R U OK?

R U OK? Day reminds all of us that it’s important to take the time to have chat and check in with someone, whether that be a family member, friend or even a co-worker. It can make more of an impact than you might think.

Sometimes all it takes for someone to feel validated or have their bad day turned around is to simply have a casual chat and be asked how they’re really doing.

Making someone feel better about themselves doesn’t always require a grand gesture or long-winded conversation, it can simply be – R U OKAY?

If you were looking for some advice for when someone begins to talk about their wellbeing, we’ve put together some ideas to help normalize chats about mental health and hopefully help improve their situation.

It can be slightly awkward to strike up a conversation and grow a relationship with someone but every day is an opportunity to get better at it - and in doing so, you could potentially change a life.

To start, use the four step conversation tools.

1. Greet and ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action or offer to chat again.
4. Check in

It’s been proven that exercise or even simply introducing regular movements such as a ten-minute walk can have a positive effect on someone’s mental health.

By moving your body, you'll naturally stimulate chemicals that will help to improve mood levels as well as parts of the brain that responsible for memory and learning.

OS Fitness on Optus Sport has loads of classes for all levels of expertise (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced) and offers a range of exercise tutorials to get your body moving and improve your headspace.

Stress can play a huge role on someone’s mental health status and with busy schedules, it can sometimes be difficult to identify which aspect of our lives is manageable and which is taking a bigger toll that it needs too.

It’s helpful to know where stress is coming from in order to properly address the matter or recommend support. It’s important to remember that stress does not necessarily have to derive from work or major health worries – it can also come from the small things such as a lack of sleep, time management and relationship problems.

Talking to someone about their concerns or worries does not have to happen exclusively on R U OK day, everyone deserves a random check in once in a while and the vice versa effect may also be beneficial to you.

Doing so, will not only give you an opportunity to make sure the person you are speaking too is doing well but will also give you a chance to unload your own worries.

Whether we like to admit it or not there are times we also need help too - and sharing a laugh or having some casual small talk with someone can be that spoon full of sugar we didn’t know we needed.

Conversations about mental health can sometimes lead to heavy issues that you may not be qualified to speak on or even comfortable to talk about and that’s certainly not a reflection on you.

Advising someone to seek professional help could be the best thing you could do.

R U OK? Day  is Thursday 12 September 2024.

Most of us spend a decent part of our lives online either for work or recreation.

While we all love being online and being connected 24/7 at times, creates distractions for ourselves and our families which can impact on mental health.

Optus has developed Optus Pause, an Australian-first innovation that allows you to pause both your mobile and home connectivity across your devices, all from My Optus app.

For example, you can press pause for family dinner time that’s about conversation not online chat.

Optus Digital Thumbprint supports digital safety and wellbeing with educational workshops, guides and resources for young people and families.  The program includes free, curriculum-aligned workshops that are fun and interactive. These workshops are delivered face-to-face by one of our facilitators or via digital interactive workshops.

In addition to the facilitator-led sessions hosted in schools, a dedicated website has free resources for young people, families, and teachers.

The Digital Thumbprint program, fully funded by Optus, has reached over 620,000 primary and secondary students across Australia since launching in 2013. The program has been endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider.

For young people

1. Blocking unwanted contact guide
2. Cyberbullying quiz
3. Cyberbullying: what to do when things go wrong guide
4. Digital Balance quiz
5. Fake friends and fake profiles quiz
6. Hackers, scammers and fake friends guide
7. Lifehacks for a balanced time online guide
8. Passphrases, passwords and MFA guide and quiz
9. Protecting personal information quiz
10. Scammers and fake friends quiz

For Families

• Balancing time online guide
• Blocking unwanted contact for your child guide
• Cyberbullying: What to say when things go wrong online guide
• First Phone Readiness guide and quiz
• Passphrases, passwords and MFA for your child guide
• Recognising hackers, scammers and fake friends guide
• Safeguard your child’s privacy on popular apps and games guide
• Stay ahead of scams through family discussions guide

eSafety Commissioner to report cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and illegal and restricted content

Australian Cyber Security Centre - Auto report cybercrime, including online threats and abuse, scams and hacks, data breaches, identity theft and fraud.

Scamwatch to report scams.

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation to report online grooming and inappropriate contact

IDCARE to get identity theft, data breach, scam and cyber security support.

If your child needs to talk to someone about their feelings or worries, they can contact:

Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 for free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling services.

13YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7) for a free, private and confidential talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

Optus Digital Thumbprint supports digital safety and wellbeing for young people and families. Find out more at www.digitalthumbprint.com.au

^{This is an updated version of an article first published on 8 September 2022.}