This year I’m excited to be involved in Mental Health Awareness Week 2019. The event will be running from the 23rd to the 29th September. The theme this year is:
“EXPLORING YOUR WAY TO WELLBEING – WHĀIA TE ARA HAUORA, WHITIORA”
The focus of this week is to spend time exploring what we can do to care for our mental health and wellbeing. Everyone is encouraged to do this. Even if you aren’t experiencing a mental illness, there are still steps you can take to maintain your own mental wellbeing or help out others who may be going through difficult times. This week is for everyone.
One in five Kiwis experience mental illness each year. As a student nurse, I’m passionate about advocating for health and wellbeing for everyone. Physical health and mental health are just as important as each other. However, looking after our mental health when we are still well is something we as a society sometimes tend to forget about.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 will be using the Te Whare Tapa Whā model (The Māori Model of Health) to provide inspiration for activities throughout the week in an effort to explore our way to wellbeing. I hope to contribute to this fantastic event by preparing a short blog post for each day of the week in accordance with each domain of this health model. In these posts I will be sharing how I use the Māori Health Model to explore my own way to mental health and wellbeing. I hope it provides some inspiration to help others explore their own way to wellbeing.
The Māori Health Model – Te Whare Tapa Whā
Te Whare Tapa Whā was developed in 1984 by Sir Mason Durie, a Māori health advocate, in an attempt to provide a unique Māori perspective on health and wellbeing.
It utilises a holistic approach using the analogy of a wharenui (meeting house) to represent an individual’s health. Just like a wharenui, a human needs to have strong, interconnected foundations to keep it balanced and strong. The five dimensions of Te Whare Tapa Whā include:
- Whenua (Land & Roots)
- Taha hinengaro (Mental & Emotional)
- Taha tinana (Physical)
- Taha whānau (Family & Social)
- Taha wairua (Spiritual)
If one of these dimensions becomes damaged or is missing, the person may become unbalanced and subsequently unwell. Therefore it is vital when thinking about health to make sure that each dimension is addressed.
This is a strong, holistic model of health which can be applied to anyone of any background or culture.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2019, I will be writing a post each day in which I will share how I personally try my best to maintain each of these dimensions. This will begin with Whenua on Monday and end with Taha Wairua on the Friday.
There’s lots to look forward too and it’s all for good cause. Head to https://mhaw.nz/ to find out how you can become involved.
Kia kaha!
References:
https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/31387/maori-health-te-whare-tapa-wha-model
POTENTIAL 