22 October 2025 Topping up together for Mental Health Awareness Week

This year, a national government wellbeing campaign called ‘Top Up’ encouraged people across Aotearoa to boost their wellbeing through simple, everyday actions. Building on this, the Mental Health Foundation introduced ‘Top Up Together’ as the official theme for Mental Health Awareness Week, highlighting that a shared, community-based approach to wellbeing delivers lasting benefits.

Lincoln embraced this national theme, aligning our week with ‘Top Up Together’.

By centring our week on both the Five Ways to Wellbeing and the holistic Māori health model, Te Whare Tapa Whā, we encouraged students and staff to top up their oranga (wellbeing) together.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are: Me whakawhanaunga/Connect, Tukua/Give, Me kori tonu/Be Active, Me aro tonu/Take Notice, and Me ako tonu/Keep Learning.

The week’s calendar was packed, with each day focusing on one of these ways to wellbeing. Events included a quiz night, a BBQ run by our Māori Students' Association Te Awhioraki, a meditation marathon, a self-esteem workshop, and group sports like pickleball and frisbee golf. Creative minds were catered for with junk journalling and craft sessions featuring therapy dogs Gizmo and Layla, who proved just as popular as the activities themselves.

Aleesha and Gizmo

These additional activities were complemented by events that take place regularly across campus, such as LU Run Club, weekly mindfulness sessions, LU Gym classes and club meetings.

For Miriam Bartlett, Wellbeing Health Promoter in Lincoln’s Student Health team, highlighting what was already happening on campus was an intentional part of the week.

“We wanted to draw attention to what students were already doing within the week that was helping their wellbeing.

“A lot of people think they’ve got to put a mental health event on, but for example with all of our clubs, just the fact they exist and cater to a hobby or interest within a group is already helping people top up their mental health.”

A great turnout was recorded across the week, supporting students in all the walls of the whare health model and the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

“When all these things are in balance, we thrive. It sounds like we managed this, with feedback from students about how great the mix of events was. Hopefully everyone managed to ‘top up’ their oranga – either at our events or through their own activities with mates.”

Students were a vital part of the week’s organisation, with mahi contributed by LUSA’s Wellbeing and Engagement Rep Aleesha Young, Te Awhioraki and various student clubs.

They were supported by the Student Health Counselling & Wellbeing team, Student Experience, LTL, LU Gym, LU Chaplains and other departments across the university.

The successful week came at the perfect time to maximise the impact of the national campaign and support students as they head into exams.

Miriam said the team was always open to new ideas and were already looking forward to next year.