaborate on improving community wellbeing and resilience.

People in our community will learn and practice Wellbeing approaches for themselves, for those around them and in their local communities. Through tiny steps and small changes we aim to create a tipping point where wellbeing behaviours are valued, understood, celebrated, shared and sustained.

Break O’Day Council is committed to fostering a diverse and thriving community, a place of opportunity, where everyone feels safe, welcome and connected. We are taking an innovative, holistic, and preventative approach to nurturing wellbeing that can complement valued programs already supporting people in Break O’Day with their mental health. We aim to energise our community positively and proactively to help them build skills to cultivate their own and others’ wellbeing in ways that work for them.

Break O’Day Council has been funded by the Tasmanian Community Fund to do this work and lead the way for other councils in the future. The Project is coordinated by Council’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator and supported by an Advisory Team of positive psychology and wellbeing experts and we invite local community members to help guide our work too.

Our approach is cultivating and supporting community champions to lead wellbeing outcomes with, and within, their social networks and communities.

Each year a series of Community Wellbeing Conversations invite community members to share their thoughts and aspirations for wellbeing and to learn new language, tools and strategies for improving wellbeing.

Community wellbeing conversations are an opportunity for you to share with us, and others, what wellbeing means for you, how you do it and what you would like to see in our community to enhance wellbeing.

It is a way to connect to other people in your community and to learn more about creating wellbeing for yourself and others.

These conversations are fun, interactive and have you walking away feeling positive about our community and inspired to make a difference.

Community Conversations Report 2021

Community Conversations Report 2022

Community Conversations Report 2023

For more information on upcoming dates and times, check our latest news tab on this page or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/groups/wellbeinginbreakoday

Upcoming Community Conversations

Invite us to you to host a community wellbeing conversation with your community group or club. Contact Leah on 6376 7900 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au 

Each year the Certificate recipients create ‘Community Actions’ together with their local community, to activate or strengthen wellbeing across Break O’Day.

Did you know? The Festival of Wellbeing was a Community Action from the 1st round of the Certificate and it grew from there!

Visit www.wellbeingaction.org to find more local actions and learn more about wellbeing in Break O’Day.

Here is a snapshot of some other actions completed or underway.

Kindness Cards

Have you seen these little green cards around? Maybe you have received a Kindness Card and an Act of Kindness. Can you Pay it Forward? Do something kind for someone and leave them with a Kindness Card to prompt the next Act of Kindness.

KISST – Kindness is Sharing Stories Together

A project completed in 2021 that supported local people to share their experiences and stories of belonging in Break O’Day.

Did you get KISST’d?

Rose Thorn Banana Cards

These beautiful cards prompt you to have a wellbeing conversation with your friends and loved ones about what is going great for them right now, what is a bit thorny or hard and something funny they have enjoyed.

The cards were developed as part of a bigger project that created wellbeing bags for families filled with goodies to help them create more wellbeing for themselves at home.

Wellness Directory St Marys and Fingal

The St Marys and Fingal Wellness Directory will help people find businesses and services to support their wellbeing in St Marys and Fingal. Printed copies from Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House or Council.

WELL – We Empower Little Lives – Child and Family Learning Centre

Creating wellbeing for families and little people has always been core business for the Child and Family Learning Centre. The WELL project has brought many of these wellbeing actions together and supported the development of mindfulness sessions within their wellbeing activities.

Soul Surfing Sisters

Supportive social surfing for people who identify as women on Tassie’s north east coast.

With a shared love of the salt water, and a focus on inclusion rather than performance, this collective of women aim to improve all aspects of health – as well as their surfing skills – through regular, reliable meet-ups. This provides a safe space where they can do more than just surf together, offering opportunities for social connection.

For more information contact Council on 6376 7900 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au

Check back here and on our latest news tab on this page for updates. Or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/wellbeinginbreakoday

Facebook group

Join the Wellbeing Project facebook group to stay up to date https://www.facebook.com/groups/wellbeinginbreakoday

Wellbeing Collective

Would you like to…?

1. Create a vibe! Inspire and encourage community interest and engagement in growing wellbeing.
2. Connect people! Help grow and nurture community connections.
3. Love local! Ensure local communities and contexts are at the heart of growing wellbeing.
4. Get involved! Provide support for wellbeing. initiatives, activities and the wellbeing project work.
5. Know & Share! Understand the wellbeing project and advocate for the approach.

To find out how you can get involved or tell us how we can connect with you, contact Leah on 6376 7900 or 0439 826 491 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au