Make Some Space Campaign

The image shows a young girl who looks sad, surrounded by images, texts and social media as a bar at the bottom shows shes's her mental pressure bar has reached capacity

Life for many young people can feel like a balancing act. Juggling school, family, friends, fitting in, the list goes on. Most of the time you just get on with things, but sometimes the strain can become overwhelming and pretending ‘everything’s fine’ can take even more out of you.

The Mental Health Champion’s new campaign, ‘Make Some Space,’ is aimed at young people aged 11-19 years old and acknowledges the very real pressures young people experience. While stress is a normal part of lives, it's important to recognise when stress is becoming overwhelming and then find ways to reduce the pressure.

The campaign encourages young people to share their worries rather than carrying them alone. Talking to a trusted friend, or family member can help relieve pressure, provide perspective and remind us that we are not facing challenges on our own. Strong social connections are one of the most important protective factors for mental health, helping us to feel understood and cope better during difficult times. Connecting with someone we trust can help us feel safe, work out ways of problem solving, and prevent problems from escalating.

‘Make Some Space’ encourages you to:

Recognise when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Reach Out to a friend or trusted adult that you could talk to.
Reduce the Pressure before it becomes too much.

While talking is helpful for many people, there are lots of other ways to manage stress and look after our wellbeing. Going for a walk, spending time in nature, writing or drawing, listening to music, or being physically active can all reduce stress and improve mood. The most important thing is to find what works for you and to make space for the activities and relationships that help you feel calmer, healthier and more connected.

It’s important to know that while this campaign focuses on managing stress in young people’s lives, if you or someone you is struggling, please know that Lifeline and Samaritans are free and confidential services, that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call either when you or someone you know is in a crisis or if you just need to speak to someone.