Why we're in this together - R U OK?

As managing director of Oz Hair & Beauty, I've wanted to start making it a goal to raise awareness for mental health in Australia. We've donated $20,000 to R U OK?, as well as committing $1 from every order for a week up until June 4th 2021.

So, why is this topic so close to home? 

In the past, I too have suffered severe anxiety, to the point where I had to move back home with my parents for a couple of weeks as I could not handle being alone. Upon overcoming this, I realised the reason why I was able to recover and deal with it was because I had such a great support network, with a lot of family and friends to talk to and help me through it.

Through my personal experiences this has made me realise the importance of conversing and sharing how you really feel. It's extremely sad that there are people who are uncomfortable talking about how they are feeling. If this was the case for me, my recovery would have been a lot harder to manage.

If you see someone that looks like they are struggling with the stresses of life, a simple conversation could really go a long way and change someone’s life, as I can tell you, it definitely did for me.

If you're reading this and you yourself feel like you're struggling with mental health and feel like you have no one to talk to, there is plenty of help out there. You can start by checking out R U OK? at www.ruok.org.au . Their mission is to inspire and empower people to meaningfully connect with those in their world and lend support when they are struggling with life. Please refer to www.ruok.org.au/findhelp for information on services and support.

I feel that if we are able to encourage even just one conversation, or one person to take action and get help, then we are heading in the right direction.

For more information, and if you would like to donate yourself, please visit https://www.ruok.org.au/