Beyond Blue is encouraging people to adopt the theme of this year’s NRL Beyond Blue Cup and play their role in supporting the mental health of those close to them.
The Play Your Role campaign encourages people to take on one of four roles to be a good mental health teammate, the roles are to look, ask, listen or support.
How to play your role for a mate:
- Look out for changes in behaviour that may be a sign they are struggling. They might seem on edge, maybe they’re quieter than usual or not replying to text.
- Ask how they are going. Even if they say they’re fine, regularly checking in is important to show your support.
- Listen openly and without judgement.
- Support those around you by making sure they understand that you’re there for them and guide them towards seeking further support if the need it.
The Beyond Blue website includes practical resources on how you can play your role. For more, visit www.beyondblue.org.au/playyourrole.
The Wests Tigers will go head to head with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Thursday night for the NRL Beyond Blue Cup.
Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said we can all support the mental health of those around us, just as NRL players support their teammates.
“If we each commit to playing our role for a friend, a family member, a colleague, or a neighbour, we can support the mental health of our communities as a team,” Ms Harman said.
“Sport is a great platform to make mental health a part of everyday conversations. It helps eliminate stigma and encourages support-seeking.
“Beyond Blue is delighted that our community partnership with Wests Tigers helps us highlight the importance of being there to support the mental health of others.”
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said the club’s partnership with Beyond Blue had played a key role in raising awareness around mental health in professional sport.
“Seeing people become more comfortable talking about mental health has been a huge benefit of our involvement with Beyond Blue,” Mr Pascoe said.
“It can seem difficult to bring up at times, but checking in with those around us has been incredibly important for society as a whole.
“Our annual Beyond Blue Cup is a wonderful opportunity to highlight our strong partnership with Beyond Blue and commitment to raising awareness about mental health, and we’re looking forward to another great occasion this year.”
